Egypt’s Bekia raises six-figure investment to help people exchange their trash for groceries and more

Cairo-based waste management startup Bekia has rasied six-figure (USD) investment, it announced today in a statement to MENAbytes. The investment came from OTF Wadi, an Oman based accelerator. Bekia is part of Wadi’s ongoing accelerator program. The startup did not disclose the exact size of investment but Wadi normally invests up to $125,000 in participating startups.

Founded in 2017 by Alaa Afifi Kamal, Bekia allows people to sell their household waste including plastic, electronics, paper, or even things like used cooking oil and earn points that could be used to buy groceries, school supplies, metro ticket, and mobile credits. The users also have the option to donate their points for different causes.

Bekia claims to have completed more than 10,000 orders since its launch, receiving over 20,000 tons of solid waste in the process.

The waste collection requests can be made on Bekia’s website. Once a request is submitted all the detail, a Bekia representative visits the user at their doorstep to collect the waste and provide them with the goods they had requested in exchange.

Alaa Afifi Kamal, the founder and CEO of Bekia, speaking to MENAbytes, explained that they sell the waste they receive to recycling factories and SMEs. The electronics that Bekia receives are fixed and sold in the market, he added.

The startup that is also popular among recycling enthusiasts in addition to the average users plans to use the latest investment to expand to Alexandria and grow its orders.