KSA-Based Value Makers Studio Invests In Ballurh And Arab Therapy

Riyadh-based investment and growth platform Value Makers Studio (VMS) has announced its investments in Ballurh, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform serving restaurants across the Kingdom, and Arab Therapy, a mental health platform headquartered in Amman and Berlin that is now expanding into Saudi Arabia.

VMS, founded in 2022, is a venture studio that helps startups enter the Saudi market, providing strategic support, local insights, and vital connections to establish and scale their presence. The two investments was announcement during VMS Bridge 2025, a VMS initiative aimed at connecting startups with investors, partners, and ecosystem enablers. 

In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Motaz Abuonq, founder and CEO of VMS, said that the two startups—though they operate in different sectors—align with the firm’s investment thesis, which rests on three pillars: data-driven scalability, societal impact, and alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. “Saudi Arabia is at the cusp of transformation across multiple industries—especially F&B, health tech, tourism and culture, logistics, fintech, and sustainable technologies," he said. "Vision 2030 has unlocked unprecedented opportunities in these sectors, not only by creating regulatory openness but by actively stimulating demand."

According to Abuonq, as such opportunities arise, startups will have a unique opportunity in the Saudi economy. “Startups will play a pivotal role as catalysts of change: they are more agile, willing to experiment, and capable of integrating global best practices into local contexts," he explained. "Whether it’s building the next digital operating system for restaurants, creating platforms that make mental health accessible, or reimagining tourism experiences through tech, startups are uniquely positioned to bridge gaps quickly.” 

Keeping this landscape in mind, Abuonq shared advice for entrepreneurs attempting to navigate the Saudi market. “Focus on fundamentals, not just growth," he said. "Growth numbers attract attention, but what sustains you in competitive markets is unit economics, customer stickiness, and operational efficiency." He also highlighted the key principles that can help founders scale their businesses. “Build with data and resilience," he said. "Every decision—from product iterations to market expansion—should be informed by data. And resilience is key; competition is intense, but perseverance differentiates winners." 

Abuonq also pointed to making use of the support available in the KSA business arena. “Leverage the ecosystem," he said. "Saudi Arabia today offers a rich ecosystem of investors, accelerators, government programs, and corporate partners. Founders should see this as a collaborative playground, not just a funding landscape.” Abuonq also shared  what he believes to bethe defining factor for enduring success. “Ultimately, success comes when you align vision with execution, and when your startup solves a real problem with scalability in mind," he said. "At VMS, we’re not just investors; we see ourselves as partners on that journey.” 

Reflecting on the unique propositions of the startups that VMS has invested in, Abuonq started by explaining how Ballurh is helping to drive efficiency in the sector it operates in. “Ballurh is tackling one of the F&B industry’s biggest challenges: how to translate growth on delivery platforms into profitability and operational efficiency,” he said.  As for Arab Therapy, Abuonq highlighted why that, while it operates in a very different sector than Ballurh, it reflects VMS’s vision equally. “Arab Therapy is tackling a highly underserved yet critical space: digital mental health," Abuonq said. "Beyond serving individuals, its corporate mental wellness programs directly support productivity, creativity, and workforce resilience. Our investment not only strengthens their ability to scale, but also facilitates their entry into the Saudi market through our network of partners, corporates, and ecosystem enablers, ensuring they can localize effectively while maintaining international standards of care.” 

Abdulwahab AlZaidi, co-founder and CEO of Ballurh with and Motaz Abuonq, founder and CEO of VMS.

Ballurh, which was founded by Abdulwahab Al Zaidi, Abdulelah Alkesaiberi, and Abdullah Alhawasawi in KSA in 2020, is developing a unified operating system for restaurants. By offering a B2B SaaS platform that integrates tools to manage campaigns, track revenues, and handle financial reconciliations using data and artificial intilligence (AI), Ballurh already works with more than 400 restaurants and has analyzed over SAR1 billion (US$270 million) in transactions. 

