Egypt's KNOT Raises $1m to Build AI Ticketing Platform

27 January 2026
Daba Finance (Abidjan)

KNOT Technologies, an Egypt- and UK-based online ticketing startup, has raised US$1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by A15.

Founded in London in 2025 by Ahmed Abdalla and Hussein ElBendak, KNOT is developing an AI-native ticketing and access-control platform aimed at reducing fraud, improving demand visibility, and limiting revenue leakage into unregulated resale markets. The funding will be used to support product development, international expansion, and deeper integrations across the live events ecosystem.

The company said legacy ticketing systems offer limited insight into demand and leave organizers exposed to fraud and uncontrolled secondary markets. KNOT's platform applies an AI layer to authenticate identity, manage ticket distribution, and track demand in real time. This allows event owners to restrict unauthorized transfers and retain greater control over pricing and access.

After an early rollout, KNOT has secured more than 50 enterprise customers and is now emerging from stealth. The founders previously worked at Meta, Goldman Sachs, and Mubadala. A15 said the company addresses a structural gap in a sector dominated by incumbents built before mobile-first and AI-driven systems became standard.

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Key Takeaways

KNOT's pitch reflects a broader shift in event technology toward infrastructure rather than consumer-facing apps. Ticketing remains a large but fragmented market, with organizers often relying on legacy platforms that limit control over pricing, data, and resale behavior. By focusing on identity, distribution, and real-time data, KNOT is positioning itself as a backend layer rather than a marketplace. This approach aligns with how value is shifting in other sectors, where data ownership and system-level control matter more than brand visibility. Investor interest also points to demand for alternatives to global incumbents. While resale platforms have grown, they often operate outside organizer control, creating tension around pricing and fan trust. AI-driven enforcement and demand tracking could help close that gap. The challenge will be scaling across venues and jurisdictions while integrating with existing systems. If KNOT succeeds, it could extend beyond ticketing into broader access management, payments, and identity, turning a niche fix into a platform business for live events

Read the original article on Daba Finance.

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