Strategic investors led a $2.6 million funding round that was successfully completed by Qara, a supply chain technology startup based in the Middle East and Africa. This investment will propel the business’s growth into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), aided by the Relocate Initiative of the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), which provides a number of alluring incentives and support components to guarantee a seamless and effective integration into the Kingdom’s booming tech sector.
With the help of Qara’s distinctive features, manufacturers can connect with the entire supply chain, authenticate and track their products all the way to the final customer, and use AI to make data-driven decisions. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, it has effectively partnered with more than 35 manufacturers and product suppliers to authenticate more than 28 million product units and link them with more than 50,000 business users throughout the supply chain.
Commenting on the funding round, Co-Founder and CEO of Qara, Hassan Abouzeed, stated, “I believe the challenges we’re addressing meet a significant global demand. After three years of a successful product-market fit in Egypt, Qara is now ready for international expansion. We are excited that our first step is into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where what we do aligns perfectly with the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to foster value creation through innovation and technology.
“Our aim is to revolutionise manufacturers’ B2B2C marketing and distribution capabilities through innovative digital solutions. Qara’s team believes in the economic and social value our platform brings by verifying product authenticity, providing supply chain visibility, eliminating redundancies, and delivering better outcomes for every participant in our ecosystem,” Abouzeed added.
Among Qara’s offerings are cutting-edge apps like “Asly,” which lets users scan distinctive QR codes on products to confirm their authenticity. This solution aids businesses in thwarting counterfeiting, protecting their profits, and fostering consumer confidence. Asly is a strong tool for maintaining brand integrity and cultivating customer loyalty because it provides brands with the ability to share comprehensive product information and updates, as well as to implement warranties directly within the app.
Khaled Hassan, CTO and Co-Founder of Qara, shared his perspective on the company’s technological direction, “At Qara, our focus is on developing solutions that are scalable, secure, and adaptable to the changing demands of the global supply chains. Our technology not only tackles counterfeiting but also provides businesses with real-time insights, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions. This funding will help us speed up the development of these innovations and extend our influence across the region.”
Qara had successful partnerships with major clients. Aly H. El Sewedy, Vice President at Energya Industries, highlighted that “Qara is reshaping the supply chain landscape in the MEA region. Their technology and strategic expansion into KSA align perfectly with the region’s digital transformation goals. As a leader in manufacturing with over 80 years of history, we are thrilled to support a visionary team that is poised to set new industry standards and drive transformative economic progress.”
Ahmed Rabie, former CEO of Wadi Group and Milano Group, states that “Qara is playing a central role in the digital transformation of the company’s supply chain. Above all, I believe that Qara’s work in areas such as food security brings a public utility that extends beyond the benefits it brings to its individual partners.”
