Egyptian startup bluworks, specializing in HR-tech SaaS solutions for blue-collar workers, has secured a US$1 million pre-seed investment round. The funding will be used to further develop its product and expand its team.
Founded in 2022 by Farah Osman, Hussein Wahdan, and Nour Ahmadein, bluworks aims to revolutionize the management of blue-collar employees through a mobile-first, all-in-one HR platform. The platform facilitates various HR functions such as scheduling, communication, payroll, and recognition, aiding both employees and employers in managing distributed teams across multiple locations efficiently.
Hussein Wahdan, co-founder of bluworks, highlighted the uniqueness of their solution in the crowded HR software market. “Many HR solutions overlook the specific needs of blue-collar workers. Managing these employees is often a manual process prone to errors that can lead to penalties, unjust salary deductions, and ultimately, high turnover rates. Currently, companies can spend about 7-10 days closing their payroll accounts, but with bluworks, we reduce this to just one day while providing valuable data and insights about the workforce,” he explained.
The investment round was led by Saudi venture capital firm Khawarizmi Ventures, with additional participation from Camel Ventures, Acasia Ventures, and several angel investors.
Currently, bluworks supports thousands of blue-collar workers and serves notable clients such as Crave, Qahwa, and Cilantro. The company primarily focuses on the F&B and retail sectors, with plans to branch into manufacturing, construction, and facility management.
Farah Osman, co-founder, expressed enthusiasm about the strategic benefits of their new investors. “We are thrilled to have strategic investors who provide not only capital but also access to crucial local and regional markets. There is a significant opportunity to replicate our business model in similar industries globally, and we are eager to address these opportunities with our innovative workforce management solutions,” Osman stated.
Ameer Sherif, venture partner at Khawarizmi Ventures, commented on the market potential in Egypt. “Egypt boasts one of the largest workforce populations in the MENA and Africa regions, yet it severely lacks localized software solutions for workforce management. We are confident that bluworks, with their deep local insights and strong commercial and technical capabilities, is well-positioned to lead this segment in Egypt and eventually in other regional markets,” he remarked.
