New e-grocery startup Raha launches in Kuwait

Raha, the region’s newest e-grocery platform, has officially launched in the Kuwait market. A homegrown concept, Raha is a pure-play, fully automated e-grocery platform, offering a full range of groceries, fresh produce and household essentials. It also features Kuwait’s first fully-automated robotics-fulfillment center, and one of the first centres of its kind globally, with a chilled warehouse capability.

Developed by global warehouse automation specialist, Swisslog, the centre serves as the core foundation of Raha’s technology-driven operational model and fully automated, data-driven intralogistics system – featuring the AutoStore solution; an innovative automated material handling solution that uses robots on top of an aluminum grid system to store and locate goods, efficiently delivering them to pick stations for processing.

David Dronfield, general manager of Swisslog Middle East, noted: “The micro-fulfilment centre (MFC) designed for Raha is the first automated MFC implemented in Kuwait, with a system designed in such a way that order capacity per day can be effectively doubled through the ease of expansion our solution provides.”

Conceived as a digital operation first and foremost, Raha has made an investment in its technological infrastructure and completely self-serving operational model, including the robot-led fulfillment team and in-house preparation of all fresh items.

It has an easy-to-navigate smart platform that leverages users’ data and insights to provide a personalised customer journey, with made-to-order items, easy step-by-step customisation, tailored recipes, and a wide range of varieties across all product segments.

Co-founder and CEO of the company, Saleh Al-Tunaib, said: “From the outset, the goal was to develop a pure play digital retail operation that combined operational excellence with a simplified, intelligent user experience. Every step of the customer journey – from first log-in to final order delivery – has been carefully designed to deliver maximum convenience. We wanted to translate and elevate the traditional grocery experience at its absolute best to a seamless digital experience.”

Raha was created and designed by a diverse team of people with experience in the fields of grocery retail, e-commerce and tech development. The company has completed its seed round of funding, with a capital of $7m raised – led by Saudi’s Aujan Investments, Kuwait’s NOX Management and London-based Cedar Mundi Ventures.