OTF commits funding support to three online startups
Source: Oman Observer
The Oman Technology Fund (OTF), the Sultanate’s leading venture capital investment fund, has announced funding support for three Omani new startups that will help strengthen the virtual marketplace at a time when many conventional shops and establishments remain shuttered amid the current lockdown over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Tharwa, Drewel and Hadaya join a total of seven online platforms named by the government-backed Fund as beneficiaries of funding assistance from a special purse of RO 1 million earmarked for innovative IT initiatives that help mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
As with all of the beneficiary projects supported by OTF, the latest platforms are designed to enable Omani farmers, livestock breeders and manufacturers of consumer goods to connect with customers online and thereby fuel the growth of e-commerce in the Sultanate.
Tharwa, an online platform set up by three Omanis, will serve as a virtual marketplace for suppliers and distributors of all kinds of fresh and processed meat to offer their products to consumers. The platform will cater to local as well as internationally sourced produce.
Hadaya’s launch coincides with the start of the Omani rose harvest and rosewater distillation season in Al Jabal Al Akdhar and is thus an apt platform for buyers of rose essence or other related products to connect with suppliers.
Finally, Drewel specializes in the home delivery of a range of fresh of produce, including fruits and vegetables, meat, foodstuff and household goods. It caters primarily to Omani farmers, producers and traders.
