News

Kuwait’s Raha Is An E-Grocery And Logistics Tech Startup

The company has already raised $7 million and plans to secure further funding to fuel GCC growth.

Published

4 months ago

January 2, 2024

Nour Nasir

Raha

Launched in 2022, Raha, a Kuwaiti e-grocery and logistics startup founded by Saleh Al Tunaib, plans to disrupt the local food delivery sector using a mixture of advanced robotics and automation.

Raha offers a full range of fresh produce, groceries, and other household essentials. The company’s smart ordering platform leverages user data to provide a personalized experience, while a robot fulfillment team manages a mixture of products and made-to-order recipes inside Kuwait’s first fully automated distribution center.

Despite upfront costs, the robot-operated systems have better profitability margins from the third year onwards compared to conventional labor-intensive sorting and picking systems, Al Tunaib says: “it saves on manpower, it saves you the amount of real estate you require […] and it’s also very energy efficient”.

Saleh Al Tunaib began his career in Kuwait in 2010 and co-founded the crowdfunding platform Jaribha in 2011. By 2013, Al Tunaib was working at the OnCost Cash and Carry chain of grocery stores and had risen to the position of chief executive by 2016.

Also Read: Mobile Trends Shaping MENA In 2024

Due to changing habits in the wake of the pandemic, the MENA online grocery market is currently booming and was valued at $4.5 billion last year. The sector is forecast to grow massively by 2030, reaching a peak of $25 billion, according to consultancy firm RedSeer.

Since the launch, Raha has raised nearly $14 in seed funding and grown to become a multi-sector technology provider. The startup now has its sights firmly set on further GCC expansion.

News

Yango Showcases AI Robots Amid Rising Fulfillment Costs

The company is debuting the high-tech solutions at this year’s Seamless Middle East event, where attendees can experience live demonstrations.

Published

9 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Nour Nasir

Yango

Global tech company Yango is debuting its AI-driven warehouse robotics and pick-and-place solutions at the Seamless Middle East event, which is currently running in Dubai (May 14-16). The technologies aim to combat the rising fulfillment costs that are burdening the e-commerce, retail, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.

In e-commerce, fulfillment now represents one-third of all operating expenses. Global giant Amazon saw fulfillment costs rise from 31% of net sales in 2021 to 36% in 2023. Yango’s solutions could provide a much-needed remedy to these escalating figures.

At Seamless Middle East, attendees can experience live demonstrations of Yango’s robotic pick-and-place hardware. This technology leverages “advanced computer vision” to allow stationary robots to perform like human operatives while still managing to move 800 items per hour.

Yango has also introduced stock-taking, goods, and pallet-moving solutions to streamline inventory management and fulfillment. The company’s robots can autonomously navigate warehouses and work together with other machinery to get tasks done faster and more accurately.

Also Read: Plans Underway For Massive Middle East Autonomous Freight Network

Alexei Filippov, Head of Global Business Development at Yango Robotics, said: “As fulfillment costs continue to rise, our warehouse robotics solutions come at a crucial time to help businesses not just survive but thrive. Our new robotics pick-and-place platform, mobile warehouse robotics solutions, and other technologies show Yango’s commitment to innovation and efficiency [and] we’re excited to debut [them] at Seamless Middle East”.

Yango is also showcasing further technologies at the exhibition, including autonomous delivery robots and the AI-powered White Label App and AI Shelf Monitoring System for retail applications.

To learn more about Yango’s solutions and their capabilities, visit the company’s stand (H2-G36) during Seamless Middle East, running until the end of May 16, or find Yango’s thought leaders at one of the event’s panel sessions.