Serial entrepreneur Saleh Al Tunaib leads Kuwait-based Raha, a multifaceted e-grocery and logistics tech venture, exploring new frontiers in logistics robotics and automation.
Entrepreneurial Journey
Saleh Al Tunaib, with a background in accounting, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, venturing into diverse sectors, including mobile grocery shops, a restaurant company, and a crowdfunding platform. His latest venture, Raha, reflects his decade-long experience and entrepreneurial spirit.
E-Grocery Market Growth
The Middle East and North Africa’s online grocery market, valued at $4.5 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $25 billion by 2030. Raha aims to capitalize on the growing e-grocery sector by integrating logistics robotics and automation, streamlining the procurement-to-delivery cycle.
Raha’s Inception and Funding
Launched in April 2022, Raha focuses on e-grocery, operating from Kuwait’s first fully automated robotic fulfillment center. The startup raised $6.7 million in a seed funding round led by Aujan Enterprises and Nox Management. Raha’s technology-driven operational model utilizes robots and an aluminum grid system for efficient goods storage and retrieval.
Diversification and Expansion
Raha has diversified its business lines, including btr.tech, an intelligence-driven logistics consultancy, and Smooth Logistics, offering third-party logistics services. The startup aims to replicate its success and assist other companies in automating their logistics and fulfillment centers.
Technology and Automation Consulting
btr.tech, Raha’s robotics and automation consultancy, is gaining traction in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite upfront costs, automated systems with robots demonstrate better profitability margins from the third year onwards compared to labor-intensive alternatives.
Future Ambitions
Raha envisions expanding its robotics and automation consultancy business across the GCC and beyond. Al Tunaib believes in the region’s government support for technology and envisions btr.tech manufacturing robots locally in the next five years.
Funding and Future Plans
In its pre-series A financing round, Raha secured funds led by Soor Capital and eWTP Arabia Capital, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The company plans a larger funding round in the early part of the next year to fuel its ambitious expansion and innovation plans.
Raha’s journey reflects its commitment to leveraging technology, automation, and robotics to redefine the landscape of e-grocery and logistics in the Middle East.