CMU-Q alumni startup secures pre-seed investment from Snoonu

Sufra AI, a food and beverage technology startup founded by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar graduates Ekaterina Demenkova and Jemal Velihanova, has secured a $100,000 pre-seed investment from local delivery giant Snoonu. The funding marks the inaugural investment under the newly launched Snoonu Startup Factory, a venture-building initiative aimed at accelerating early-stage companies in the region.

The startup develops AI-powered smart menu systems that allow restaurant diners to access personalized dish recommendations, seamless customization, and digital payments via a QR code scan. Developed while Demenkova and Velihanova were students at CMU-Q, the platform helps brick-and-mortar restaurants capture real-time behavioral data to optimize operations and increase average transaction volumes. The capital injection will fund the regional expansion and deployment of Sufra AI’s core restaurant technology.