SIDEUP, a MENA-based platform for e-commerce services, raised $1.2 million in a seed round. This round witnessed participation from Launch Africa VC, 500 Global, Riyadh Angels, Alex Angels,  Al Tuwaijri Fund, and Saudi angel investor Faisal AlAbdulsalam. 

SIDEUP will use the investment to double down on its presence in Egypt, launch operations in Saudi Arabia with the opening of an office, and further develop a new range of solutions for customers over the next 12 months.

Founded in 2019 by Waleed Rashed, SIDEUP empowers e-commerce business owners with a suite of technology solutions that enables partnerships, and integrations to scale and grow revenue.

“Online businesses are shaping the future of our economy but they continue to face a number of challenges which limit their growth potential. At SIDEUP, our platform connects merchants with a range of services from industry leaders, allowing them to focus on growing revenues while we take care of the rest. Today we are excited to enter a new phase of growth as we plan to take SIDEUP to new markets including the launch of our Saudi Arabia office. With the backing of our investors, we are well positioned to transform the e-commerce industry across the Middle East and Africa,” Waleed Rashed, Founder & CEO of SIDEUP, said.

The platform also allows merchants to operate cross-border across 45 countries to access new markets and audiences for their products. It also partners with other e-commerce platforms such as Zid, Zammit, and Wuilt, payments services such as Paytab, Cowpay, Paymob; and logistics providers such as Aramex, J&T, and iMile.