Deen Developers

Ramadan Mubarak from Deen Developers! ?? Ramadan is here—a time for reflection, growth, and building what truly matters. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to lead into this blessed month than with our incredible community at why i built this. a huge shoutout to Shinaz Navas, founder of Niyyah, for sharing his building journey with Taz Latif on intention and using technology to remove barriers between us and our faith. As we step into this month, let’s remember that the best things we build aren’t just products — they’re habits, relationships, and impact that last beyond ramadan. may this be a month of barakah, breakthroughs, and big ideas for us all. Big big thank you to Cur8 Capital for hosting us on the night! Ibrahim Khan Muhammad Altalib Excited to see Niyyah's #20in20 campaign in action—helping more muslims connect with the quran in their daily lives. Check it out and get involved: onelink.to/9jsfjj #ramadanmubarak #whyibuiltthis #startuplife #muslimtech

what does it take to build a startup with impact? that’s what we explore at Why I Built This — a series where founders break down their journey, from the wins to the pivots (and everything in between). for our next event, we’re sitting down with Shinaz Navas, founder of Niyyah—an app that has helped 57,000+ people on their Qur’an journey. ??? with ramadhan around the corner, we’re diving into: ?? scaling with purpose ?? navigating investment ??? building with intention plus, an exclusive live demo from Yasin Ali, Kaazim Zia and Nour Elhuda Zuraiki (alumni of our latest Buildathon programme) showcasing their product Impact Engine. if you’re building something (or thinking about it), you need to be in this room. ?? the gems will be plenty, and the energy will be unmatched. ?? stratford, london ?? wed 26th feb | ? 6:30 pm seats are limited—secure yours now. ???? www.deendevelopers.com/why

the muslim startup revolution is here. and last week, we saw it in full force. ?? last week’s demo day was nothing short of inspirational. the culmination of 7 weeks of intense building, refining, and dreaming big, our batch 3 founders took the stage and showcased their startups to a packed house of vcs, founders, and 150+ community members. the energy? unmatched. the ideas? next level. the muslim startup landscape is changing—and fast. it’s not just about building businesses; it’s about building with purpose, faith, and impact. what we saw last week was the next wave of muslim-led innovation, tackling real-world problems with creativity, ambition, and heart. this isn’t just a moment; it’s a movement. here’s a glimpse of what went down: - Ibrahim Javed, our cofounder, set the tone with his powerful reminder: find your niche within the ummah, grow it, and protect it. the perfect launchpad for an evening of bold ideas. - Sadiq Dorasat from nama simplifying money for working muslims. Moniem Abdu, MD and Mohammad Abbas unlocking access to adhd care. two brothers Abdullah Al-Madani and Muhammad Al-Madani from nextayah unlocking confidence in qur’an recitation through gamification and ai - Hamada Mahdi from novara redefining back-office operations with ai agents for manufacturing and logistics. Haseeb Hamid from medsnapp gamifying medical education for gen z. and Kaazim Zia and Nour Elhuda Zuraiki from impact engine guiding donors to charities creating real impact. but these are just a few of the startups that pitched. the truth is, every founder we worked with—whether they pitched on stage last week or not—has shown extraordinary growth during our buildathon programme. watching their journeys unfold has been a privilege, and we have no doubt their futures are incredibly bright. being part of the early stages of their journeys is an honour we don’t take lightly. to our incredible mentors, partners, and roasters—Ziver Birg and Azim Kidwai from Collective Continuum, Shahzad Younas, Ibrahim Khan, Humayra Hanif, Taimur Abdaal, Kerim Ture and many others—you’ve been critical in shaping these founders’ journeys. your belief in our mission fuels everything we do. the deen developers team couldn’t be prouder of the amazing community that has grown from this journey. to everyone who joined us last week: thank you for believing in this vision. this is just the beginning. the muslim startup ecosystem is growing stronger every day, and together, we’re building something extraordinary. bismillah, let’s keep building ?? #dddemoday #muslimbuilders #startupinnovation

it’s time for demo day ?? after 7 weeks of building, refining, and pivoting across london, almaty, and lahore—this is where it all comes together. join us for the culmination of our international buildathon programme as we showcase the next wave of muslim-led startups. we’ll be spotlighting top entrepreneurial and tech talent pushing innovation in the uk and beyond. expect pitches that inspire, stories that resonate, and a community that celebrates bold ideas. founders, investors, builders—this is your chance to connect, network, and be part of something special. wed, 13th november | 18:00 - 21:00 deendevelopers.com/demoday see you there!

