Qme CEO, Maged Negm. Image Credits: Qme
Egyptian software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup Qme has secured $3 million in a seed funding round that is aimed at expanding the startup’s AI-driven platform to optimize customer interactions for businesses and governments across Africa. The round was led by AHOY, a technology company whose services cut across different sectors, alongside angel investors from the GCC regions. All parties involved put pen to paper at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center during LEAP 2024 on February 12, 2025.
Former Fawry and Orange executive Maged Negm founded Qme in 2022, positioning the SaaS startup as Africa’s first AI-based customer journey platform. The Platform combines booking, queuing, and payments into a unified digital structure. The company expects to grow the effectiveness of its customer experiences and improve its services delivery across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as it scales.
Qme’s AI-enabled platform tackles inefficiencies in customer queuing and appointment booking. Traditional customer queuing and appointment booking systems bring about long wait times and high no-show rates. This has grown into a significant challenge in the region with studies showing that individuals in the region spend an average of six months of their lives standing in queues. Moreover, an estimated 92% of appointments are still book via phone, contributing to a 31% no-show rate due to lack of customer commitment.
Qme has experienced major improvements in efficiency across sectors such as healthcare, banking, and government services. The company has been able to reduce average wait times from 116 minutes to 14 minutes and lowered no-show rates for phone bookings to under 1%. Its digital queueing solutions have also replaced paper-based systems, leading to an estimated reduction of 50,000 square meters of paper waste.
Maged Negm, CEO and co-founder of Qme, stated: “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our journey. AHOY’s expertise in operational efficiency and technology integration will be instrumental as we scale across vibrant markets. I am particularly excited to have Jamil Shinawi, CEO of AHOY, join Qme’s advisory committee.”
With this new funding, Qme aims to enhance its technology stack, expand operations, and deepen its market presence AHOY’s involvement in Qme’s expansion is a pointer to its intention to forge a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging its technological capabilities in logistics, aviation, and traffic management. AHOY will help Qme access cutting-edge technology and a deeper understanding of operational dynamics across critical industries. The collaboration is expected to accelerate the adoption of Qme’s solutions across complex markets in Africa and the GCC.
Qme is also a participant in AHOY’s Startup Builder initiative, which seeks to empower 10,000 entrepreneurs and support 30,000 software developers across the MENA region by 2030. The initiative aims to drive innovation in key infrastructure sectors such as transportation, aviation, and smart city development.
AHOY’s leadership sees transformative potential in Qme’s offering. “Qme’s platform aligns seamlessly with our mission of reducing friction in day-to-day operations. By integrating Qme’s AI-powered customer journey solutions with our multi-sector expertise, we can help drive digital transformation across both government and private sectors in the GCC and Africa.” said Jamil Shinawi
