The Middle East has been getting some attention lately – the good type, of course. With the rise of advanced technology and innovative startups around the region, one can surely have a positive outlook on the future. Such is the case with Saudi Arabia and its rapid influx in its startup ecosystem. According to a recent study published by ArabNet in 2017, 78% of Saudi startups have raised at least one round of funding, whereby 24% of them have raised funding from angel networks, and 31% find it easy to attract local business.
As 2018 is coming to an end, after some thorough research, we decided to list you with some of the promising startups in Saudi. Here they are:
- Morni – Don’t freak out if your car breaks down and you’re clueless about changing the wheel – this startup is here for the rescue. Launched in 2015 by Salman Al-Suhaibaney, Morni provides Roadside Assistance (RSA) through its app which is available on iOS and Android. Some of the services that Morni offers include towing, tire services, battery services, fuel services, and locksmith among others.
Foodics – An all-in-one cloud restaurant management system designed to hike revenues and track everything that’s inside your restaurant. Available for Apple iPad,foodics has customizable features that allow it to cater to the requirements of your restaurant. It helps restaurant owners manage their stock, schedule their staff, increase table turnaround time, get intelligence report and more. If you’re an F&B restaurant you can request a demo to test outFoodics .- B8ak – Just read it in English, it’ll save you time and energy. B8ak, –pronounced as Baitak- is an app available on Android and iOS that allows you to order home maintenance services, such as plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, and more. Users request their service through the app and a representative from B8ak will contact them to handle their request, and after that, they get an electronic invoice and have the option of rating the service.
- FalconViz – Focused on 3D surveying and mapping through Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), FalconViz was born in 2015, coming out of King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). FalconViz’s services are extremely useful for industries such as construction and real estate, topographical survey, corridor survey, urban planning
and the list goes on. Some of their clients include Saudi Aramco, AECOM, Hyder, Jeddah Municipality, amongst others. - Cura – Don’t have time to visit a doctor? How about an online session with them? This is what Cura offers. It’s an app available both on Android and iOS where it allows patients to browse through hundreds of doctors and consultants to help treat all possible cases such as allergies, flues, urgent cases, and more. The startup even helped save the life of a woman and her unborn baby! According to their website, the platform is safe and confidential whereby all the consultations are encrypted and managed by a medical commission. Cura was also part of Bahrain’s C5’s Cloud10 Scalerator program.
- Sadeem – This Saudi company helps you with precautions to any upcoming natural disasters, such as floods. It has created the first multi-patented flood and traffic information system in the world with active networks to save lives and money in real time. Sadeem is specialized in Environmental Monitoring, where it monitors weather information and air pollution, in addition to Flood Monitoring, Traffic Monitoring, and Urban Management Platform. The company is founded by a multicultural team – Dr. Ahmad Dehwah, Dr. Mustafa Mousa, Dr. Esteban Canepa, and Dr. Christian Claudel.
- Sprent – If your favorite store does not deliver, then this startup is going to be your new bestie. The startups
was launched in 2016 by Fahd Altwairgi (CEO), Ali Alobaid (COO), and Faisal Altwairgi (CMO) with the aim of connecting customers with service providers to deliver any type of products. Of course, the platform is available on both Android andiOS , and allows you to track the driver aka the “Sprenter ” and call them for live updates. Once you receive your package, you have the option of rating theSprenter . - Mathaqi – Craving homemade food while at work? How about an app that delivers home made food right to your
door steps ? Yep, that’s Mathaqi. The startup was launched in March 2017 by Nouf Alsaleem, with the aim of helping families market their food products and at the same time increase their income. To put it simply,Mathaqi is a platform for chefs and home-based “foodpreneuers .” delivering it to your clients. - Gathern – Launched in 2016, and led by Saudi female entrepreneur Latifa Altamimi, alongside Faisal Alanazi, Gathern allows users to book chalets and camps around Saudi Arabia. Since its inception, the startup has transacted bookings of more than 30,000 nights in eight cities around Saudi.
Gathern has also recently raised seed funding from international and local investors, including Vision Ventures, Inspire Ventures, 500 Startups, Aquilaria Capital Management Fund, and Deyarat Trading Company. It’s also worth noting thatGathern is the first Saudi startup with a female co-founder to raise venture capital.
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