• UAE-based e-commerce platform for gourmet food products Maison Duffour, has raised $400,000 from France and UAE-based angel investors, including Aurélien de Meaux, Cheerz founder and CEO of Electra, Frédéric Gastaldo, Photoweb founder, Benjamin Grolimund, regional head of Middle East and Africa at Bloomberg, along with Timothée Désormeaux and Edouard Daou.
• Founded by Alix and Rodolphe Duffour in 2016, Maison Duffour offers luxury food items to customers in the UAE.
• The startup plans to use the newly raised investment to grow its product range on the website and expand its footprint across the region.

Press release

Maison Duffour, a UAE-based gourmet food E-commerce platform specialized in home delivery, has announced a $400K fundraise from French and local business angels, including Aurélien de Meaux (Cheerz founder and CEO of Electra), Frédéric Gastaldo (Photoweb founder), Timothée Désormeaux and Edouard Daou (Acquisit) and Benjamin Grolimund (Bloomberg).

The startup was founded at the end of 2016 by international French couple Alix and Rodolphe Duffour, who have backgrounds in F&B and E-commerce. The couple saw a serious gap in the affordable luxury segment while also noticing a lack of offering in the online food store landscape. Maison Duffour has recorded significant growth since its inception, and with a team of 12 employees, the startup has moved to its own warehouse to accommodate its increasing volume of orders and further drive its progress.

Rodolphe shared his thoughts on the news “We started this adventure with 5 products and 1 van. Seeing where we were and where we are now makes me super proud, although I remain extremely pragmatic as we still have many more chapters to write with the team. We definitely are attracted by a more local offer and we love the local community of entrepreneurs. Since COVID-19 started, the UAE is buzzing with new food projects and a new scene of entrepreneurs. These days are exciting for anyone in the food business.”

Frederic, one of Maison Duffour's investors and first raclette kit users commented: “The team at MD was always humble and working harder than anyone else I know to land where they are now. I can only say I really look forward to writing this new chapter with them as it’s looking more positive than ever.”

In the short run, the startup plans on using the investment to accelerate its growth and consolidate its presence in the regional gourmet food landscape. This will be achieved primarily by expanding their product range on the website in order to address a variety of audiences seeking gourmet food from their respective home countries.

On the subject, Alix mentioned “We naturally started with French products as this is where we come from. It’s easier to source the best products when you know the products. Now, we feel that we are armed to source products outside France with the same motto: real food with real taste at the right price.”