“This partnership with VMS is more than capital," Al Zaidi told Inc. Arabia. "It’s a strategic boost that accelerates our fundraising strategy, opens doors to a stronger network of investors, and builds credibility with operators who want to see strong backers behind the platforms they use. With VMS and the Bridge 2025 program, we’re able to combine capital, market access, and trust. Three things every startup needs to scale. For us, it means moving faster in Saudi’s $30 billion F&B market, and positioning Ballurh as the category-defining revenue optimization engine for restaurants across the Kingdom and the GCC.” 

AlZaidi noted that his company has its work cut out for it given the rapid pace of change in the F&B sector in the GCC at large. “We see three major shifts shaping the digital F&B space in Saudi and the region," he added. "First, delivery will continue to dominate, with more than 95 percent of restaurants’ digital sales already flowing through aggregators. Second, operators are moving from raw dashboards to systems of action. Technology doesn’t just show data but helps them act on it in real time. And third, AI and automation are moving from buzzwords to daily tools for decision-making."

According to AlZaidi, these trends represent an enormous opportunity for his startup. “Ballurh was designed for this future: a vertical SaaS that integrates delivery and point of sale (POS) data, recovers lost revenue, and gives operators an operating system to grow profitably online,” he said. 

Tareq Dalbah, co-founder and CEO of Arab Therapy and Motaz Abuonq, founder and CEO of VMS. Image courtesy VMS.

The second of VMS' investments, Arab Therapy was founded by Tareq Dalbah, Omar Koudsi, and Hekmat Al-Hasi in Jordan in 2021. The platform offers online therapy sessions with licensed professionals and corporate wellness programs designed to support employee wellbeing. Dalbah, co-founder and CEO of Arab Therapy, told Inc. Arabia that the company is now focused on advancing digital mental health, powered by technologies like AI, in the MENA region. VMS’s support, he said, will fuel Arab Therapy’s push into Saudi Arabia.

“VMS brings with it deep networks across investors, corporates, and regulators, which are essential for scaling digital health solutions in the Kingdom," Dalbah said. "Through this partnership, we gain accelerated access to the right stakeholders, strategic introductions to employers seeking workplace wellbeing solutions, and alignment with national priorities under Vision 2030’s Quality of Life program.”

Dalbah added that the partnership is also about embedding the platform more deeply into the Saudi market through stronger local collaborations. “We plan to leverage VMS’s ecosystem to build strong partnerships with Saudi healthcare institutions, corporates, and investors, while also embedding international expertise—particularly from Europe and Germany—into locally relevant solutions," he explained. "This collaboration allows Arab Therapy to scale faster, ensure compliance with local regulations, and create a trusted platform for mental health services in Saudi Arabia.” 

Looking ahead to the future of the mental health industry, Dalbah stressed that integrating technologies like AI will help companies like Arab Therapy deliver more meaningful support to patients. “The next frontier for digital mental health in the Middle East is personalization at scale—leveraging AI to deliver care that is both clinically robust and culturally relevant," Dalbah said. "At Arab Therapy, we are launching the beta version of AT Plus, our next-generation platform powered by AI that is trained on specialized, culturally relevant mental health data. For us, AI is not just about technology—it’s about the right data, rooted in cultural context, trust, and ethics." 

However, the key to delivering this kind of support, Dalbah stressed, lies in building locally-relevant models. “Unlike general-purpose AI models such as ChatGPT, which rely on broad, non-specialized data and have raised concerns about user privacy, Arab Therapy builds AI on specialized clinical knowledge, while treating user privacy as sacred," he said. "This makes our solutions not only safer and more accurate, but also more meaningful for people in the region.” 

And even as perceptions of mental health change across the region, Dalbah acknowledged that cultural perceptions remain a barrier. “The challenge is clear: stigma and cultural barriers still prevent many people in the Arab world from seeking help," he said. "But this challenge is also the biggest opportunity. By localizing services, offering therapy in Arabic, and building a trusted digital-first platform, Arab Therapy helps normalize mental health conversations in ways that resonate with people’s culture and daily lives,” he explained. 

Pictured in the lead image is Motaz Abuonq, founder and CEO of VMS. All images courtesy VMS.