With the help of Vision Ventures and Plus VC, the most active VCs in MENA, as well as other strategic angel investors, Lola Do Inc. (Lola), a young, creative tech startup that offers a mobile app for a highly customizable cake ordering service like never before, has raised $1.3 million in a pre-seed investment round. Lola has made a name for itself as a major force in customized festivities. An important turning point in Lola’s history, this investment will support the company’s growth initiatives in Saudi Arabia and the larger GCC.
By providing a simple, fully customizable cake ordering experience via its cutting-edge mobile app, Lola has completely changed the way people celebrate. Othman Janahi founded Lola, which began operations in Bahrain in September 2023 and soon gained popularity before expanding to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2024. In December 2024, it launched in the United Arab Emirates, further broadening its reach.
“We are thrilled to have such experienced and knowledgeable investors who share our vision. Their belief in our mission has helped us cross a significant milestone in raising this round. Beyond capital, their strategic insights and seasoned guidance are invaluable as we drive forward,” said Othman Janahi, Founder and CEO of Lola.
“The cake industry is vast and fiercely competitive, but Lola has always been about baking memories, not just delivering a product. Since its launch, Lola has experienced rapid growth, increasing 5 times its size and market share in terms of cakes baked and occasions celebrated – and that’s just the beginning. As the demand for personalized gifting solutions continues to grow, Lola remains committed to setting new industry standards, delivering unparalleled customization options and ensuring that every celebration has Lola as its centerpiece.”
Lola will improve its platform, grow its workforce, streamline logistics, and transform cake customization in this fiercely competitive market with this investment. Although expanding our market share and presence in Saudi Arabia continues to be our top priority, we are also dedicated to quickening Lola’s growth throughout the other GCC nations and beyond. As it develops a gifting ecosystem specific to the area, the company plans to expand its presence in major Saudi cities, beginning with Jeddah and the Eastern Province, to strengthen its position in the Kingdom.
By providing a highly customized, tech-driven experience that skillfully combines creativity, convenience, and outstanding quality, Lola stands out in the increasingly competitive FoodTech and gifting market. In addition to creating memories, Lola wants to change the way that people give and receive genuinely meaningful, unforgettable gifts.
Kais Al Essa, Founding Partner and CEO at Vision Ventures, commented, “We can all see how ordering cake today is awkward for both the client and the bakery. Lola fixes that by delivering an innovative ordering app through which clients can imagine and see how their cake will look through an easy-to-use and fun experience. The bakery, on the other hand, gets an accurate design along
with colours and details that make delivering on the client’s imagination easier than ever before. We always love it when technology is used to solve real-life problems and make life easier for people. We believe Lola’s approach to cakes is disruptive and therefore envision that in the future Lola will empower cake making everywhere. We are excited to support Othman and Lola’s team and expect Lola to be a brand to reckon with soon.”
Commenting on Lola’s fundraising announcement, Hasan Haider, Managing Partner at +VC, said, “We are always on the lookout for disruptive startups that redefine industries, and Lola is a perfect example. By seamlessly integrating personalisation and technology into the gifting experience, Lola is transforming the way people celebrate. Their innovative approach not only enhances convenience but also redefines how special moments are shared. We are excited to support Othman and his team as they expand across the region and establish themselves as pioneers in this space.”
Lola is prepared to strengthen its competitive edge in Saudi Arabia and advance its goal of delivering customized celebrations to more clients throughout the region and creating memories, one cake and one celebration at a time, with its vision focused on improving cake customization and the customer experience.
Lola is the epitome of kindness, ingenuity, and the delight of commemorating all kinds of milestones. With an unmatched level of detail, Lola allows customers to design and customize cakes, making each one as distinctive as the occasion it commemorates. Customers can design their own cake with Lola in under a minute, and they have the luxury of selecting from thousands of distinct patterns, hues, and personalized combinations to create the cake of their dreams. Lola is transforming how people celebrate and give by skillfully fusing technology, personalization, and operational efficiency, resulting in a genuinely customized experience for each order.
