Snoonu, Qatar's homegrown super-app, announced on Sunday that it has acquired BiteSight, a New York-based food-discovery app backed by Y Combinator, in the company's first international acquisition. The deal was signed at a ceremony in Doha on October 19, 2026, and no financial terms were disclosed. BiteSight's founders will join Snoonu to develop video-led restaurant discovery tools across its markets.
Deal Structure and Founders
Snoonu gains full ownership of BiteSight's product, brand, and underlying technology rather than taking a minority stake of the kind it has typically held in Qatari startups through its Startup Factory program. The acquisition includes Bernardo Porbuá Quiroga and Lucius McDaniel IV, who will join Snoonu to build out new features for restaurant discovery. This move is distinct from the company's previous investments, which primarily supported local early-stage ventures with limited shareholdings.
What BiteSight Offers
BiteSight combines short video feeds, photos, friend ratings, and a personal list of restaurants to try, allowing users to order food without leaving the app. The platform was available only in New York before the acquisition, even as users in other American cities requested a wider rollout. Snoonu highlighted the app's 4.9-star rating from more than 1,200 reviews and nearly 4 million TikTok likes tied to its viral clips.
Viral Momentum and Funding
BiteSight went viral in June 2025 when a TikTok video pushed it to No. 18 overall and No. 2 in Food & Beverage on the US App Store, ahead of Uber Eats, Starbucks, and McDonald's. The app reported 714% user growth, gained over 100,000 new users within days, and surpassed 150,000 downloads to date. Before the deal, BiteSight raised a US$1.5 million Pre-Seed round from Y Combinator and SurgePoint Capital.
Snoonu's Strategic Expansion
Snoonu operates across quick commerce, food delivery, and ride-hailing, and has been majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Jahez International since mid-2025. Jahez acquired a 76.56% stake for roughly US$245 million in what was described as Qatar's first billion-riyal technology exit. Snoonu has since expanded into Kuwait and supported local startups through its Snoonu Startup Factory, making the outright purchase of BiteSight a clear departure from its earlier minority investments.
A Different Kind of Deal
Snoonu's Startup Factory has backed early-stage Qatari ventures including HASIF, Sufra AI, and Hired Valley through minority stakes. The BiteSight transaction differs by transferring full ownership of a venture-backed US consumer app to a Qatari company. It also includes the founders joining Snoonu, which gives the company direct access to product talent that built the viral experience.
Implications for Qatar's Ecosystem
Most cross-border activity in Qatar's startup ecosystem has recently moved in the opposite direction, with global venture firms and funds investing in Doha through vehicles like Qatar Investment Authority's Fund of Funds. A Qatari company acquiring a US-based, Y Combinator-backed startup outright is therefore a less common pattern. The deal offers an early data point on how Qatar's most scaled startups can graduate from raising capital to deploying it internationally.
By acquiring BiteSight, Snoonu secures a proven discovery format and an experienced founding team while signaling its intention to compete for younger, social-media-native users across the region. The transaction highlights the growing maturity of Qatar's technology companies and their capacity to make cross-border acquisitions. It also positions Snoonu to strengthen merchant access and dining engagement as it continues expanding beyond its home market.