Simona Agolini

Simona Agolini, a Canadian-Italian with a steely glint in her eyes honed during years of navigating multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions in the Energy Industry, wasn’t looking to conquer a new market. She, like countless other parents, was simply trying to conquer the chaos of everyday life. Juggling a demanding project director role for a massive capital project in Iraq with the needs of her family left little time for leisure activities. But finding activities that everyone enjoyed, from toddlers to parents, proved surprisingly difficult.

This wasn’t just Simona’s struggle. It was a shared experience with her co-founders, Ines Mena and Claudia Ribas. All three, with their backgrounds in corporate spheres – media, accounting and FMCG – found themselves yearning for a one-stop shop for family entertainment.

“We started questioning if it was just us,” says Simona. “But as we talked to other families, we realized there was a broader problem. Busy parents were yearning for a convenient way to plan activities everyone would enjoy.”

This shared frustration became the seed of QiDZ, the first mobile platform in the Middle East connecting parents with kid-friendly activities, trips, and dining offers. Launched in 2017, QiDZ wasn’t just an app; it was a lifeline for families like theirs.

Built by and for parents, QiDZ understood the specific needs of this demographic. Gone were the days of scouring endless websites or relying on word-of-mouth recommendations. QiDZ curated a diverse range of options, ensuring something for everyone, from educational museum visits to thrilling amusement park adventures.

But QiDZ’s story isn’t just about convenience. It’s a testament to the power of female founders and their ability to identify gaps in the market. The funding landscape for female founders in the MENA region is notoriously challenging, with a mere 0.45% of funding being allocated to female founders in 2023. Yet, QiDZ defied the odds multiple times, securing funding from regional angel groups and institutional investors.

The success of QiDZ goes beyond financial metrics. The app has reached over 3 million families across the Middle East, across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha and Cairo, fostering a sense of community and shared experiences. More importantly, QiDZ has created employment opportunities for individuals who might not have had them before. The company has actively trained and developed its workforce, allowing them to grow alongside the business.

The team’s bold decision to enter Saudi Arabia in 2020, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a case study in strategic foresight. Recognizing the social and economic transformations sweeping through the country, particularly the increased role of women in the workforce and the shift towards digital payments, QiDZ positioned itself perfectly to cater to this evolving market. Their success there further highlights their adaptability and ability to seize opportunities – specifically as Saudi customers asked them to launch in Qatar in time for the FIFA World Cup 2022, which the team pulled off in just two weeks.

The story doesn’t end here. QiDZ is constantly innovating, exploring adjacent verticals and B2B products to further enhance the user experience. Looking ahead, Simona, Ines, and Claudia are driven by a simple yet powerful mission: to empower families and create lasting memories, one fun-filled activity at a time. From the boardrooms of multinational corporations to the dynamic world of startups, QiDZ’s journey is a testament to the power of a shared vision and the unwavering determination of its founders.

“Simona and her co-founders have built a compelling solution and have scaled their business in a very impressive way in a short period of time,” Managing Partner at Acasia Ventures Aly El Shalakany states. “Anyone who has kids can immediately relate to the need for a service like QiDZ, and how important it is to find activities that pertain to the interests of each family member – from toddlers to parents.”