Built in MENA, For MENA: How Platformance is Disrupting Adtech From the Inside Out Platformance.io founder and CEO Waseem Afzal reflects on what true disruption means, the cultural values that fuel his team, and the insights he offers to founders striving to create something original and lasting.

When Platformance.io was crowned Tech Disruptor of the Year at the Tech Innovation Awards 2025, it signified more than just a corporate achievement. For founder and CEO Waseem Afzal, it was validation of a principle he has championed since day one: that marketing in the MENA region should be locally driven, results-oriented, and rooted in accountability—not vanity.

In this conversation with Entrepreneur Middle East, Afzal reflects on what true disruption means, the cultural values that fuel his team, and the insights he offers to founders striving to create something original and lasting.

What does being named Tech Disruptor of the Year mean to you?
It validates a simple belief: marketing should be accountable. From day one, Platformance has focused on outcomes, not impressions or clicks. We wanted to prove that you can build, bootstrap, and scale in MENA without selling vanity metrics. This award recognises the movement our people are driving.

What makes Platformance disruptive?

First, we flipped the model. Instead of charging for media, we tied spend directly to outcomes: leads, sales, GMV. That creates a very different level of accountability. We even put skin in the game ourselves. We buy the media, but we sell the outcomes. The risk and responsibility sit with us, which means we are fully aligned with our clients. Our job is to deliver quality customers, not just clicks.

Second, we built everything in MENA. A product first mindset, created by people in this region, for the nuances of this region. Many others resell global tech. We wanted to prove that local talent can build world class adtech here.

Waseem Afzal, founder and CEO, Platformance.io.

When developing disruptive solutions, what resistance did you face, and how did you overcome it?
As a new entrant, we went up against very established players: Google, Meta, TikTok, Microsoft. Convincing clients that there was room for us was tough to start with. On top of that, we introduced an outcomes first model, asking buyers to purchase results instead of media. That required education.

In the early days, even getting a meeting was difficult. I spent four months trying to secure a face to face with the CMO of the largest bank in the region. Eventually, he agreed. He listened, understood, and gave me a ten thousand dollar proof of concept budget. We delivered, and then some. Over the next three years, that bank became our largest advertiser. That moment proved two things: the model worked, and belief in the system was growing.

Moving clients from doubt to conviction has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.

How did you build a team culture that could handle the uncertainty of doing something new?
I spent twenty years in this industry and saw it fragment. Technology was moving faster than the big agencies could adapt, and inside those structures you often found rivalry and ego getting in the way. I knew there had to be a better way. If you build a culture on humility and collaboration, you can move further, faster.

So we built a leadership team made up of people who have led at the highest level in big tech, in agencies, and on the brand side. Each brings over two decades of experience. More importantly, they are leaders who show up without ego. They give feedback, have the hard conversations, and then back each other completely. That spirit at the top sets the tone for the rest of the company.

Underneath that, we have senior operators who know how to deliver at scale. And then across the wider organization, we hire for mindset more than CVs. Hunger, hustle, humility, honesty. Some of our best people started as DJs, dentists, or engineers. They did not arrive with industry baggage. They arrived with curiosity and drive. We gave them the space to learn and the clarity of focus.

Everyone here knows the objectives we are driving towards. We use OKRs so there is no confusion. People know the goal, they know their part in it, and they know they will be supported if they make mistakes. That mix of leadership experience, mindset, and shared focus is what makes our culture strong enough to handle the uncertainty of building something new.

Why the MENA region?
MENA is no longer just a consumer of global tech. It has emerged as a creator with ambition, talent, and scale. This region is not waiting for permission. Governments are future forward, regulation is enabling not restrictive. Investors are coming, talent is rising, and ambition is real.

If we can prove outcomes here in this demanding and complex ecosystem, that credibility travels. We are not just building for MENA. We are building for the world.

What's next for Platformance?
We are doubling down on becoming the growth operating system for advertisers and creators. Not just in MENA, but beyond. This award is fuel for the next three years. We already have nine products live in less than three years. The next phase is about scale and partnerships, including with governments. The journey is only beginning.

'TREP TALK: Platformance.io Founder and CEO Waseem Afzal Advises Fellow Entrepreneurs

Keep it simple
"Focus on progress over perfection. Execution teaches you more than waiting for the perfect plan."

Surround yourself with people who elevate you
"The right team makes the journey possible, and culture will either make or break what you are building."

Put skin in the game
"Take on the risk, prove the outcomes, and show that you believe in what you are selling. If you can do that with humility, hunger, and honesty, disruption follows."