Launched in 2017, Opio started as a digitally native vertical, capitalizing on the long-abandoned Egyptian apparel industry
Opio, an Egyptian DTC (direct to consumer) women’s fashion brand, has raised $300K at a seed funding round from AUC Angels, local and regional angel investors, along with follow-on funding from Flat6labs Cairo.
Launched in 2017, Opio started as a digitally native vertical, capitalizing on the long-abandoned Egyptian apparel industry and the surge in online shopping demand.
Opio commissions white label and toll manufacturing women’s wear apparel to different manufacturers and offers it to its ever-growing customer base at competitive pricing through its digital platform.
Opio states that they cater to people’s desire for simplicity, seeking to eliminate the hassle of researching brands and choosing from numerous options, to make the shopping experience more effortless.
The company develops strong ties with local manufacturers, markets, and distributes their own products without using middlemen, which enables them to reduce costs, interact directly with consumers, and provide a seamless start-to-finish buyer’s experience.
Shady Mokhtar, Co-Founder and CEO of Opio said, “What I see in this market is a huge supply-demand imbalance. Egypt has thousands of manufacturers with exceptional manufacturing capabilities yet, a total lack of modern-day customers’ requirements, up to date fashion trends and marketing know-how, specifically in digital marketing practices. On the other hand we’ve witnessed some jaw-dropping internet penetration in Egypt the past 10 years, a hyper exposed gen Z, with very limited online offerings.”
Reem Abdellaftif, Co-founder, Creative Director, and Designer-in-Chief of Opio added, “We’ve proven that we can develop a value proposition that can easily compete with international brands, Egypt is full of design and creative talent. Backing this up by a relentless focus on customer experience we are confident that we can easily add a strong mark on the local and regional online fashion market.”
Over the last few years, Opio’s focus was to develop strong supply chain capabilities and bring onboard a team with a diverse caliber, from digital marketing specialists to tech experts, as well as fashion design and creative teams. The company acquired talents from reputable e-commerce companies to gain a deeper insight into scaling.
Yaser El Khereji, CEO of Albasateen trading company and one of Opio’s lead investors commented, “We were impressed with Opio’s unique value proposition. We are planning on providing Opio with the logistical infrastructure they need to set up a strong foothold in the GCC region. With special attention to localizing the brand to further appeal to the target demographic.”
Mariam Kamel of AUC Angels said, “Opio has been very responsive to market trends, both in terms of how it interacts with its clientele, and how it reacts to changes induced by the recent developments in the digitalization of the shopping experience. They've revised their business plan when they’ve needed to and established key partnerships where it was beneficial. Shady and his team move fast, and always have news to share on what’s coming next.”
Flat6Labs truly believes in the Opio brand, the team behind it, and is a proud partner and investor. Marie-Therese Fam, Managing Partner of Flat6Labs Cairo commented on the team, “We stand behind the team as they take the business beyond borders and scale into a regional and an international brand."
