UAE startup Yalla Pickup receives Dhs1m in funding

UAE startup Yalla Pickup – a mobile application to order pickup trucks to move around large consignments – has received Dhs1m in funding.

The company received the funding from its partner The Box – which provides self-storage and goods transport services in the UAE.

Launched in 2016, Yalla Pickup allows a smartphone (both Android and iOS) or web user to transport large-sized valuable goods by booking the nearest truck.

Users can enter details of the pickup and drop off location using Google Maps, choose from the different types and sizes of trucks, find out the total estimate fare and order the nearest registered vehicle to complete the task.

Those booking the service can also track transactions, check account history, generate invoices and get progress reports. Orders can be placed as both pre-scheduled and on-the-go requests.

The service targets businesses and individuals, and can help to transport furniture or large objects that are purchased online; move houses; or deliver a large consignment to a client.

Since its launch, Yalla Pickup has registered over 50 businesses and 300 individual customers, a statement said. The app-based business claims that has grown by 200 per cent month-on-month since January 2017.

The company was also picked as one of the 10 final startups in the inaugural accelerator launched by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) last year.

Elie El Tom, founder and CEO of Yalla Pickup, said: “The shortage of a reliable and safe lorry service dawned upon me when it took me an entire day to move a crate from one place to another. With Dubai advancing towards becoming a ‘smart city’, we need to bring more businesses under the fold of efficient technology and connectivity.

“I felt that the days of large trucks painting their contact numbers are a thing of the past, and Yalla Pickup could fill the gap by connecting these service providers with people who need them. Think of it as ‘Careem’, but for large and valuable belongings.”