A group of B2B startups across Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the UAE is bringing digital tools to the region’s neighbourhood grocery stores, covering procurement, inventory, payments and credit.
The companies are targeting a largely informal retail sector where shopkeepers have traditionally relied on phone calls, personal relationships and cash-based transactions to restock.
Morocco-based Chari enables independent stores to order wholesale inventory online across Morocco, Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire. Following its acquisition of fintech startup Karny.ma, the company is also expanding into merchant credit and embedded payments. Chari’s last reported funding was a $12M Series A in October 2025.
In the UAE, DTEK.ai, formerly Dukkantek, provides point-of-sale, inventory, supplier ordering and loyalty tools. Its platform also uses computer vision to monitor shelves and identify stock losses.
Egyptian startups Talabeyah and Weelo are taking different approaches. Talabeyah connects grocery retailers with FMCG suppliers and was acquired by MNT-Halan in 2022. Weelo began as an online grocery marketplace before adding software for supermarkets and suppliers.
Saudi Arabia-based Retailo connects retailers with suppliers through a digital ordering platform, delivery networks and demand forecasting tools, while also offering merchant credit. Sary, which merged with ShopUp to form SILQ Group in 2025, serves retailers including grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants and provides working capital support.
Source: Cairoscene
