UAE kids’ app created by five women gets $1 million in seed funding

QiDZ, a one-stop destination for kids-related fun, education and entertainment in the UAE, announced earlier today that the company has raised $1 million (Dh3.67 million) in seed funding.

The round was led by several regional and international institutional investors, which included the Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures and support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network, UAE Business Angels and Misk Innovation.

The company will use the funds to further enhance its product offering, grow its team and expand its footprint into other GCC markets.

Khalid AlHadlaq, an investor and an Advisory Board Member said, “QiDZ has established real value for kids entertainment in the UAE. I am excited to see the growth and what the team has achieved, and to be part of the journey. The time has never been better to expand into other markets and, in particular, into Saudi Arabia.”

About QiDZ

Launched in the UAE in November 2017, QiDZ was founded by five women, Simona Agolini, Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt.

QiDZ is the first mobile app in the region to bring a unique platform that consolidates all the family-related entertainment and kids’ activities of all ages in one place. The app enables users to discover more than 3000 hand-picked fun and educational activities, deals and restaurants and book online instantly.

“We are really proud to have created this unique, convenient and valuable platform for our users. With QiDZ, parents no longer need to spend hours searching for activities and agonising over scheduling. Our app helps to explore different locations in the vicinity, filter by ages and interests of their kids, and ultimately enjoy exciting, fun-filled activities, which create lasting memories,” said Simona Agolini, CEO of QiDZ.

“Closing our seed round is a testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of our team to further scale our business. With the additional funds, our strategy is to continue to develop our app, grow our team and expand into new markets. We are grateful to all our investors who have believed in our business, our team and our growth strategies,” she added.

Commenting on the investment, Sharif El-Badawi, Managing Partner at 500 Startups, MENA, said, “Be it for entertainment or educational purposes, parents are always on the lookout for the best activities that can enrich the lives of their children. The current environment makes it hard for parents, like myself, to find the best offers, book them and pay for them in a convenient way. QiDZ is the perfect solution to this very real problem. As the most active venture capital firm in the region, 500 Startups’ mission is to back the most talented entrepreneurs and help them create successful companies at scale. We are delighted to collaborate and support QiDZ, an all-female founded team, as they expand as pioneers in new target markets.”