Export-focused B2B marketplace TradeHub is a newcomer to Planet Startup: Digital B2B platform connecting manufacturers and buyers, TradeHub has launched operations, according to a company statement (pdf). The platform seeks to facilitate trade and promote exports by helping local manufacturers access international markets.

The founders have pedigrees: TradeHub was founded by Ahmed Gaber (LinkedIn), the co-founder of courier startup Bosta, and former Meta software engineer and co-founder of tourism business automation service Triplancer Ahmed Atef (LinkedIn).

How it works: The company provides local manufacturers with a platform to showcase their factories and products, helping them connect to buyers across the world. Buyers can either directly send requests for quotation (RFQs) to a specific seller or appeal to a bigger pool by launching a tender for a certain product, Gaber told us.

More to come: TradeHub will introduce payment processing and escrow services after 1Q 2024, Gaber said.

Big aspirations: TradeHub plans to connect 10k local manufacturers with traders by the end of 2024. The company is initially targeting buyers in the UK, with future plans to tap more European markets, Gaber said.

Funds incoming: The two founders started bootstrapping the company three months ago, Gaber told us. They are currently in talks with investors in the UK and Europe, angel investors in Saudi Arabia, and local venture capitals for a pre-seed funding round that they expect to close by the end of January.

Interested? The company’s waitlist is here.

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