Dubai’s Arrow Labs raises $5 million from Draper Associates to help businesses manage field operations

Dubai-based software startup Arrow Labs has raised $5 million in Series A from Tim Draper’s Draper Associate, it announced today. The round was also joined by Global Ventures, and B&Y Ventures. It is one of the first investments made by Draper in the Middle East & North Africa. The firm has previously invested in some of the largest global technology companies, including Baidu, Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, and Twitter.

Founded in 2011 by Rami Darwish, Arrow Labs has built a suite of web and mobile apps, and wearables, packaged as a subscription, that enables businesses to manage their field operations. The software that connects frontline workers, machines, and facilities can help companies reduce their operating costs by 20 percent and increase staff productivity by 30 percent, and business efficiency by 40 percent, Arrow Labs claimed in a statement.

The software removes the complexity of scheduling, work distribution, recourse management, workflow automation, and route optimization, noted the statement. According to its website, Arrow Labs has two subscription plans; $35 and $59 per user per month, with a free 30-day trial period.

The Dubai-headquartered startup currently serves clients in MENA, Europe, and the United States, with names like G4S, Linde AG, Dubai Ports World, and Bnet using its platform. It plans to use the investment to accelerate its growth into new markets, especially the United States. A part of the funds will also be used to enhance its platform’s machine learning capabilities.

Rami Darwish, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow Labs, commenting on the investment, said, “Securing such strong financial support and backing from investors such as Tim Draper is transformative for our business. The funds will support our growth, further development of our MIMS platform, and accelerate our journey to connect the 80% of the global workforce that is deskless – and protect their jobs. We are ideally positioned to rapidly grow, and further expand our presence in the United States, and into South-East Asia.”

Tim Draper, Founder & Managing Partner of Draper Associates, commenting on the investment, said, “For many years, investment in critical remote working tools has focused almost exclusively on office based staff. This has caused front-line workers to become disconnected. This is a global issue, affecting hundreds of millions of people, and a solution is required. Arrow Labs’ has really caught my eye. They have built the solution the world needs, which is already being used by some of the biggest global brands. The startup ecosystem in the MENA region is very exciting, and Arrow Labs is a unique player there. I’m delighted to make them one of my first investments in the region.”

Noor Sweid, General Partner at Global Ventures, said, “Rami Darwish and the team at Arrow Labs have been our partners since 2018. From then until now, the company has been a leading player and innovator in its space, addressing a critical and global challenge in workforce management. We are strong supporters of reverse innovation and emerging market founders building cutting-edge technology with both regional and global potential, and Rami is definitely one such entrepreneur. We are thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of Arrow Labs.”