The problem
A birthday in Riyadh or a wedding in Dubai still ran on phone calls to neighbourhood florists: uncertain freshness, no reliable same-day promise, and perfumes bought in a separate trip.
How it works
Floward runs a single gifting destination — app and web — where customers order fresh flowers and curated gifts for same-day delivery. Founded in 2017 by Abdulaziz Al Loughani, it sources stems at scale, designs arrangements in-house, and fulfils through its own network across MENA and the UK. It acquired Kuwaiti perfumery brand Mubkher in November 2022 as the first move in a roll-up of local gifting labels, and joined the Saudi Unicorns Programme.
Pain points
Unpredictable flower quality, missed occasions from slow delivery, and gift baskets that require three separate shops and three deliveries.
Business model
Margin on flowers, gifts, and acquired brands, with AI and machine learning personalising the catalogue to raise order values while M&A consolidates local champions.
Challenges
Fresh-flower logistics wilt under peak-day volume; each new market adds sourcing and cold-chain complexity; and after billing the 2023 round as pre-IPO, investors are still waiting for the listing.
Funding
- Raised: $156M pre-IPO Series C in February 2023, led by Aljazira Capital, Rainwater Partners, and STV, bringing total funding to $190.2M since 2017 (Wamda). The CEO said valuation grew 3.8x since the previous round eighteen months earlier.
- Valuation: MISSING.
Latest — February 2023
On 7 February 2023 Floward announced the $156M Series C during the LEAP technology conference in Riyadh, earmarking the funds for gifting-vertical expansion, AI-driven customer experience, and its mergers-and-acquisitions strategy.