UAE’s Ogram Raises $870,000 Investment to Connect Gig Workers with Temporary Jobs

Dubai-based part-time staffing solution startup Ogram has raised $870,000 in a pre-Series A round led by Global Ventures. The startup works by connecting gig workers – including baristas, bartenders, waiters, drivers, entertainers, and retail staff – with businesses that need on-demand part-time staff.

The over 2,000 staff profiles are all vetted by the platform, which boasts a hire-time of mere minutes. In its four years of operation, Ogram has worked with over 300 businesses in Dubai. Workers set their own rates and schedules, and are connected to jobs with their exact skill-set. They can chat directly to the client, and payment goes right to their individual online wallets.

“We founded the company on the premise of solving a pain point that we often faced in the hospitality sector: inflexible and costly staffing solutions that were not suitable for on-demand business requirements,” says co-founder and CEO Shafiq Khartabil, who had operated restaurants before establishing Ogram with fellow restaurateur Karim Kouatly in 2016.

“We are thrilled to partner with Ogram as they pioneer the regional flexible work economy. The current pandemic is challenging existing employment structures and we believe that embracing flexible work and upskilling the workforce to adopt multiple jobs will be the future of work in the region,” says Noor Sweid, General Partner at Global Ventures on the investment.