Raff Raises $1.7 Million to Grow Its Retail Platform Across the GCC

Saudi retail-technology startup Raff has raised $1.7 million (SAR6.38 million) in a pre-seed funding round as it seeks to expand its platform across the Gulf Cooperation Council. The round was led by Vision Ventures, with participation from 500 Global, Palm VC, Oqal and Salman Butt, a co-founder of Saudi e-commerce platform Salla, according to a press release shared with Finance News International.

Founded in Riyadh in 2024, Raff connects consumer brands with physical retailers and provides software for distribution, inventory, orders, fulfillment and payments. The company is positioning the platform as an operational bridge for brands that have established themselves online but face a more complicated route into stores, where relationships and processes are often managed separately with each retailer.

Raff said the proceeds would support its expansion across GCC markets while funding product development and artificial-intelligence capabilities.

Moving from Online Sales to Store Shelves

E-commerce has reduced many of the initial barriers to launching a consumer brand, allowing small businesses to reach buyers without first securing shelf space. Physical distribution remains more fragmented. A brand entering stores may need to negotiate commercial terms, arrange deliveries, monitor stock and reconcile orders across multiple retailers, creating a larger administrative burden as its network grows.

Raff says its platform brings several of those functions into one system. Brands can use it to manage retailer access, inventory and order fulfillment, while retailers can organize relationships with multiple suppliers. The software also integrates with point-of-sale and accounting systems, according to the company. Details about pricing, transaction volumes and the specific third-party systems supported by the platform were not disclosed.

Saudi Arabia’s retail economy is becoming increasingly digital, even as physical stores retain an important role. Electronic methods accounted for 85% of the country’s retail payments in 2025, up from 79% a year earlier, according to the Saudi Central Bank. Separately, the General Authority for Statistics reported that Saudi retail e-commerce sales increased 33.9% year over year in the third quarter of 2025. Those figures point to a market in which online and in-store channels are developing alongside one another rather than operating as separate systems.

Founders Target Regional Expansion

Raff was established by Ali Al Qudah, its co-founder and chief executive, and Abdul Kareem Munla, its co-founder and chief financial officer. Al Qudah previously built two e-commerce brands and worked at Salla and legal-technology company Qanoniah. Munla has more than 20 years of experience in financial management, governance, compliance and business operations. Those biographies have not been fully verified through independent public records.

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."

Raff says it has worked with more than 900 brands across nine countries, including GCC markets and the United Kingdom, since launching less than 18 months ago.

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 takes its name from the Arabic word for “shelf,” reflecting its focus on helping consumer brands enter physical stores. Through one platform, the startup brings together distribution, inventory management, order fulfillment and payments for brands and retailers operating across different sales channels.