Global Restaurant Payments Startup Qlub Raises $17m Seed Round
We are beyond excited to back Qlub’s mission to turbocharge digital payments for the $5t+ global food and hospitality industry. The founding team members of Qlub have previously founded and scaled firms such as Lazada, Namshi, and Snapp.
Qlub is building digital payments rails for offline transactions and setting the new global standard to save time for restaurants and consumers. We are thrilled to invest in the monumental $17m seed round alongside Cherry Ventures, Point Nine, Shorooq, Raed Ventures, STV, and Heartcore.
Qlub is currently live in the UAE, KSA, and India, with additional international markets set to follow.
FTC Summary
With COVID turbocharging an industry-wide digital transformation, QR codes - once considered a novelty - have taken the restaurant industry by storm, powering cashless payments and replacing physical menus with digital channels. What initially began as a means of accommodating safety measures during the pandemic is now proving to have real staying power. QR-based payments are bringing a better overall customer experience and streamlining restaurant operations by maximizing turnover. Qlub’s digital and contactless payments solution is a win-win for all. With Qlub, restaurants are already saving 16 minutes per table and can be fully onboarded in under 24 hours from initial touchpoints with Qlub.
At the forefront of this QR-based revolution are Qlub’s co-founders: Eyad AlKasser and Mahmood Fouz. Both founders have a trusted track record of building, scaling, and several successful MENA-based businesses, including Namshi (the region’s first eCommerce powerhouse), FoodPanda, and Snapp (the region’s largest super-app). With prior experience working together and a proven, exceptional ability to execute,
Qlub are well-positioned to capture and disrupt a $5t global food and hospitality industry that is increasingly going digital. Globally, 1 in 3 consumers have begun using digital payments for the first time within the last year, while more than 50% said they transitioned all or most of their in-store spending online.