what a weekend! we just wrapped up our second in-person buildathon for batch 3 at Planes Studio, and it was action-packed from start to finish! our founders were diving deep, pushing boundaries, and breathing new life into their ideas. we started things off with an epic fireside chat with Abdel Mahmoud, MD — he shared his journey of securing clients without demos and how to make a lasting impression with zero resources. next up, Peter Gould’s founder's fitra session had everyone reflecting on the heart behind their work. he flipped the usual OKRs on their head with IKR — intentions and key results — bringing a spiritual lens to building. he reminded us to focus on impact and be intentional in our pursuits. we also had an insightful chat with Mohsan Alvi, founder of tractive, on raising funds and navigating the startup grind. his journey was packed with gems on resilience and staying mission-driven through the challenges. and of course, we brought back our tough roasters — founders like Humayra Hanif, Shahzad Younas, Ibrahim Khan and more, helping our batch members refine and elevate their ideas. the feedback was raw, real, and exactly what our founders needed to grow. ?? our builders didn’t just get fueled by inspiration — it wouldn’t be a muslim builders programme without biryani and homemade chai keeping them powered through the weekend! plus, batch members got hands-on support in engineering, product, and design from the talented team at dd, who injected their experience into every corner of the weekend. we’re hyped for what’s next: pitch night is around the corner, and batch 3 is ready to show up and show out. bismillah, let’s build! ????

big shoutout to Ibrahim Khan from and Umar Ahmed for the ?? roast sessions. they didn’t just critique — they helped steer ideas! ?? one founder in fintech left buzzing with confidence after meeting ibrahim. this is how you build and grow! ??

what a weekend! we just wrapped up our first in-person buildathon session for batch 3, and wow, was it packed! founders were buzzing, building, and refining their ideas from the jump. we kicked things off with some elevator pitch drills — quickfire style — testing everyone's game under pressure. Hisham Ali's founder's fitra was a real heart-opener, reminding us to look beyond the grind. gems like “we’ve only got a pixel, Allah has the full picture” hit deep. that VC ghosting you? just a pixel. cofounder bailing? just a pixel. when the journey tests you, remember: we only see a fragment, but Allah has the whole canvas. the session got our founders grounded on their why and focused on the bigger mission. we also had two killer fireside chats — Raza Ullah shared his inspiring journey of building pfida and his mission to eliminate riba from the housing market. Umar Ahmed brought the fire with practical insights on scaling and growing his company, xyz reality. then, it was roast time. seasoned founders like Shahzad Younas (founder of muzz), Humayra Hanif (venture scout for ada ventures), Taimur Abdaal (founder of causal) and Ibrahim Khan (founder of IFG) roasted our founders and helped shape their ideas in the right direction. tough love? absolutely, but that’s how diamonds are made. ?? huge shoutout to Planes Studio in london ????, Daftarkhwan in lahore ????, Startup Garage in tashkent (shout out Mukhammad Khalil) ???? for hosting all our founders throughout the weekend and thanks to Simply Smashed and hiba for keeping us well-fueled during those intense work sessions. all of this wouldn't be possible without support from Ziver Birg our partners at Collective Continuum. batch 3 is already gelling together so well, and we’re only just getting started. bismillah let's build! ???? ?? : Shaz Uddin, Saif El Safany, Mohsin Ahmed

???what a night!??? we just wrapped up the 4th edition of our "why i built this" series, and wow, what an evening. hosted at the stunning space by The Trade Desk, who are all about empowering our community to build impactful products. shoutout to Callie Strickland for making it all happen. ?? the highlight? a candid, insightful conversation with Mariam Ahmed, a Ycombinator-backed founder, led by our very own Taz Latif. these are the moments that keep us all inspired. ? we also got a killer demo from buildathon alum Nima Akram and his NewsCord app, which uses AI to highlight media bias—talk about tech with a purpose! ?? and of course, what’s an event without some good food, chai, and networking? it was great catching up with our diverse community and making plenty of new friends. ??? can’t wait to see what the next one brings!

the waiting list is huge, so if you can’t make it, be a legend and cancel your ticket. let someone else take your spot—it’s the nice thing to do, and we’ll love you for it. ??

last but definitely not least, Humayra Hanif hanif the brain behind Hulm Club | ??? and a VC scout for Ada Ventures — is stepping into the roast seat ??. she’s all about backing Muslim startups and knows how to turn ideas into impact. if you’re ready for real talk and tough love, humayra’s the one you want dissecting your pitch. ?? buildathons.so