Snoonu Launches Startup Factory with $100K Bet on Sufra AI

Qatar’s homegrown super app Snoonu is stepping deeper into the startup world with the launch of Snoonu Startup Factory, a new initiative designed to back early-stage founders and help young companies find their feet. The move marks a clear shift for the company, from being purely an operator in delivery and digital commerce to becoming a builder and investor too.

The first cheque is already out the door. Snoonu has committed $100,000 in pre-seed funding to Sufra AI, a Doha-based startup aiming to modernise the in-restaurant dining experience with artificial intelligence.

Founded by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar graduates Ekaterina Demenkova and Jemal Velihanova, Sufra AI is developing a smart, AI-powered menu that customers access by scanning a QR code. From there, the system personalises recommendations, allows diners to customise orders, and completes payments, all in one flow. It also gathers real-time insights for restaurants, analysing spending patterns and preferences. According to the company, this could lift average order values by 20 to 30 per cent.

I’ve seen countless QR menus across the region that feel, frankly, a bit of a faff, clunky, slow, and offering little more than a PDF on your phone. Sufra AI is trying to move beyond that, creating something dynamic and data-driven rather than just digital for the sake of it. If executed well, it could be spot on for a hospitality sector that is increasingly competitive.

For Snoonu, the investment is more than opportunistic. The company has built its name around delivery and e-commerce, but Sufra AI expands its reach into the physical restaurant environment. Together, the platforms could offer merchants an integrated view of the full customer journey, from browsing and ordering at home to dining in and paying at the table. It’s a logical extension, even if it does signal bigger ambitions.

Hamad Al Hajri, Snoonu’s founder and CEO, has framed the Startup Factory as a commitment to backing people and ideas, with a focus on building solutions that are locally relevant. The initiative will offer startups not only capital, but also mentorship, operational support, and access to market opportunities, areas where early founders often struggle.

And believe it or not, having operators step in as ecosystem builders can make a real difference. I remember in earlier conversations within Arageek’s community how founders often said funding alone wasn’t enough; what they needed was doors opened, pilots secured, and guidance that doesn’t feel theoretical. Well… I mean, money helps, but execution is everything.

The Startup Factory will be based inside the newly established Snoonu Technology Park, turning it into both a physical and strategic hub for innovation. The programme also aligns closely with Qatar National Vision 2030, which places innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification high on the national agenda.

On the flip side, launching a venture-building arm is not without risk. It demands time, patience, and a tolerance for failure, something not every scale-up is comfortable with. But across MENA, we’re definately seeing more successful tech firms reinvesting into the ecosystem, acting as both operators and backers. It’s a trend that suggests a maturing market.

Snoonu’s move underlines that shift. Rather than waiting for the next big idea to appear, established players are trying to help create it. Whether Sufra AI becomes a breakout success remains to be seen, but the broader signal is clear: Qatar’s startup scene is evolving, and its leading tech companies want to shape what comes next.

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