Dubai-born startup Peekabox has launched with more than 1,000 partner outlets and $1.5M in seed funding, according to sustainability news platform Tajdeed.
Founded by brothers Hasan Sarwar and Omair Sarwar and chaired by Dr. Sameer Al Ansari, Peekabox connects UAE consumers with end-of-day surplus food from brands including Carrefour, Costa Coffee and Eataly. Customers receive guaranteed discounts of 50% to 70% on the listed food.
The platform also gives food and beverage and retail businesses a way to track and report surplus food reductions, supporting their ESG targets, the company said.
Peekabox is entering a market where more than $3.5B worth of food is wasted annually in the UAE, while 38% of prepared food is discarded each day, according to figures cited by Tajdeed.
The startup plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC. Its launch raises a practical question for the UAE’s F&B sector: can surplus food become a revenue stream rather than a cost?
Source: Tajdeed
