What Womena does

Womena is a Dubai-based feminist media company founded in 2014/2015 that operates a multi-platform content ecosystem targeting women in the MENA region and diaspora. Its core products are organized into three owned media surfaces (Watch for video, Listen for podcasts, Read for editorial), supported by the Womena Collective, a community membership program with 13,000+ members across 25+ countries that provides exclusive content, focus groups, and events. A fourth operational line is the Womentum accelerator, launched in 2018 with Impact Hub Berlin and TECOM Group, which runs a four-month program for female-led tech startups in MENA and awards a $50,000 prize.

The company generates revenue primarily through branded content campaigns and sponsorships with enterprise partners including Nike, Apple, FIFA, BetterHelp, Talabat, Careem, Diesel, Elie Saab, Standard Chartered, IFC, and the government of Dubai, alongside a newer premium podcast subscription offering and accelerator program fees/sponsorship. Distribution is multi-channel across a website, YouTube, podcast platforms, and six social networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn), with event activations including the Freedom By Design installation at Dubai Design Week 2024 and Womentum demo days at GITEX.

The underlying technology stack is a digital media content platform with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, proprietary models, or patents; the value proposition is grounded in editorial credibility, community engagement, and brand-safety access to a hard-to-reach female MENA demographic. The company is privately held with 11-50 employees, no parent company, and no disclosed venture funding, suggesting a founder-controlled, bootstrapped operating model sustained by media services revenue.

Name

Womena

Legal name

Womena

Website

https://womena.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Womena is a Dubai-based feminist media company operating a multi-platform content ecosystem (Watch, Listen, Read) and a 13K+-member community (Collective) targeting women in the MENA region and diaspora, monetizing via brand partnerships, premium podcast subscriptions, and the Womentum accelerator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Digital Media

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Feminist media platform
• Women's content publishing
• Podcast network
• Brand content partnerships
• Startup accelerator

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Brand Partnerships and Sponsored Content: Womena creates branded content campaigns for partners including Nike, BetterHelp, FIFA, Hawaya, Talabat, Careem, IFC, Diesel, Apple, Standard Chartered, Elie Saab, and Dubai. This includes video series, social media content, and podcast integrations.
2. Premium Subscriptions: Podcast premium subscription model offering early access to episodes, bonus content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes material for subscribers.
3. Accelerator Program: Womentum accelerator operates a 4-month program for female-led tech startups with a $50,000 prize, generating revenue through program fees, sponsorship, and equity considerations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Womena is a feminist media company that produces and distributes original women's content across three owned channels — Watch (video series and documentaries), Read (editorial articles and essays), and Listen (a podcast network) — aimed at women in the MENA region and diaspora. It monetizes its audience through brand-partnership content campaigns for enterprise clients (Nike, FIFA, Apple, etc.), premium podcast subscriptions, and the Womentum 4-month accelerator program for female-led tech startups in MENA.

