Kuwait Innovation Center and Keeta launch SME programme for food delivery sector

Kuwait Innovation Center and food delivery platform Keeta have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a new entrepreneurship programme aimed at developing technology-driven solutions for the food delivery sector, as competition among delivery platforms in Kuwait intensifies and margins continue to tighten.

The initiative, called the Keeta Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (Kee) Project, will support up to 50 local entrepreneurs, startups, and early-stage technologists. It is launched under the strategic patronage of The National Fund for SME Development, aligning with Kuwait’s broader effort to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses and reduce dependence on public-sector employment.

The programme is designed and delivered by the Kuwait Innovation Center in collaboration with Keeta, with a clear commercial focus: participants will be asked to build proof-of-concept solutions that address real operational challenges inside food delivery platforms.

Mohammad Salah Alrefaei, Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Innovation Center, framed the initiative as an attempt to narrow the gap between ideas and market reality. “This collaboration reflects KIC’s commitment to enabling innovation that is practical, relevant, and aligned with market needs,” he said. “By joining forces with Keeta, we are creating a platform where local talent can translate ideas into solutions that contribute to Kuwait’s digital economy.”

This focus reflects the state of the market. Kuwait’s food delivery sector is already crowded, with established players competing aggressively on price, delivery times, and merchant exclusivity.

While consumer demand remains strong, platforms face rising costs linked to logistics, courier availability, restaurant onboarding, and customer retention. The result is a business where scale matters, efficiency is critical, and incremental improvements in technology can have an outsized financial impact.

For Keeta, the programme also serves a strategic purpose. Backed by the Chinese delivery giant Meituan, Keeta continues to expand its presence in Kuwait. Working directly with local founders allows the company to test solutions tailored to local consumer behaviour, merchant expectations, and regulatory constraints - areas where imported playbooks often fall short.

Max Qui, General Manager at Keeta, emphasised the operational angle of the partnership. “The Keeta Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (Kee) Program reflects a meaningful collaboration with Kuwait Innovation Center, whose leadership and deep understanding of the local innovation landscape create the right environment for emerging talent to work on real challenges,” he said. “Keeta contributes its industry experience and operational insights to help translate ideas into solutions with practical value.”

The Kee Project follows a tightly structured format. After an open registration and selection process, participants will move through an intensive three-day bootcamp, followed by a final demo day and award ceremony scheduled for the end of December 2025.

Throughout the programme, teams will receive mentorship in areas including artificial intelligence, digital product development, design thinking, and entrepreneurship, along with access to data and insights from Keeta’s delivery operations.

Winning teams will receive cash prizes, and selected solutions may be considered for future collaboration or implementation with Keeta. While no commercial guarantees are attached, the possibility of deployment distinguishes the programme from more generic startup accelerators.

The involvement of the National Fund signals a broader policy shift: encouraging entrepreneurship programmes that are more tightly connected to real markets, rather than standalone training initiatives.

Whether the Kee Project produces solutions that survive beyond the pilot stage remains uncertain. Still, its emphasis on real-world industry problems suggests a more grounded approach than many regional innovation efforts. The programme is expected to officially launch later this month, with further details to be announced by the Kuwait Innovation Center.