Saudi Arabia-based agritech startup Grove has closed a $5 million seed round led by Outliers VC with participation from angel investors. Founded in 2024 by Mohammed bin Ghanam and Ayman AlFifi, Grove operates as a consumer brand that connects farms, markets and homes through a vertically aligned, technology-enabled supply chain. The funding will support Globe’s scale-up to position itself as a contributor to a more resilient and sustainable food system in Saudi Arabia.
press release:
Grove, a Riyadh-based technology company focused on the fresh food sector, has successfully completed a $5 million Seed funding round led by Outliers VC with participation from a group of angel investors.
Founded in 2024 by Mohammed bin Ghanam and Ayman AlFifi, Grove operates as a consumer brand in the fresh food and agricultural sector. The company connects farms, markets and households, operating as a vertically aligned system rather than a loose collection of suppliers, ensuring that the entire crop finds the best path to value designed around what real consumers want.
The value of Saudi Arabia’s local agricultural sector will reach approximately $31.5 billion, and imports of plant-based products will reach $10.7 billion in 2025. Despite this scale, current local production reflects a structural gap between production standards and actual consumer needs.
This gap creates challenges such as inconsistent quality, limited variety, and short shelf life. These issues are largely the result of supply chains designed over decades to prioritize long storage and transportation periods over freshness, flavor, and nutritional value.
The fresh produce sector has been shaped by short-term commercial incentives driven by intermediaries and casual managers rather than the interests of farmers and consumers. This has led to premature harvesting and production decisions that focus on quantity rather than quality, flavor and nutritional value.
These issues limit farmers’ investment in better practices, reduce consumer confidence, and exacerbate environmental impacts through overuse of pesticides, poor water management, and soil damage. This environment discourages new farmers and entrepreneurs and hinders the growth of higher quality and more resilient supply chains.
Grove is building a demand-driven fresh food model that rewards quality by coordinating production, pricing, and market access from the beginning through an integrated, technology-enabled supply chain. This approach improves clarity in farmers’ plans, provides consumers with a higher quality and wider choice, and increases transparency while reducing food waste.
This approach has led to strong customer retention, repeat purchase rates approaching 48%, and food waste reduced to less than 5%.
“For generations, agriculture has been rooted in responsibility to the land and community. Over time, short-term commercial pressures have driven practices that are damaging to soil, water, and long-term sustainability. At Grove, we are restoring balance by providing farmers with the data, tools, and incentives they need to protect resources and build for the future,” said Mohammed bin Ghanam, co-founder of Grove.
“Grove started with the simple recognition that when food is brought closer to the source and treated properly, it changes the way families eat. The real challenge is not agriculture, but a supply chain that is optimized for speed over quality. Grove is building a practical, scalable alternative that proves that better food is commercially viable and sustainable,” added Ayman Alfifi, co-founder of Grove.
“What attracted us to Grove was the team’s ability to reimagine not just the product, but the relationship between farmers and markets. Their integrated approach puts quality back at the center, reconnects consumers with sources, and positions Grove as a key contributor to a more resilient and sustainable food system in Saudi Arabia,” said Mohamed Almesheka, founder and GP of Outliers VC.
