Hamza Iraqui Is Betting $17 Million That You'll Stop Buying New

Hamza Iraqui's biggest competitor is not a website. It is a habit.

The co-founder of Revibe does not spend his nights worrying about rival marketplaces or pricing algorithms. He worries about the moment someone walks into a phone shop, sees the gleaming display wall of new devices, and buys one without a second thought. That reflex is what he is trying to break.

Iraqui and his co-founder Abdessamad Ben Zakour launched Revibe in Dubai in 2022 with a deceptively simple idea: refurbished does not mean second-best. Every device that moves through their platform sits through a 50-point inspection. Every buyer gets a 12-month warranty. The whole operation is built to make a used phone feel as reliable as one that just came out of a factory box.

In November 2025, Partech led a $17 million round into Revibe. E& Capital, Burda Principal Investments, and EQNX joined the raise. Partech's general partner Cyril Collon described it plainly: Revibe is building the leading refurbished electronics platform for emerging markets.

The model is asset-light. Revibe does not hold inventory. Sellers list their devices; Revibe tracks their quality continuously and takes a commission on each sale. The business earns trust, not storage costs.

Today Revibe operates in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, with Egypt as its operational hub. The fresh capital goes toward tightening quality standards, speeding up expansion across the Gulf and into Africa, and extending the product range beyond smartphones and laptops into tablets, smartwatches, home appliances, and sound systems.

The global market for refurbished electronics is massive and accelerating. In emerging markets where affordability and environmental consciousness intersect, the timing is compressing fast. Revibe arrived at exactly the right moment.

What Iraqui understands is that trust is the product. Not the device. Not the price. The fact that a buyer in Dubai or Johannesburg can pick up a refurbished laptop and never once wonder whether they made a mistake: that is what Revibe is actually selling. In Dubai, where the premium brand has always dominated retail, building trust in the alternative is the only way to win.

Sources:
Gulf News: This Dubai startup just raised $17 million
Partech: Revibe Raises $17 Million
Wamda: Revibe lands $17 million