Mathaqi

Mathaqi operates as a digital platform in Saudi Arabia, connecting consumers with home-based chefs for the delivery of home-cooked meals. The company was founded in 2017 by Nouf Alsaleem, who was a student at King Saud University at the time, and her co-founder Esaa Al-Nahdi. Inspired by her entrepreneurial father, Alsaleem identified a market need for accessible, on-the-go home-cooked food and a way for productive families to monetize their culinary skills without the financial burden of opening a restaurant.

The business model centers on providing a marketplace that handles logistics, marketing, and packaging for its network of chefs, allowing them to focus on cooking. Mathaqi earns revenue through the sale of these meals via its mobile application, charging a delivery fee for each order. The platform serves individuals seeking authentic, fresh meals and also caters to larger party orders. A key feature is the daily changing menu, which provides a wide variety of cuisines, ranging from traditional Saudi dishes to international options, ensuring freshness and preventing food waste.

For quality control, Mathaqi implements a selection process for its chefs that includes medical examinations and kitchen inspections to ensure hygiene standards are met. The company provides chefs with the necessary packaging to maintain food temperature during delivery. By March 2017, the platform had already partnered with over 80 chefs in Riyadh. Mathaqi gained recognition by winning the KSA Enterprise Agility Award for tech innovation in May 2017 and participated in the Badir technology incubator and accelerator program. However, according to PitchBook, the company was reported as out of business as of October 2022.

Keywords: home-cooked food delivery, Saudi Arabia food tech, online meal platform, productive families, culinary marketplace, daily menu service, authentic cuisine, food delivery app, Riyadh food service, Nouf Alsaleem, Esaa Al-Nahdi, ghost kitchen platform, social enterprise food, on-demand meals, home chef network, food hygiene standards, meal subscription, party food orders, Badir accelerator, Womena