YallaMarket co-founder Leonid Dovbenko became co-owner of Dubai-based startup Big Smile Coffee.

In total, within the pre-seed round, the company will raise $1.1 million at a $10 million valuation.

Dovbenko reportedly received 5% of the project as a result of the deal. The company did not disclose the amount of its investment. Based on the company’s valuation, the entrepreneur’s investments could amount to $500,000.

Big Smile Coffee is developing a new format of self-service (self-service) coffee shops. The main idea of ​​the project is “to provide coffee at the level of cafeterias, but twice cheaper and faster than in delivery services”. The startup has developed a system for daily control of the quality of drinks, each cafeteria is tested by a barista chef.

Coffee stations are installed in shopping centers, at the entrances and on the territory of residential complexes, where large coffee shops are not allowed to enter.

As part of the round, Big Smile Coffee hopes to attract private and venture investors to the project. The funds will be used for product development, marketing and expansion of the self-service cafeteria chain.

The company intends to open 500 coffee shops by 2023 in the United Arab Emirates and Georgia, and in the next five years, more than 50,000 coffee stations around the world.

Big Smile Coffee was launched in 2022 by former CEO of the Russian Coffee Like franchise and co-founder of Lifehacker Coffee, Kirill Popov. During the year, coffee shops were tested in the markets of Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Singapore. The business model is currently being expanded in the United Arab Emirates and Georgia. In total, more than 70 cafeterias have been launched and in 2022 the company sold more than 25,000 drinks.