The tech entrepreneur is specialized in the e-commerce segment. The platform he developed connects small merchants to e-commerce services in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

Waleed Rashed (photo) is an Egyptian entrepreneur and the Founder/CEO of SIDEUP, a platform offering smart solutions to MSMEs specialized in the e-commerce sector.

SIDEUP was founded in 2008. Formerly known as VOO, it was launched to meet all the needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs, from local and international logistics support to warehousing services and a comprehensive real-time dashboard for performance analysis. It integrates a partner account manager and the best tech tools like Zammit, Wuilt, Paymob Aramex, and DHL used in the MENA region. 

In early December 2022, the startup, which already serves 2,000 e-commerce businesses, raised US$1.2 million for its expansion. It also entered Saudi Arabia where it is now headquartered.  

"SideUp is for the merchants in the village, or those selling products over Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp. They get accessibility to all the services starting from the courier company, warehousing, and fulfillment, to marketing services," Waleed Rashed said after the fundraising round. 

Apart from SideUp, Waleed Rashed has founded Ingez, a company assisting users in their various errands, from grocery shopping to clothing drop-off. From 2013 to 2016, he led the errand-running firm as the CEO. 

His professional career started in 2007 at the First Abu Dhabi Bank where he was a sales representative. In 2008, he joined the Al Khalij Commercial Bank as a sales team leader.  

Melchior Koba