News

Saudi Arabia’s NOMU Secures $5 Million For Expansion Plans

The FoodTech startup will use the capital to enter new markets across the MENA region and, eventually, Pakistan and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Published

2 years ago

July 4, 2023

Nour Nasir

NOMU

NOMU, the Saudi Arabian food technology startup, has raised $5 million in seed funding that will allow the company to expand further into the Middle East and across North Africa, reaching over 50 cities by 2025.

The Riyadh-based startup received investments from DIV Capital, Core Vision, Shurfah, and Purity for Information Technology. As well as investing in new technology, NOMU will use the funding to grow its business-to-business services across the MENA region’s hotel, restaurant, and cafe sectors.

“NOMU is committed to revolutionizing the FoodTech supply chain, providing greater convenience and efficiency for businesses in the Mena region,” explained Shehab Mokhtar, co-founder, and chief executive of NOMU.

Shehab Mokhtar established NOMU in 2022 alongside Yassir El Ismaili, Salman Attieh, and Ahmed Eldemerdash. The NOMU platform helps to streamline food industry inventory sourcing, financing, storage, and delivery, helping hotels and restaurants run more efficiently. The startup has also launched an app for families to purchase groceries.

So far, NOMU has partnered with key players such as Savola and Procter & Gamble and recorded 10x revenue growth over the last 12 months.

Also Read: Dubai Plans 100,000 Square Foot AI & Web 3.0 Campus

The company’s success comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is pushing itself as a global hub for emerging technology as part of its grand “Vision 2030” program. The Kingdom was the second-most funded MENA country after the UAE last year, attracting nearly $1 billion in investments as the government attempts to pivot the economy away from its reliance on the oil industry.

Although FinTech was the “industry of choice” for angel investors in Saudi Arabia last year, food and beverage startups like NOMU accounted for the second-most funded industry, raising a substantial $187 million.

News

Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia

The e-commerce startup is aiming to tap into the Kingdom’s underdeveloped e-grocery sector with a tech-first, locally rooted strategy.

Published

2 days ago

April 7, 2025

Nour Nasir

Rabbit

Rabbit, an Egyptian-born hyperlocal e-commerce startup, is expanding into the Saudi Arabian market, setting its sights on delivering 20 million items across major cities by 2026.

The company, founded in 2021, is already operational in the Kingdom, with its regional headquarters now open in Riyadh and an established network of strategically located fulfillment centers — commonly known as “dark stores” — across the capital.

The timing is strategic: Saudi Arabia’s online grocery transactions currently sit at 1.3%, notably behind the UAE (5.3%) and the United States (4.8%). With the Kingdom’s food and grocery market estimated at $60 billion, even a modest increase in online adoption could create a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.

Rabbit also sees a clear alignment between its business goals and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to boost retail sector innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises, attract foreign investment, and develop a robust digital economy.

The company’s e-commerce model is based on speed and efficiency. Delivery of anything from groceries and snacks to cosmetics and household staples is promised in 20 minutes or less, facilitated by a tightly optimized logistics system — a crucial component in a sector where profit margins and delivery expectations are razor-thin.

Despite the challenges, Rabbit has already found its stride in Egypt. In just over three years, the app has been used by 1.4 million customers to deliver more than 40 million items. Revenue has surged, growing more than eightfold in the past two years alone.

Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025

CEO and Co-Founder Ahmad Yousry commented: “We are delighted to announce Rabbit’s expansion into the Kingdom. We pride ourselves on being a hyperlocal company, bringing our bleeding-edge tech and experience to transform the grocery shopping experience for Saudi households, and delivering the best products – especially local favorites, in just 20 minutes”.

The company’s growth strategy avoids the pitfalls of over-reliance on aggressive discounting. Instead, Rabbit leans on operational efficiency, customer retention, and smart scaling. The approach is paying off, having already attracted major investment from the likes of Lorax Capital Partners, Global Ventures, Raed Ventures, and Beltone Venture Capital, alongside earlier investors such as Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, and Hub71.