Fetchr: So Brilliant, So Revolutionary, You’ll Wish You’d Thought of It First

Idriss Al Rifai and Joy Ajlouny are in the midst of implementing a quantum leap forward in the world of logistics and package delivery—with a platform so ingenious, you don’t even need an address.

For our readers who don’t already know, what is Fetchr, and who are its founders?

Fetchr is the first consumer-friendly delivery logistics company, and the first startup in the Middle East to be funded by a top venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.

Founded by Idriss Al Rifai and Joy Ajlouny, Fetchr offers the latest in package-delivery technology. With the Fetchr app, a customer can pinpoint their exact location, ensuring they’ll never miss a package. You already use your phone to shop for everything—now, with the Fetchr app, you can also use it to ship anything, anywhere. We have eliminated missed packages and annoying phone calls asking for directions by using your cell phone number as your address. It’s a new way to send and receive packages—no address required. We deliver for some of the largest E-commerce and retail players in the market, as well as a long list of SMEs.

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Fetchr’s Idriss Al Rifai and Joy Ajlouny

How did Fetchr come about? What is it trying to solve?

At an event in Silicon Valley, Idriss Al Rifai met Joy Ajlouny, a Palestinian serial entrepreneur based in California. At her previous e-commerce company, Joy had experienced great difficulty in shipping to the Middle East, and most of the packages were sent back to her due to the lack of address system in emerging markets. After meeting, the two connected their ideas on logistics and last-mile issues that affect so many e-commerce companies. They knew that with their combined experience, they would be able to change delivery with technology, and help grow e-commerce in the Middle East.

Fetchr’s vision is to enable all deliveries through technology. We want to be the world’s easiest, fastest, most convenient way to ship anything anywhere. We want to make shipping as easy as shopping, with delivery and pickup as easy as two clicks.

What was it like to fundraise $11 million?

In the world of venture capital, only 2% of all funding goes to women founders; but as a female founder, I raised millions of dollars for my company. Later, in Dubai, I helped Fetchr raise $11 million. Basically, my strategy is: don’t take no for an answer! If they don’t want to take a meeting, request coffee. Find out about events they’re going to, and speak to them afterwards. Ask for introductions. There’s always a way—and persistence pays off.

PEOPLE ARE SO USED TO RECEIVING PHONE CALLS ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS THAT CHANGING YEARS OF EMBEDDED BEHAVIOR TAKES TIME.

Fetchr is one of the most used services in the region. Are there any plans to expand beyond this region?

Yes. Fetchr currently operates in the UAE, and we have recently launched in Bahrain and KSA. We have existing partnerships with inbound freight and cargo businesses. We are also building out our outsourced driver network, which will enable faster delivery on demand. In January 2016, we launched our social selling tool called Sellr by Fetchr, enabling people to sell their crafts and goods directly on social media for cash on delivery.

We are going to be expanding quickly and aggressively throughout the rest of the GCC within the next few months. We will also be releasing the NOW option on the Fetchr app, which means we can show up at your door in 30 minutes or less. How handy is that? Immediate service when you need it, where you need it.

Can you tell us more about Sellr?

Sellr lets people who sell items on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms list their products and generate links for customers who want to buy from them. The customer clicks the link and checks out immediately, entering their details and choosing their delivery time. Fetchr picks up the item from the seller, delivers it to the customer, and collects cash on delivery. The seller can then request to have the cash delivered back to them whenever they like.

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Fetchr’s Idriss Al Rifai and Joy Ajlouny

What’s the hardest part about creating a service and app in this region?

The hardest part is changing behavior. People are so used to receiving phone calls asking for directions that changing years of embedded behavior takes time. There are early adapters among the young crowd, always looking for the latest and greatest, users who just need a little encouragement, and the older generation that just won’t adapt.

What were some of the government and regulatory challenges you faced?

Dubai is not an inexpensive place to start a business, and we need to make it easier and less expensive for startups to thrive and grow. The sheer cost of doing business here is not easy. It’s hard enough for IBM to thrive in a foreign country with unlimited resources. Can you imagine how hard it is for a young entrepreneur, equipped with lots of great ideas and no money?

If Fetchr was “Uber for X”, then what is “X”?

“Uber for Packages.”

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