KBOX Global

About KBOX Global

KBOX Global operated as a food-tech company, providing a platform to optimize underutilized commercial kitchens for the food delivery market. The company was founded in London in 2019 by Salima Vellani, a serial restaurateur and corporate finance advisor who previously founded the restaurant chain Absurd Bird. Vellani's experience in the restaurant industry led her to identify the inefficiency of the traditional single-brand kitchen model in the growing food delivery era, which formed the genesis of KBOX.

The business model centered on licensing a portfolio of over 30 delivery-only food brands to a diverse client base that included restaurants, pubs, hotels, and even gyms, allowing them to generate new revenue streams with no upfront costs. KBOX provided the technology, training, and performance management to its 'host kitchens'. What set the service apart was its use of AI and data analytics to determine the optimal mix of food brands for a specific local market, helping kitchen owners respond to consumer demand and minimize waste. Revenue was generated by taking a percentage of the sales from its licensed brands. The company successfully raised significant capital, including a £5 million seed round from Hoxton Ventures in July 2020, followed by a £12 million Series A round led by Balderton Capital in September 2020.

Despite its initial growth and expansion plans, including franchise agreements in Australia and India, KBOX faced significant trading difficulties. Founder Salima Vellani departed the company in 2022. In October 2023, after a new round of funding fell through, the company was placed into administration, with all employees being made redundant. Subsequently, in February 2024, KBOX Global was acquired out of administration by The Cloud, a UAE-based virtual kitchen operator, which added KBOX's 200 UK locations to its portfolio.