F&B services concept Meelz in seed funding talks: CEO

A United Arab Emirates food and beverage services platform is in discussions for seed funding, its CEO Bassel Siblini told Al Arabiya English. Meelz secured $350,000 investment in October 2020, but will bring in more investment as part of its expansion plans.

Siblini declined to reveal how much is being sought.

Meelz operates five different business verticals, covering delivery services, masterclass experiences and chefs’ table activities.

Chefs in the Middle East, such as Karim Bourgi, Gregoire Berger and Greg Malouf have joined Meelz. The platform is also signing food purveyors like Chef Middle East, Kitchenware distributor MG hotels, and forming strategic partnerships with an array of culinary institutions.

It was co-founded by, Bassel Siblini and venture capital firm, The Lab holding which focuses on F&B concepts.

Chefs lie at the heart of Meelz, and they can use the platform to sell their wares and services, Siblini said, adding that it will take a commission based on sales, but the percentage hasn’t been confirmed yet.

“Chefs are the center of the food world. They work wonders with basic ingredients, but their real magic lies in their capacity to tell stories through food experiences. This is what we want to capitalize on,” Siblini said.

“Through the virtues of social media, chefs now have a platform to communicate directly with a large following of fans that are loyal, but more importantly monetizable,” he added.

He explained that Meelz looks to empower chefs to take a more active role in the food value chain, to the benefit of all stakeholders including cloud kitchens, F&B vendors of food, beverage, kitchenware, and venue owners.