Saudi Startup Raff Raises $1.7 Mn Pre-Seed to Expand Consumer Brands Into Retail

The funding round was led by Vision Ventures, with participation from 500 Global, Palm VC, Oqal Group and Salman Butt, co-founder of Salla, among other investors.

Raff will use the new funding to expand across the GCC and improve its product and AI capabilities. The company aims to make it easier for consumer brands to enter and grow in physical retail stores.

Ali Al Qudah, Co-Founder and CEO of Raff, said: "We built Raff after experiencing firsthand how difficult it was for growing brands to move beyond online sales. While the barriers to launching an e-commerce business have never been lower, reaching customers through physical retail still requires brands to navigate multiple operational and commercial hurdles. Our mission is to simplify that journey and give brands a faster and more efficient way to reach offline customers. This investment enables us to accelerate that vision, expand across the GCC, and continue building the infrastructure powering the next generation of retail."

Kais Al-Essa, Founding Partner and CEO of Vision Ventures, added: "We are excited to partner with Ali and the Raff team as they represent the caliber of high-execution talent that we look for. We previously supported the shift from offline to online through our early investment in Salla. Today, we see an equally significant opportunity as brands look to expand from online into physical retail. Raff is solving a high-friction challenge at the intersection of retail technology and logistics, creating a new efficiency layer for commerce across the region. We are proud to lead this round and support the team's ambitious vision."

Raff was founded in 2024 by Ali Al Qudah and Abdul Kareem Munla. Together, they bring experience in e-commerce, technology, finance and business operations.

Al Qudah previously built two e-commerce businesses before joining Saudi e-commerce company Salla as an early employee. He later became Head of Growth at legal-tech startup Qanoniah. Munla has more than 20 years of experience in finance and business operations, including financial management, compliance, governance and improving business efficiency.

Read Also- Xpeng Robotics Raises $900 Mn at $6.3 Bn Valuation to Scale Humanoid Robots