MENA’s Foodtech Shake-Up: The Startups Disrupting Dining with Big Tech and Bigger Funding

Can technology significantly reshape how we eat, shop, and deliver food in MENA? The answer, increasingly clear, lies in a rising wave of innovative foodtech startups across the region. With investments pouring in, several emerging ventures have secured impressive funding rounds within the past two to three years, pushing the foodtech space into uncharted territory. In this article, Arageek spotlights startups leading a profound transformation and redefines what the food and technology marriage looks like in the Middle East and North Africa.

Founded in 2021, YallaMarket capitalizes on the global rise of quick-commerce. Targeting busy urban customers craving convenience and immediacy, it promises groceries delivered to customers within 15 minutes. The Dubai startup captured investor interest rapidly, securing $12 million seed funding in March 2022.

YallaMarket built infrastructure around strategically located dark stores, sophisticated logistic tools, and AI-driven predictions to ensure optimal product availability. Achieving incredible speed and efficiency, it reshapes grocery shopping habits dramatically and provides an enhanced customer experience in saturated urban markets.

Established in late 2021, Dailymealz is rebranding health-conscious eating in Saudi Arabia. The Riyadh-based startup offers a subscription-based meal plan customized according to customers' dietary preferences or health goals. Through its intuitive app, meals are conveniently delivered fresh to subscribers' doorsteps daily.

Capturing the attention of health-focused young Saudis, it raised $5 million in Series A funding by early 2022. Dailymealz leverages strategic partnerships with nutritionists, restaurants, and local chefs, bolstering its credibility and commitment to wellbeing.

Cairo-based platform Elmenus shifted from simple restaurant listings to AI-powered smart recommendations. Recognizing local customers' growing appetite for personalized culinary experiences, Elmenus secured $10 million Series C funding in 2021 to upgrade its technology and expand rapidly across Egypt.

Founded in 2020, Elmenus appeals to younger generations eager for culinary exploration. By providing personalized restaurant recommendations based on user behavior and preferences, the startup has fostered a dynamic dining-out culture, fundamentally reshaping the food discovery journey.

Incorporated in late 2020, GrubTech quickly distinguished itself providing an innovative cloud kitchen management software platform. Aligning operations efficiency, logistics, and data-driven decision making, Grubtech raised $13 million Series A in late 2021.

Its software integrates seamlessly with third-party delivery platforms, centralizing operational management, inventory forecast, and reducing food wastage dramatically. Focused initially on UAE and Saudi markets, Grubtech aspires for pan-MENA expansion, empowering more restaurants to boost profitability and operational efficiency.

Selected as one of UAE’s pioneering agri-food startups, Right Farm launched early 2021, securing $2.8 million seed funding by 2022. The B2B e-commerce startup addresses crucial issues of local food sourcing, supply-chain transparency, and sustainability.

Leveraging advanced agricultural technology to optimize sourcing from local farms, Right Farm supplies restaurants, retailers, and businesses fresh produce ethically and efficiently. By delivering premium quality local products, it contributes significantly to regional food security visions.

Egyptian startup OneOrder aims at digitizing the fragmented supply chain of restaurant supplies and ingredients. Established in late 2021, it seamlessly connects restaurants to suppliers, automating orders, pricing, billing, and delivery tracking.

Securing $6.5 million in seed funding in early 2022, OneOrder rapidly attracted restaurateurs frustrated by traditional procurement inefficiencies. It enhances transparency, optimizes inventory, and efficiently manages costs, addressing a deeply rooted inefficiency in Egypt’s booming food industry.

With a focus on improving SME restaurant operations, Dubai-based Supy streamlined procurement workflows since it launched in late 2021. By early 2023, Supy already raised $8 million seed investment. The platform provides robust SaaS solutions, simplifying ordering, invoicing, inventory management, and data analytics.

Allowing smaller restaurants to consolidate purchasing data, improve supplier relationships, and secure better pricing with suppliers, Supy addresses a lasting pain-point, empowering SMEs to thrive competitively.

Emerging foodtech startups across MENA are rapidly becoming magnets for record-breaking funding. Investors clearly recognize this vibrant region’s enormous market opportunities, accelerated digital transformation, and innovation-friendly ecosystem. These dynamic startups highlight a broader shift towards accommodating consumer habits: fast-paced lifestyles, sustainability awareness, health consciousness, and tech-driven convenience.

Arageek believes this foodtech revolution represents more than business innovation; it symbolizes MENA’s powerful appetite toward diverse technological tools, startups, and ventures reshaping everyday life. In this booming revolution, these pioneering startups represent merely the first taste of a far bigger course to come.

Are you excited about foodtech’s future? Tell us what innovations you foresee shaping your food daily habits!