Product overview

Womena is a feminist media company operating a multi-platform content ecosystem centered on amplifying women's voices in the MENA region and beyond. The core offering consists of three content platforms: Watch (video content with series, vlogs, documentaries, and poetry films), Listen (a podcast network including Talk of Shame, إيه العلاقة, Boo 3al Taboo, Womentum, and Sage Takes Thyme), and Read (editorial content with profiles, features, and opinion essays). Supporting these is the Collective community (13K+ members across 25+ countries), the Womentum Accelerator program for female-led tech startups, and a brand partnership program. The platforms collectively deliver content spanning personal essays, social commentary, entrepreneurship, relationships, health, culture, and design, with measurement showing 62% audience representation impact, 92% seeing more female role models, and 85% inspired to make different choices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Watch Womena's video content vertical featuring original series (Boo 3al Taboo, IGY6), vlogs (Saba7o), documentaries (Dig Deeper, Womentum docu-reality), food series (Third Culture Kitchens), poetry films, and profile videos on women empowerment, culture, and social issues for a MENA-region audience.
• Listen Womena's podcast network offering multiple audio shows in Arabic and English covering topics including relationships, shame, entrepreneurship, and culture. Includes Talk of Shame (12 episodes), إيه العلاقة (13 episodes), Boo 3al Taboo (11 episodes), Womentum, and Sage Takes Thyme, with a premium subscription tier for early access and bonus content.
• Read Womena's editorial platform featuring profiles, features, opinion essays, and personal narratives exploring women's experiences across the MENA region, organized into topics including relationships, mental health, feminism, culture, career, and social issues.
• Womena Collective Womena's community membership program offering 13,000+ members across 25+ countries access to exclusive content, focus groups, events, job opportunities, and a network for career and creative engagement with like-minded women.
• Womentum Accelerator 4-month accelerator program for female-led tech startups with at least one female founder in the MENA region, offering mentorship, investor access, regional market expansion support, pitch development, and a $50,000 prize, with in-person sessions in Berlin and Dubai and a demo day at GITEX.
• Womena Partners Program Brand partnership and content creation program for organizations seeking to reach Womena's audience of empowered women in MENA, including sponsored video series (Nike Moving Through Grief, Ramadan Wellness Series), podcast sponsorships (BetterHelp Talk of Shame, Talabat A Little Salty), and content collaborations (FIFA, Diesel Dubai Skater Movement, Elie Saab, Standard Chartered, Apple, IFC, Hawaya Mismatched, Pinko Saudi National Day).
• Talk of Shame Podcast Podcast hosted by bestselling author Alya Mooro exploring the meaning and impact of shame across cultures and communities in the MENA region and Arab diaspora, with 12 episodes. Sponsored by BetterHelp.
• إيه العلاقة (Relationship Podcast) Arabic-language relationship podcast hosted by Mint and Omar Samra exploring connections and interpersonal dynamics, with 13 episodes.
• Boo 3al Taboo Podcast Podcast addressing taboo topics and conversations not usually discussed in the MENA region, with 11 audio episodes and an accompanying two-season video series.
• Sage Takes Thyme Podcast Podcast described as nourishing for the soul, co-hosted by co-founder Elissa Freiha and Amira Salah-Ahmed.
• Womentum Podcast Podcast featuring MENA's female entrepreneurs and conversations about the regional startup ecosystem, tied to the Womentum accelerator program.
• Saba7o Vlog Vlog series with 21 episodes featuring cultural and lifestyle content from the Womena platform.
• Dig Deeper Video Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% of audience feel accurately represented in media after watching Womena's content
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Impact Hub BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Womentum accelerator program providing immersion in Berlin's innovative ecosystem, combined with Dubai hub connections to investors, mentors, and regional markets. 4-month blended program with in-person sessions in both cities.
• TECOM GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Womentum accelerator providing connection to Dubai ecosystem and regional markets. Co-founder Elissa Freiha noted partnership designed to give startups connection to regional markets from Dubai hub.
• Latham & WatkinsminorOthersOfficial legal partner for Womentum accelerator program, providing legal support and guidance to participating startups.
• in5coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation center partnership for Womentum accelerator, providing ecosystem support and resources for female-led startups in Dubai.
• ElvesminorOthersOfficial travel partner for Womentum, providing human-assisted AI personal concierge services for travel bookings and logistical needs of accelerator participants.
• BetterHelpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Talk of Shame podcast series, supporting the podcast about shame, mental health, and societal expectations affecting women in the region.
• NikemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor brand partner for multiple content campaigns including Moving Through Grief video series and Ramadan Wellness Series, showcasing Nike's commitment to women's empowerment messaging.
• TalabatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for A Little Salty podcast series, supporting content creation for the platform.
• FIFAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor international brand partnership for content collaboration, representing significant brand credibility for Womena.
• CareemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership content collaboration with the Middle East rideshare and delivery platform.
• DieselminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDubai Skater Movement campaign partnership, featuring content showcasing women's skateboarding community in Dubai.
• Standard CharteredminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership content collaboration with the international banking group.
• AppleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership content collaboration with the technology company.
• IFC (International Finance Corporation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership and content collaboration with the International Finance Corporation.
• Elie SaabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership content collaboration with the Lebanese fashion designer and fashion house.
• DubaiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partnership content collaboration with Dubai entity.
• HawayaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMismatched video series partnership featuring dating/relationship content.
• PinkominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaudi National Day campaign partnership featuring content collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Tempest: A digital media platform for women and underrepresented voices featuring editorial, video, and community content with branded partnerships. Comparable in feminist editorial positioning, multi-format content, and brand-sponsored storytelling, though US-based.
• gal-dem: An independent media publication and community for women and non-binary people of color with editorial, video, and community programming. Comparable in mission-driven, multi-format content strategy and community-led growth, though UK-based and serving a different diaspora audience.
• Brown Girl Magazine: A digital media platform amplifying the voices of women of color through editorial, video, and community programming. Comparable in mission-driven content focus, multi-format platform, and community engagement strategy, though focused on the South Asian diaspora.

Broad incumbents

• Refinery29: A global digital media company focused on women with multi-format content (articles, video, original series) and branded content partnerships. Comparable in feminist-leaning editorial positioning, multi-format content engine, and brand-sponsorship revenue model, though serving a Western audience at much larger scale.
• Harper's Bazaar Arabia: Hearst's regional edition covering fashion, beauty, and culture for Arab women with branded editorial and events. Comparable in MENA-female audience, content-platform model, and enterprise brand partnerships, but is part of a global publishing incumbent.
• Vogue Arabia: Condé Nast's Middle East women's media platform covering culture, fashion, and lifestyle with branded content and high-end partnerships. Comparable in audience demographic (MENA, women, premium brands) and brand-partnership revenue model, though with substantially larger scale and parent backing.
• Grazia Middle East: A regional edition of a major international fashion and lifestyle magazine with a female-skewed audience in the Middle East. Comparable because it sells branded content and partnerships to enterprise brands targeting MENA women, though it sits within a much larger global media group.

Regional players

• Huda Beauty: A Middle East-founded, globally scaled beauty brand with strong content and community engagement around Arab/MENA women. Comparable as a MENA-rooted, women-focused brand that has built massive regional and global audience reach, though operating in beauty products rather than media.

Others

• The Magnum Foundation: A non-profit that supports independent documentary and storytelling around social issues including gender equity. Comparable as a media-focused impact organization, though operating globally and primarily in documentary form.
• Khayrallah Consulting (Endeavor MENA): A global high-impact entrepreneur support organization with a strong MENA founder support mandate. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for female founders in MENA through programs, mentorship, and capital access, paralleling Womentum's accelerator thesis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/womenaco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/womena
• Facebookfacebook.com/womenaco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womenaco
• Instagraminstagram.com/womena
• TikToktiktok.com/@womena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments11 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Womena