Sufra AI
Qatar-based restaurant technology startup founded in 2025 that builds AI-powered smart menus with QR ordering and payments. Snoonu invested $100,000 in April 2026.
Industry: AI smart menus and QR ordering | Location: Qatar | Founded: 2025 | Total Funding: USD 100K
About Sufra AI
Sufra AI is a restaurant technology startup based in Qatar. It builds AI-powered smart menus for restaurants and cafes, replacing a static menu with one that diners open by scanning a QR code at the table. The menu adapts to the diner's preferences, recommends dishes and supports ordering, customisation and payment. For restaurants, the platform provides real-time information on customer behaviour and spending. Sufra AI says its recommendations could raise a restaurant's average order value by 20 to 30 percent; this is the company's own projection, not an independently verified result.
The company was founded in 2025 by Ekaterina Demenkova and Jemal Velihanova, both graduates of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Demenkova is described as co-founder in coverage of the company's funding.
On 14 April 2026 Snoonu, a Qatar-based super app, announced a 100,000 dollar pre-seed investment in Sufra AI. It was the first investment of Snoonu Startup Factory, an initiative through which Snoonu says it will provide early-stage founders in Qatar and the region with funding, mentorship and access to its market. The terms of the investment were not disclosed. Gulf Times reported that the focus on the in-restaurant dining experience complements Snoonu's delivery and digital commerce business. Demenkova said Snoonu had backed the founders' ambition to give restaurants a system that supports their growth. Snoonu's second investment under the programme, in the accounting startup HASIF, was reported in May 2026.
Leadership
- Ekaterina Demenkova, Co-founder
- Jemal Velihanova, Co-founder