Dubai, UAE – Cercli, the all-in-one HR platform for Middle Eastern businesses to run and pay their local and global workforces, announces rapid growth and exciting platform updates as it solves HR problems for companies across the region.
Backed by Y Combinator, Cercli raised a $4 million seed round last September with support from Silicon Valley-based Afore Capital – making its first investment in MENA – and COTU Ventures. Since then, Cercli has been delivering in its first market, the UAE, with strong growth, major product upgrades, and plans underway for regional expansion.
Since its September 2024 fundraise, Cercli has achieved 22% compounded month-on-month revenue growth and increased payroll distributions by 14x, processing over a quarter of a billion AED in employee salaries across 48 countries and 17 currencies. The Company’s client base has more than tripled, driven by the significant financial and operational savings it delivers. Across its customer base, Cercli has saved over 65,000 hours of manual work and over AED 8.2 million in administrative costs by streamlining HR processes, automating payroll, and eliminating repetitive tasks.
Following its growth performance, Cercli expects to announce a market entry to a major GCC economy in the very near future.
Akeed Azmi, co-founder of Cercli, said:
“We’re really encouraged by the market’s positive response. Migrating customers are tired of outdated, unreliable HR tools and legacy platforms. From recruiting to performance to billing, these old systems just don’t talk to each other. MENA is thriving, and businesses here are thinking globally. They are asking for one reliable, localised HR platform which is easy to get started with and this is exactly what we’re building.
“Digital transformation, with a focus on AI agents to streamline processes, reduce bureaucracy, and boost efficiency, is high on government agendas, so we are in the right place at the right time. We have concentrated on mid-market size companies to date, but are also fielding many enquiries from larger companies. This is just the beginning for us: regional expansion is next, and we’re excited about what is ahead.”
Cercli has also attracted top-tier talent across engineering, product, and growth, drawing team members from global tech leaders including Google, Amazon, Stripe, Cloudflare, and Snapchat. As the Company scales, it continues to expand its team with high-calibre hires, building a world-class workforce to deliver exceptional experiences for its clients across the region.
Clients include leading MENA brands such as Huspy (property technology); Stake (property investment); BackLite (media); Ziina (fintech); Global Climate Finance Centre; Thndr (digital investment); ClearGrid (AI debt recovery); Alaan (expense management); Supy (restaurant inventory software); Baraka (investment platform).
In the past year, Cercli has launched over 20 updates to automate and simplify HR for modern teams, from compliant offboarding and multi-payrun support to AI-powered tools like job description generation and zero-input expense reimbursements.
Cercli is built to replace outdated legacy ERP systems that lack localisation, offer clunky user experiences, and take months to implement. While traditional systems can take up to six months to implement, Cercli gets teams up and running in as little as 48 to 72 hours. With AI Agents to streamline everything from migrating clients to onboarding teams, running payroll, and automating HR operations, the startup gives MENA companies a single, modern platform to manage their entire workforce.
Cercli’s distinct approach aligns with a generational market shift, as LLMs and autonomous agents unlock new levels of productivity and reshape the future of HR. This momentum is reinforced by a supportive policy environment, with MENA governments investing heavily in AI and digital transformation to drive economic and societal progress.
David Reche, co-founder of Cercli, added:
“Most HR platforms miss the mark when it comes to localisation, be it labour laws, WPS, or even public holiday calendars. This is where Cercli really stands out. We have built something that works for teams in the Middle East, and it is clear that it is resonating. Our clients see us as the operating system for modern HR in the region, and we take that role seriously. Moreover, we have payroll specialists and real people on hand around the clock to guide and support our clients whenever they need it.”
Cercli’s growth is reinforced by broader market trends across the UAE and the wider region. The number of registered companies in the UAE has more than doubled over the past five years, growing 152% between 2020 and 2024. The country’s population has also surged from 9.4 million to over 11.3 million during the same period, with expats making up nearly 89%, many drawn by economic opportunities and quality of life. As more MENA companies scale across borders and build globally distributed teams, the challenge of managing a global workforce while staying compliant has become more urgent.
As the region’s economies mature, we are seeing ongoing changes in labour laws, tax regulations, and employee benefits such as KSA’s new Social Insurance Law and the introduction of pension schemes. These shifts are shaping how companies manage payroll and HR. Staying compliant is critical. In markets like the UAE, for example, non-compliant WPS payroll can result in significant financial penalties. Businesses need to adapt quickly to these evolving requirements to avoid risk and stay ahead.
Cercli’s co-founders Akeed Azmi and David Reche founded the Company in 2023, having both held senior roles at Careem – the Dubai-based super-app – in Growth & Expansion and Product & Engineering, respectively.