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Zest Equity, an innovative startup based in the UAE, has secured $3.8 million in seed funding to further develop its digital platform for facilitating efficient and transparent private market transactions. The company aims to enhance liquidity for ecosystem players and streamline secondary deals using advanced tools. Led by Middle East Venture Partners, the funding round also involved the Dubai Future District Fund and DASH Ventures, bringing the total raised by Zest Equity to $5.7 million. Co-founders Rawan Baddour and Zuhair Shamma initially established Zest Equity as a secondary trading marketplace in 2021, but quickly evolved the platform to cater to founders and venture capitalists seeking fast and transparent online transactions. This move was driven by a lack of cost-effective and digitized infrastructure for communication and information sharing between stakeholders. Zest Equity offers tools that enable founders to invite investors to fundraising rounds, share pertinent information, and track deal processes. Additionally, the platform provides the legal framework for investors, including angels and investment syndicates, to pursue shared ventures, saving time and administrative costs. Zest Equity plans to expand its operation to other emerging markets with similar challenges, such as Africa, South Asia, and Turkey.