In a world constantly evolving with technological advancements, entrepreneurs are seizing opportunities to revolutionize traditional industries. From addressing the challenges of remote work to enhancing the efficiency of construction projects, innovative startups are reshaping the landscape of commerce and service delivery.
Let’s delve into the narratives of pioneering ventures like 24SEVEN, PlanRadar, RemotePass, Thriwe, and Huspy, each carving their path towards redefining their respective sectors.
These stories reflect the spirit of innovation, adaptability, and determination driving the entrepreneurial ecosystem forward.
24SEVEN
As a farm owner Jarrar Shah had understood that the biggest challenge that farmers faced was the journey from farm to the grocery store (baqala or kiryana). The processes simply weren’t efficient as they should have been.
Often manual or basic digital processes were deployed by these businesses. This meant the businesses simply couldn’t be as competitive as they would’ve liked to be.
“That’s where 24SEVEN was born, to empower small grocery operations through digitisation, connecting suppliers to stores and truly bringing the community into commerce,” said Shah in an interaction with edge/.
Started in Pakistan in 2016, the first product of 24SEVEN was a digitised solution aimed at providing convenience to the small grocery stores commonly known as kiryanas in Pakistan. Shah believed in the potential of the product to expand globally and he soon launched it in the UAE Market in 2023.
“Several small retail stores in the UAE rely heavily on traditional methods and aren’t fully digitised yet,” explained Shah.
He added expanding into the UAE presents an opportunity to further evolve and grow the product. With the UAE baqalas operating in a largely traditional manner, there is significant potential to introduce advanced technological solutions to enhance their operations.
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PlanRadar
The idea of PlanRadar was born out of an understanding of the challenges faced by the construction industry and the pressing need for a digital solution to address them, by Domagoj Dolinsek. His extensive expertise in the construction field, helped him recognise the pain points and hesaw an opportunity to revolutionise the industry.
“He gathered a team of co-founders, including myself, who shared the same passion and determination to bring this vision to life,” said Ibrahim Imam, Co-Founder, Group-Co-CEO, CEO MENA and APAC at PlanRadar in an interaction with edge/, who founded the company in 2013 in Vienna.
With PlanRadar, the team aims to bridge the gap between traditional construction practices and the digital era, enabling professionals to embrace innovation and achieve greater efficiency. By leveraging technology and data, they want to empower construction companies to make informed decisions and efficiently manage their projects at any stage of the build lifecycle.
The ultimate goal is to revolutionise the construction industry by providing a comprehensive solution that addresses the unique challenges of projects of all sizes and complexity levels.
RemotePass
In 2020 the world found itself thrust into the tumultuous pages of a dystopian novel. The pandemic sent people indoors, office buildings, co-working spaces, were all rendered redundant. Large and small businesses alike scrambled to adopt and adapt to this new change. The boardroom meetings soon turned to virtual ones, and office watercooler conversations turned to WhatsApp chat groups.
Along with business continuity plans, businesses had to grapple with remote teams, systems, and onboarding of employees across different geographies. It was during this time that RemotePass decided to transition from a SaaS based business travel platorm to a HR tech platform.
The startup offers an all-in-one HR platform that is designed to help remote team management. The platform helps eliminate the complexities of hiring, managing, and paying employees and contractors over 150 countries. All this while being compliant.
Founded in 2019, the team had an understanding of building SaaS platforms, and the pivot to a HR tech platform helped the company grow at 35 per cent month-on-month.
Thriwe
The journey of Dhruv Verma from observing sports tech integration in the UK to founding Thriwe began with his personal experience. Founded by Dhruv Verma, Thriwe’s journey began with a keen observation of the potential for tech integration in the sports industry in the UK. Verma’s vision swiftly evolved, leading to the establishment of GolfLan, a pioneering venture aimed at revolutionising the golfing experience through technology.
Verma reflects on the genesis of Thriwe, stating, “The initial insights emerged from recognizing a notable gap in the golfing industry, where technology could seamlessly bridge the connection between golfers and courses.”
However, the metamorphosis of GolfLan into Thriwe marks a broader vision that extends beyond golf. Thriwe has transitioned into a comprehensive B2B consumer benefits marketplace, catering to various industries with a focus on reshaping loyalty solutions.
Verma articulated this strategic shift, in a conversation with edge/, he said, “The initial success in catering to golf enthusiasts highlighted the burgeoning demand for premium experiences in diverse sectors.”
Thriwe has already forged partnerships with notable entities such as First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Emirates National Bank of Dubai (ENBD), MasterCard, VISA, Mashreq, Rak Bank, and Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), signifying its traction in the market.
Huspy
Jad Antoun believes the property industry globally, and especially in the MENA region is the least digitised segment. The lack of technology means several brokers and real estate agents simply rely on old-school methods and technology to do their daily
This problem then percolates down to the end customer as well, to solve for this Antoun co-founded Huspy a platform that makes both sides of the home buying experience easy.
“Our technology, coupled with AI, helps real estate agents and mortgage brokers through the entire journey, helping them to close transactions significantly faster. For example, we are building an AI solution where, based on a home buyer’s requirements, we can package a number of potentially suitable properties and automatically give this to the agent to share with their client,” said Antoun, in a conversation with edge/.
