News

Foodics Acquires Online-Ordering Specialist & Invests In 3 Startups

The deal with UK-based Solo Venture was made at LEAP 2025, and will help create a seamless, all-in-one SaaS ecosystem for restaurants.

Published

2 years ago

February 19, 2025

Nour Nasir

foodics acquires online-ordering specialist and invests in 3 startups

MENA-based restaurant and payments technology provider Foodics has fully acquired Solo Venture, a UK-based company specializing in self-ordering kiosks and white-label online ordering solutions. The deal was reached at this year’s LEAP 2025 event in Riyadh and is part of Foodics’ strategy to create a seamless, all-in-one SaaS ecosystem for restaurants and catering firms.

Solo’s technology includes AI-driven self-service solutions, simplifying ordering and increasing profit margins. By integrating Solo into its platform, Foodics will soon be able to offer restaurants a comprehensive suite of tools covering everything from dine-in management to payments and analytics.

Ahmad Al-Zaini, CEO and Co-Founder of Foodics explained: “This acquisition is a significant step in our mission to build the most comprehensive restaurant management platform in MENA and beyond. To further support our ecosystem and the future of tech in the F&B sector, we are allocating $100M in strategic acquisitions and investments in Fintech, AI, and other transformative technologies over the coming three years”.

Beyond the Solo acquisition, Foodics is also backing three startups as part of its wider expansion plan:

Norma: A Greek AI-powered data analytics firm that enables business professionals to generate insights instantly, eliminating the need for technical expertise.
Add: A specialized accounting platform designed for small and medium-sized restaurants to simplify financial reporting and payroll management.
Arzaq Plus: A smart food and beverage supply chain platform that optimizes sourcing and logistics while introducing a “Buy Now, Pay Later” feature to the Foodics platform.

Also Read: Taager Secures $6.75M To Expand Social eCommerce In MENA

Anas Alghanim, Foodics’ Director of Corporate Development, emphasized, “At Foodics, every investment we make is aimed at creating valuable solutions that drive growth and deliver tangible success, ensuring that we empower our partners and customers to shape the future of the industry”.

The LEAP 2025 announcement coincides with the celebration of Foodics’ 10th anniversary. After supporting over 30,000 food and beverage businesses across 30 countries, Foodics continues to push the boundaries of restaurant management technology, helping companies streamline operations and enhance customer experience.

News

NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.