- Doha-based logistics startup ShipBee has closed a $235,000 pre-seed round, led by Qatar-based GrowthX and supported by two angel investors and $40,000 in bootstrapped funding from the founders.
- The deal brings the company’s valuation to $1 million.
- Founded in March 2024 by Tamer Raafat and Amer Azani, ShipBee offers logistics solutions including a digital marketplace, AI-integrated SaaS, mobile apps, and express international shipping.
- The fresh capital will fuel team expansion, product development, and regional scaling.
Press release:
ShipBee, an innovative & AI-powered one-stop-shop digital logistics marketplace providing end-to-end logistics solutions, incubated & supported by the mobility incubator of Qatar Development Bank and the Digital Incubation Center, today announced the successful closure of its Pre-Seed funding round, raising a total of QAR 855,000 from institutional and angel investors, valuing the early-stage startup at QR 3,570,000. This significant investment will fuel the company’s mission to transform how businesses and consumers manage shipping, delivery, and logistics operations, both locally and internationally.
The funding, led by GrowthX alongside contributions from two angel investors, joins ShipBee’s founders’ additional bootstrapping of over QR150,000. The founding partners, Tamer Raafat and Amer Azani will lead ShipBee, and Dr Allan Villegas, a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of QSTP, joins Shipbee’s board, marking a significant milestone in ShipBee’s mission to transform logistics for businesses and consumers. The funding will accelerate ShipBee’s growth, supporting technology development, marketing, team expansion, and scaling operations.
Founded in March 2024, ShipBee offers a one-stop platform for both local and international logistics, including a marketplace, user and driver apps, and SaaS solutions for businesses managing shipping operations. The company has rapidly gained traction, securing partnerships with industry leaders such as Snoonu, Qatar Post, DHL, NEXX (a Chinese AI logistics company), and many local service providers and retail businesses. ShipBee’s innovative approach has earned recognition, including winning the 1st QDB Innovation Hackathon for Mobility and being incubated by QDB-QBIC and the Digital Incubation Center through the Idea Camp 8th Edition.
According to Tamer Raafat, co-founder and CEO of ShipBee, the funding will significantly support key initiatives such as technology developments, securing government contracts, achieving product-market fit, and implementing new AI solutions to enhance the platform. “This funding empowers us to scale our vision of simplifying logistics through cutting-edge technology,” said Tamer Raafat, CEO. “ShipBee’s vision is to build a smart logistics ecosystem in Qatar and MENA using the power of AI and new technologies.”
“We are thrilled to support ShipBee’s pioneering vision to transform logistics. As Qatar aims to become a global logistics hub and advance its Vision 2030 shift toward a digital economy, ShipBee perfectly aligns with these strategic goals by combining innovation with logistics excellence. GrowthX is proud to be their pre-seed investor and to have supported the successful close of this funding round. I firmly believe ShipBee has the potential to become a leading technology-driven logistics platform, both regionally and globally.” – Hamad Al Hajri, CEO & Founder of GrowthX, CEO & Founder of Snoonu.