ThrowMeNot, a UAE-based online marketplace focused on sustainability, has successfully closed a $550,000 pre-seed funding round. The investment was led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana Al Maktoum and will be used to expand the team and scale the company’s delivery and fulfilment capabilities across the UAE.
Founded in 2025 by digital commerce veteran Archie Rudyuk, ThrowMeNot is directly addressing the significant challenge of food waste by creating a marketplace for near-expiry and surplus goods.
A Mission Against Food Waste
The startup aims to provide a commercially viable solution to a pressing environmental issue. In the UAE alone, an estimated 3.27 million tonnes of food are discarded annually, presenting a major sustainability challenge.
“We founded ThrowMeNot to address this problem, enabling suppliers to recover value from near-expiry inventory while providing consumers with affordable, high-quality products,” said Archie Rudyuk, founder of ThrowMeNot.
Scaling The Marketplace
ThrowMeNot’s platform offers a dual benefit: it helps suppliers reduce financial losses by selling surplus stock and allows consumers to purchase products at discounts of up to 90% off retail prices. The model creates a profitable and convenient way to reduce waste across the supply chain.
The marketplace currently features over 2,700 products from more than 25 suppliers, including over 885 popular brands spanning categories from chocolates and vitamins to beauty items. The new capital will accelerate the expansion of its delivery and fulfilment infrastructure to ensure a seamless customer experience as it grows.
Aligning With National Sustainability Goals
The investment highlights growing support for startups that align with the UAE’s national sustainability agenda. ThrowMeNot’s mission directly contributes to the UAE’s goal of halving food waste by 2030, an initiative supported by the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, ne’ma.
“ThrowMeNot’s mission aligns with the UAE’s sustainability agenda and regional efforts to reduce food waste. The platform helps suppliers recover value and provides consumers with affordable food, contributing to a more conscious and sustainable future across the MENA region,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana Al-Maktoum.
About ThrowMeNot
Founded in 2025 by Archie Rudyuk, ThrowMeNot is a sustainability-focused online marketplace that redistributes near-expiry and surplus products. The platform enables suppliers to recover value from inventory that would otherwise be discarded while offering consumers high-quality goods at significant discounts, directly contributing to the reduction of food waste.
Source: Wamda
