- ADGT, a UAE-based payments and data intelligence platform, has secured a $250 million investment from Blackstone alongside Raya Holding, NRT Technology, and Sightline Payments.
- Founded by Michael Dominelli, ADGT aims to build next-generation payments infrastructure supporting regulated digital markets across the UAE, MENA, Africa, and global corridors.
- The platform integrates digital wallets, real-time payment rails, identity management, and compliance systems into a unified infrastructure for both physical and online transactions.
Press release:
Blackstone (NYSE: BX), the world’s largest alternative asset manager, today announced that funds managed by Blackstone (“Blackstone”) have invested $250 million in Advanced Digital Gaming Technology (“ADGT”), a newly established payments and data intelligence technology platform launched from the United Arab Emirates to support regulated digital markets globally.
ADGT has been established through a strategic partnership between Blackstone, Raya Holding, the Abu Dhabi-based investment company, and leading technology partners NRT Technology and Sightline Payments.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, ADGT is positioned at the crossroads of global finance, high-growth markets, and next-generation digital infrastructure. The company plans to initially focus on deployments across the UAE, the Middle East, Africa, and select international corridors. In the UAE, ADGT is the premier payments and compliance technology provider to the commercial gaming market, which is projected to become one of the fastest-growing regulated markets globally: ADGT is currently the only licensed platform able to contract directly with both land-based venues and online digital platforms, enabling a unified experience for both consumers and operators.
Michael Dominelli, CEO of ADGT, said: “ADGT was created in the UAE from the ground up to serve as a new global standard for financial payments technology. Built upon modern infrastructure, and with a strong institutional and regulatory framework, we have created a platform that is designed, built, governed and experienced with resilience and scalability in mind. With the backing of Blackstone, Raya Holding and the leading payments technology partnerships, we have the scale, resources and credibility to create a global success story engineered and headquartered in the UAE.”
Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer, Blackstone, said: “We see significant opportunity to deploy capital at scale in the UAE to build companies that can grow both domestically and internationally, despite near term headwinds. The UAE is a global leader in travel and leisure, with emerging strength in technology, and we are excited to support ADGT to capitalise on these powerful trends.”
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “ADGT reflects the UAE’s long-term vision to lead in the development of next-generation financial technology and regulated digital infrastructure. With a progressive regulatory framework and strong institutional support, the UAE continues to create an environment where global technology platforms can be built and scaled. Through this partnership with Blackstone, and the integration of proven technology capabilities from NRT Technology and Sightline, ADGT is positioned to establish a new benchmark for regulated payments infrastructure. From Abu Dhabi, we are developing a platform designed not only to serve the UAE, but to support the evolution of regulated digital markets globally.”
The platform is designed to support national-scale deployments, cross-border interoperability, and evolving regulatory frameworks. ADGT integrates digital wallets, real-time funding and payout rails, identity and access management, compliance monitoring, and both closed-loop and open-loop ecosystem controls within a single interoperable infrastructure supporting both on-property transactions and digital engagement.
Blackstone has had a presence in the UAE since 2010. The firm’s investments in the country include GLIDE, a pan-GCC logistics platform developed in partnership with Lunate, and Property Finder, the leading UAE real estate marketplace.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP and Alaeddini & Co acted as legal advisors to Blackstone, whilst Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP’s Abu Dhabi office acted as legal advisors to ADGT.