By Startups MENA Staff
Riyadh / Manama — When Calo began testing an AI “private chef” that talks to users, learns their habits, and quietly designs their daily meals, it felt like a glimpse into the future of food. Today, that future just received a significant boost.
The Bahrain-born, Saudi-headquartered foodtech startup has secured $39 million in a Series B extension, led by AlJazira Capital, bringing its total Series B round to $64 million and pushing overall fundraising to more than $90 million.
Calo, which operates a vertically integrated meal subscription model, now delivers millions of personalized meals annually across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the UK, and has crossed $100 million in annualized revenue.
A Bahrain Startup Rising Into a GCC Powerhouse
Founded in 2019, Calo set out with a simple mission: make healthy eating effortless.
Unlike traditional delivery platforms, Calo controls the entire value chain — from menu design to cooking to last-mile delivery. Users input their goals and preferences, and Calo produces ready-to-eat, macro-balanced meals that are personalized to each user.
This model has fueled rapid expansion:
- Operations across seven markets, including the UK through the acquisitions of Fresh Fitness Food and Detox Kitchen.
- More than 10 million meals delivered in 2024.
- Consistent double-digit monthly growth since 2023.
- A growing physical footprint, including kitchen hubs and strategic outlets across major GCC cities.
Calo’s trajectory now positions it among the GCC’s fastest-scaling consumer-tech brands — and increasingly a candidate for a Saudi IPO as early as 2027.
Why Investors Are All In
The latest round was oversubscribed, with returning investors such as Nuwa Capital, STV, Khwarizmi Ventures and Al Faisaliah Group doubling down. Dubai-based Oraseya Capital also joined the round.
Investor confidence reflects several factors:
- Clear category leadership in GCC meal subscriptions
- High operational moat due to end-to-end integration
- Global expansion potential, already demonstrated in the UK
- AI-first product direction, differentiating it from generic food delivery platforms
For investors, Calo is no longer just a meal plan company — it’s a data-driven, AI-powered nutrition platform with global ambitions.
AI as Calo’s Next Big Bet: The “Private Chef” Era
A major portion of the new funding will power Calo’s AI ecosystem, headlined by its upcoming product: Calo Black.
Calo Black uses advanced language models to act like an interactive personal chef:
- Chats with users
- Learns preferences, constraints, and goals
- Auto-generates personalized daily meal plans
Beyond the consumer experience, Calo is deploying AI across:
- Demand forecasting and production planning
- Route and delivery optimization
- Menu R&D and personalization at scale
The result is a platform that doesn’t just deliver food — it designs nutrition, tailored to each user’s lifestyle.
Building a Full Food & Wellness Ecosystem
Calo is expanding beyond subscriptions to build a broader lifestyle portfolio:
- Premium and athlete-focused plans
- More advanced personalization layers
- On-demand meal options
- Healthy packaged goods for retail and home consumption
To accelerate execution, Calo has strengthened its leadership ranks:
- Caroline Hazlehurst, previously at Deliveroo, Bird, and Moove, has joined as COO.
- John Noja, formerly Talabat UAE’s head of quick commerce, joins as Chief of Staff.
Calo also announced a major partnership with Armah Sports Company, which operates premium gyms across Saudi Arabia. The collaboration includes co-located outlets, joint activations, and deeper integration across Armah’s fitness ecosystem.
A Turning Point for MENA Consumer Tech
Calo’s rise reflects a new phase in GCC entrepreneurship:
- Consumer brands are going regional and global, not just local.
- AI-native products are becoming central to user experience.
- Vertical integration is enabling stronger margins and defensible moats.
- IPO pathways are becoming more realistic for late-stage startups in the region.
If Calo succeeds in exporting its model, it could become one of MENA’s first globally recognized foodtech brands — designed, funded, and built in the region.
Editor’s Note — The Startups MENA Team
At Startups MENA, we focus on the narratives that define how the Middle East builds its next-generation workforce and innovation economy. Calo’s story is a powerful example of that shift.
This new $39 million extension is more than a funding milestone; it reflects a deeper evolution in MENA’s consumer-tech landscape. The region is no longer merely adopting global models — it is creating its own, blending food, wellness, and AI into a unified experience with global potential.
Calo’s growth shows how MENA startups can move from serving niche local needs to designing world-ready products. Its AI-first approach, combined with vertical integration and expansion into the UK, is shaping a new template for health and lifestyle brands emerging from the region.
As GCC economies push toward Vision 2030 and broader diversification, companies like Calo demonstrate that regional creativity, capital, and technology can come together to build category-defining brands — not just for the Middle East, but for the world.
— The Startups MENA Editorial Team
