Kuwaiti rapid-delivery app raises £6m for expansion

Kuwaiti quick-commerce platform Circle has raised $6 million to fund local and regional expansion, it has announced.

Founded in 2020, the Circle app offers deliveries of groceries and other essentials from “dark stores” across Kuwait. It aims for delivery in less than 20 minutes.

The company says it has grown its revenue sevenfold in just two years. It has not named the investors behind the Series A funding.

Circle is preparing to expand beyond Kuwait, it says, laying the groundwork to establish a presence in regional markets by early 2026.

Quick commerce is a hotly contested sector in the Middle East.

• Uber enters Turkey’s food delivery sector with $700m buyout
• Kuwait to generate $1.6bn from government fees increase
• Lulu profit and revenue up as online sales grow by quarter

British company Zapp is eyeing entry into the UAE market — which is worth an estimated $170 million — while Egyptian quick-commerce startup Rabbit has announced plans to expand into Saudi Arabia.

Delivery companies including Talabat, Noon and Careem Groceries are already operating in the Gulf.