How Egypt’s 1Trolley became an all-in-one digitisation solution for retailers

Having begun life as a cross-category aggregator, Egyptian e-commerce startup 1Trolley has developed to offer an end-to-end digitisation solution that helps retailers access, manage, and receive money from customers.

Founded at the end of 2019, 1Trolley was initially a cross-category e-commerce aggregator platform, but it soon pivoted to become a B2B SaaS company focused on demand generation, supply chain management, and payment.

“We digitise demand signal, supply side, and payments in one integrated SaaS system, delivering to customers a faster, seamless and secure solution through a three-pillared business model,” Walid Rashwan, the founder and CEO of 1Trolley, told Disrupt Africa.

Those three pillars of 1Trolley are HIVE MIND, an integrated m-commerce, booking, and scheduling platform with a full loyalty engine enabling companies to acquire and retain their own customer base; HIVE, a SaaS platform that provides partners with micro-fulfilment solutions; and 1Pay, a blockchain solution that enables partners to manage all forms of e-payments and cash with real-time reconciliation.

This end-to-end, multi-pronged approach sets 1Trolley apart from its competitors, Rashwan said.

“We are the only company that provides an end-to-end, three-way solution. We may have competition in each one of the three pillars separately, but we’re the only company that offers all the service in one integrated SaaS system,” he said.

A recent recipient of a pre-Series A funding round, 1Trolley has seen decent uptake since its pivot.

“After we pivoted the direction and focused on B2B, the strategy has paid off, and we have been seeing growth in our GMV quarterly,” said Rashwan. 

“We are currently operating in the GCC markets in various fields such as F&B and FMCGs, with large chains. After we reach a solid position across GCC, we are planning to enter African markets.”

1Trolley monetises via setup costs and subscription fees, and also takes a percentage of sales and deliveries made via its platform.