Founders: Mohamad Ballout, Saman Darkan, Bader Ataya, Andy Arenas, Sami Bejjani
Country: United Arab Emirates
Founded: 2017
Partnered: 2018 / Seed
Status: Active / Series C
Co-Investors: Softbank, Chimera, Crescent Ventures
Kitopi is a tech-enabled F&B operator that runs over 200 outlets, including both restaurants and delivery-only locations.
With operations across the GCC, Kitopi has built end-to-end infrastructure, with an in-house suite of applications (known as SKOS) that allows them to maximize efficiency and increase utilization across all their kitchens whilst delivering a personalized experience to all diners.
We first partnered with Founder and CEO Mohammed (Mo) Ballout at the seed stage, despite our own initial biases from extensive past experiences in the F&B space.
What stood out was the team’s sharp execution, shaped by experience building one of the region’s largest confectionery businesses, and their vision to help F&B operators thrive as online delivery reshapes the market.
Since then, Kitopi has evolved into a regional FoodTech leader with a growing portfolio of brands, both virtual and physical, powered by its integrated and tech-enabled infrastructure.
Mo’s clarity, resilience, and remarkable speed of execution reflect what we look for in founders building category-defining businesses.