Mifta Transforms Home Search with Seamless App

“It took me more than six months to find a place I liked,” Dobrynina said. “Even signing a one-year contract felt unclear in the beginning, and everyone I asked gave different advice.”

That experience became the foundation for Mifta, a rental platform designed to consolidate the entire leasing journey into a single app. Users can search for apartments, self-view properties, make offers, pay and sign Ejari digitally, all in one place. The platform also works with brokerages, property managers and developers to automate leasing infrastructure on the supply side.

Dobrynina said the disconnect struck her immediately. Dubai, she noted, has super apps for food, transport and on-demand delivery at any hour, yet finding a home remains fragmented.

“You end up talking to dozens of agents just to understand what’s actually available before you view anything,” she said. “I realised the experience was exhausting not only for tenants, but for agents too.”

Having lived in the US, she had seen how transparent and efficient renting could be when technology reduced friction. Mifta was built to apply that same logic to Dubai’s market, removing guesswork while keeping the process human.

For Dobrynina, building Mifta is part of a longer personal journey. She grew up in a small town called Mozhaiskoe before moving through Moscow, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, eventually landing in Dubai to build a company from scratch.

“The journey itself feels surreal, almost like a movie,” she said. “It’s a reminder that if you truly want something and keep going, anything is possible.”

That belief was tested early. Partnerships fell through, plans changed overnight and uncertainty became a constant companion. The lesson, she said, was learning to prioritise momentum over perfection.

“Keep moving,” Dobrynina said. “Every challenge sharpens your judgment, and every setback forces you to build something stronger.”

Mifta’s early progress has been shaped by support from the UAE’s startup ecosystem. The company is backed by Antler, one of the world’s most active pre-seed investors, through a programme supported by the Dubai Future Foundation. Mifta now operates from Dubai Founders Headquarters, where Dobrynina said the value goes beyond office space.

“We found a community, mentorship and the sense that we’re building in a country that genuinely wants us to succeed,” she said.

Support from the PropTech Business Group also helped Mifta expand its network across the real estate ecosystem, opening doors to partners and early adopters.