UAE-Based Super App Careem Acquires Dubai-Born Food Delivery Subscription Platform, MUNCH:ON The Careem Food and MUNCH:ON teams will work together to introduce low-cost meal segments that the latter has pioneered in the region, as well as new food discovery and delivery options for corporates.
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Careem, the MENA region's leading multi-service platform, announced Friday its acquisition of the UAE-born subscription-based food delivery platform, MUNCH:ON.
While the value and terms of the acquisition weren't disclosed, the deal will see MUNCH:ON cease its daily operations for now, and have its offering rebuilt on the Careem super app.
The Careem Food and MUNCH:ON teams will work together to introduce low-cost meal segments that the latter has pioneered in the region, as well as new food discovery and delivery options for corporates.
Founded in 2016 by Mohammad Al Zaben, Dana Baki, and Awn Ali, MUNCH:ON connected its customers to meals at discounted prices by virtue of it tapping into underutilized kitchen capacities, as well as its scheduling, bundling, and routing software.
Besides driving massive efficiencies for restaurants and cloud kitchens in the UAE, the MUNCH:ON offering also allowed for millions of meals to be delivered to customers across 20,000 companies.
Related: MUNCH:ON's Dana Baki At Entrepreneur Middle East's Enterprise Agility Forum 2022
Commenting on the acquisition, Mohammad Al Zaben, co-founder and CEO of MUNCH:ON, said in a statement, "At MUNCH:ON, we set out to build the most affordable food ordering experience in the world. We are thrilled to be a part of a broader mission at Careem to deliver undeniable value to customers, partners, and Captains."
Meanwhile, Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem, added, "The MUNCH:ON team have built a competitive food offering, driven by a clear vision to make food more accessible and affordable. The Food offer on the Careem app today serves millions of customers across the Middle East and is growing rapidly. By acquiring MUNCH:ON, Careem Food will be able to build an even more competitive offering with a much richer variety of benefits for both customers and restaurant partners."
The Careem Super App currently offers more than a dozen services in the UAE including ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery, micro-mobility, payments, and partner services including car rental, home cleaning, and PCR testing. Meanwhile, Careem Food serves millions of customers with access to over 18,000 restaurants in eight core cities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar.
Related: Saying Yes To Opportunities: Dana Baki, Co-Founder And Chief Operating Officer, MUNCH:ON
