jalebi

Jalebi (jalebi.io) was a Dubai-based software-as-a-service platform positioning itself as an "inventory-first" operating system for food and beverage businesses. Launched in 2021, the cloud-based product combined point-of-sale with inventory automation, supplier/CRM and restocking management, a "universal menu" acting as a single synchronized source of truth for menus and recipes, production and supply-chain tracking across kitchen networks, and data-driven operational insights. The company said artificial intelligence and machine learning were used to help operators predict and control food cost through the product life cycle, automate restocking, speed order processing and reduce waste and theft associated with manual inventory processes.

The company framed its market opportunity around operator pain points it cited publicly: an average food cost ratio of roughly 35%, 17% of food wasted before reaching the customer, 50% of businesses closing after one year of operation, and approximately $60 billion of working capital lost by operators; its CEO also cited over $360 billion of potential value lost to rudimentary manual inventory management. Jalebi served restaurants of all sizes, from single cafés to multi-location chains, across segments including quick-service restaurants, bakeshops, fast food and fine dining, and advertised onboarding in under 90 minutes plus a 90-day free trial. The platform was accessible from any internet-connected device.

In August 2026 jalebi.io announced it was shutting down permanently, without disclosing the reasons.

Founding story

Co-founder and CEO Zohare Haider graduated from college in the US in 2004 and returned to Pakistan, where a restaurant quality issue prompted his first venture, foona, a venue feedback and information platform begun in 2005 and worked on part-time for about 15 years. In 2014 he attended the Web Summit in Dublin and subsequently launched the digital agency Digital Street in 2015 with his wife as co-founder, leaving his corporate job in 2018 to work full time on the agency as a platform for his next venture. foona was shelved when COVID-19 hit. Haider and co-founder Rizwan Ahmed Khan pitched several concepts before being accepted into Sheraa's S3 program and, on a second attempt, Techstars in 2021 with a menu manager for restaurants. Customer discovery interviews with hundreds of restaurant owners — in particular a conversation with owner Ahmad Bondouq, who wanted a single system connecting the back and front of the restaurant — redirected the effort from foona into Jalebi. Early advisor Ali Samir, met through a Karachi incubator, was described as instrumental to the transition.

Business model

Jalebi sold its platform to F&B operators on a subscription basis at $100 per outlet per month billed annually, and additionally applied a results-driven model tied to food cost savings for fully onboarded clients. Management said it planned to add further revenue streams including payment service provider and procurement deals, as well as decarbonization-related offerings.

Recurring SaaS subscription revenue per outlet, supplemented by performance-based fees linked to client food cost savings, with planned expansion into payments, procurement and decarbonization-linked revenue streams.

Traction

The company said it perfected the platform over two years by co-building with more than 50 brands, and that after commercial launch in 2024 it saw 131% month-on-month growth, deal flow exceeding $1 million in annual recurring revenue terms and a waitlist of more than 400 outlets. It reported presence in over five key markets as of 2023 and operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan and Canada, later described as kitchen networks across six Gulf markets, and signed institutional contracts with leading brands.

Latest developments

In November 2025 jalebi.io received the MAJRA Gold Seal. In August 2026 the company announced it was permanently shutting down, publishing a farewell message thanking its team and encouraging other founders to continue tackling hard problems; it did not disclose the reasons for the closure.