• UAE-based surplus food marketplace Peekabox has raised an oversubscribed $1.5 million seed round to scale its operations in the UAE.
• Backers include a network of regional operators and advisors, with a board chaired by Sameer Al Ansari.
• Founded in 2025 by Hasan and Omair Sarwar, the platform enables F&B and grocery businesses to sell surplus food at 50–70% discounts.
• The funding will support UAE go-to-market expansion, with plans to scale across the GCC, starting with Saudi Arabia.

Press release:

Dubai-based food-tech platform launches with 1,000+ stores signed across 40+ leading F&B and grocery brands, backed by a heavyweight board of regional operators and investors.

Peekabox, the UAE’s first surplus food marketplace, today announced the close of an oversubscribed $1.5 million seed round, backed by a roster of regional heavyweight investors and operators.

Founded by brothers Hasan and Omair Sarwar, Peekabox enables restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and grocery stores to sell surplus, freshly prepared food at guaranteed discounts of 50 to 70 percent. Customers reserve “surprise boxes” through the app and collect them in-store within a fixed pick-up window, with no caps, no conditions, and no compromise on quality.

Tackling two of the region’s most pressing challenges

Peekabox is built around a dual mission: cutting food waste and easing the cost of living. The UAE wastes more than $3.5 billion worth of food every year, with 38 percent of all prepared food thrown away. At the same time, Dubai ranks among the most expensive cities in the region, with inflation continuing to squeeze household budgets.

Hasan Sarwar, CEO and Co-Founder, said: “We’re solving two problems at once. Consumers get access to brands they already love at meaningful discounts, every single day. Partners turn surplus stock into incremental revenue instead of waste. Everyone wins, including the planet.”

1,000+ stores live across 40+ leading brands

Peekabox launches with one of the most comprehensive partner networks of any platform of its kind at this stage, with signed partnerships across Carrefour, Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, Paul, Eataly, Union Coop, Cinnabon, Pret A Manger, Armani Cafe, Al Maya, Choithrams, Grandiose, Address Hotels, and Peet’s Coffee, among others. Franchise partners include Majid Al Futtaim, Apparel Group, Azadea, Cravia, Americana, and Emirates Leisure Retail.

A board built for scale

The round was supported by a board of advisors and investors that reads as a who’s who of regional business leadership.

The board is chaired by Dr. Sameer Al Ansari, former Chairman and CEO of Dubai International Capital and DIFC Authority Board member. Advisory board members include Fares Akkad (CEO, Meta MEA), Yasser Abdulmalak (Chairman & CEO, Nestlé MENA) and Mahdi Shafiei (Founder, Trifid Media), along with others. 

Dr. Sameer Al Ansari, Chairman, said: “We are launching Peekabox in Dubai to address two fundamental problems, very high food wastage and the increasingly expensive cost of living. If we can play a small part in addressing both of these issues then we have achieved success. Dubai is always at the forefront of innovative ideas and with Peekabox we can showcase yet another homegrown UAE success story.”

The road ahead

Capital from the round will be deployed primarily into go-to-market in the UAE, including marketing, operations, and a lean execution team. Following deeper rollout across Dubai and the wider UAE, Peekabox plans to expand across the GCC, with KSA as the next priority market given its addressable surplus food volume of 4.1 million tonnes and 137,000+ addressable stores.

Omair Sarwar, COO and Co-Founder, added: “The UAE is the perfect launchpad. High concentration of F&B outlets, large daily volumes of fresh food, and a digitally native consumer base. We’ve built the supply side first, and now we’re ready to scale.”