# Omar AlShamsi

> Omar AlShamsi is a Dubai-based Emirati entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Watermelon Ecosystem, a food-and-beverage technology business connecting buyers and suppliers. His experience spans banking, enterprise software and running Mama Tani Café with his sister. Watermelon announced a $4 million Series A in July 2024 and has added financing partnerships to its procurement and business software offering.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Watermelon Ecosystem
- **Organizations:** Watermelon Ecosystem, Mama Tani Café (Mamatani), Daman Securities, Dubai Group, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, KPISOFT (now entomo)
- **Nationality:** Emirati
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, accounting and finance, Case Western Reserve University, Global Executive MBA (GEMBA), INSEAD
- **Known for:** Co-founded Watermelon Market, combining procurement, software and financial partnerships for food businesses., Led Watermelon during its announced $4 million Series A in July 2024 at a $29 million post-money company valuation., Watermelon Ltd was included in the Future 100 List 2024.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2019** — Worked at Daman Securities, Dubai Group in Hong Kong, and National Bank of Abu Dhabi; later handled government relations at First Abu Dhabi Bank. Exact appointment dates are not established.
- **2013** — Co-owned Mama Tani Café in Dubai with his sister Maitha; the café was profiled in November.
- **2019** — Helped establish KPISOFT in the UAE.
- **2021** — Watermelon Market launched; founder profiles describe its founding in April 2021, while some corporate announcements date Watermelon Ecosystem to 2020.
- **2022** — Published an Entrepreneur Middle East article about operating models; an August interview reported 170 restaurant customers.
- **2023** — Watermelon Home was introduced as a consumer marketplace connecting UAE households with food suppliers.
- **2024** — Watermelon announced a $4 million Series A in July and a Biz2X embedded-financing partnership in September.
- **2025** — Watermelon announced a financing partnership with Gainz in September.
- **2026** — Featured in a February Plug and Play UAE video as a Dubai Founders HQ Emirati Accelerator participant.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Watermelon Market, combining procurement, software and financial partnerships for food businesses.
- Led Watermelon during its announced $4 million Series A in July 2024 at a $29 million post-money company valuation.
- Watermelon Ltd was included in the Future 100 List 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Plug and Play UAE featured AlShamsi as a Dubai Founders HQ Emirati Accelerator participant; he discussed taking Watermelon global.
- **2025-09** — Watermelon and Gainz announced a financing partnership intended to serve food-and-beverage SMEs across the GCC.
- **2024-12** — Featured on Economic Impact: Conversations from Emirates Development Bank, discussing his move from banking into food technology.
- **2024-09** — Biz2X announced an embedded-lending and invoice-financing partnership with Watermelon.
- **2024-07** — Watermelon announced a $4 million Series A with Daman Investments as exclusive fundraising adviser.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-alshamsi-51bb7924/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/omar-alshamsi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21