Startup Co-founder & Venture Lead

Startup Co-founder & Venture Lead | FoodTech Venture

Founding Team Equity | Backed by GIL Venture Studio

We're seeking a co-founder to help us scale as we're building the future of food delivery in MENA through an influencer-powered cloud kitchen platform that turns culinary creators into revenue-generating brands. The intersection of creator economy and food delivery, localized for Saudi and built to scale regionally.

We've proven product-market fit. Now we're in growth stage. And you'll lead it.

What You'll Build

You'll join as Managing Director/Venture Lead and founding team member, working alongside another co-founder to build and scale the business. Together, you'll own the full P&L, operations, and growth strategy as single-threaded leaders responsible for turning a validated business model into a category-defining company.

Your mandate:

Product-Market Fit & Growth

• Drive topline growth and profitability milestones
• Scale the on-demand and subscription models
• Expand influencer partnerships across new food categories and cuisines
• Lead geographic expansion plans beyond current markets

Operations & Execution

• Own the P&L: topline, unit economics, burn rate, contribution margin
• Oversee cloud kitchen operations, last-mile delivery logistics, and menu engineering cycles
• Build systems that scale: loyalty programs, demand generation engines, customer lifecycle automation
• Manage supply and demand planning to optimize kitchen utilization and customer satisfaction
• Hire and lead your core team

Commercial Strategy

• Design and execute fundraising strategy for upcoming rounds
• Build investor relationships and materials that convert
• Structure partnerships with cloud kitchen operators, influencers, content agencies, technology providers, and menu engineering cycles
• Create financial models that tell the growth story

Stakeholder & Team Leadership

• Report directly to GIL Venture Studio leadership
• Own all stakeholder communication: kitchen operations, technology teams, influencer relationships, marketing agencies, delivery partners
• Present quarterly business reviews to studio leadership
• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing venture team

Who You Are

You've been the "make it happen" person in every room you've walked into. You thrive in zero-to-one chaos. You've built things that didn't exist before.

Must-haves:

• 5+ years in startups, venture building, or high-growth environments
• Track record of launching or scaling new business models
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling capabilities
• Fluent in English and Arabic, written and spoken
• Degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related field
• Comfortable with regular travel across Saudi Arabia

Founder DNA (non-negotiable):

• Analytical rigor: you trust data, not opinions
• Ownership mentality: no task is beneath you; no outcome is someone else's fault
• Entrepreneurial hustle: you move fast, test often, fail forward
• Strategic thinking: you see three moves ahead while executing today
• Resilience: setbacks energize you, not drain you

Bonus points:

• Experience in FoodTech, F&B startups, cloud kitchens, or creator economy platforms
• Background in P&L management, operations leadership, or venture capital
• Network in MENA startup ecosystem
• Experience with menu engineering, food operations, or delivery logistics

What You'll Own

Generous founding team equity: you're building this, you should own a piece of it

Institutional backing with capital already deployed: execution starts Day 1

Full autonomy: you set the strategy, build the team, own the outcomes

Direct studio access: pitch to leadership, shape portfolio-level decisions

Clear path to CEO: prove the model, scale the business, run the company

Location:

Jeddah-based

Why Now?

The pilot worked. The model is validated. The capital is committed.

What's missing is you: the builder who can take this from validated concept to market leader, from one city to the entire region, from cloud kitchen to household name.

About GIL Venture Studio

GIL Venture Studio builds and scales tech-driven businesses in FMCG, F&B, and FoodTech. We focus on creating new business models beyond the core, launching digital challenger brands, and enabling early-stage investments in high-synergy startups within the industry.