Not every startup story ends with scale or exit. Egypt’s TradeHub, a B2B platform founded in late 2023, has announced its closure less than two years after launch. Despite raising $1.4 million in pre-seed funding, the company could not achieve product-market fit, a challenge many early-stage ventures face.
From Marketplace to SaaS Pivot
TradeHub was founded by Ahmed Gaber (co-founder of logistics giant Bosta) and Ahmed Atef in December 2023. The startup initially launched as a cross-border B2B marketplace, connecting businesses across regions.
When traction fell short, the team pivoted to build a B2B sales automation SaaS tool, aiming to streamline how businesses manage and grow their sales pipelines.
But after 18 months of experimentation and iteration, the product still failed to resonate deeply with its target market.
Why Not Pivot Again?
The natural question: why not try a third idea, especially with money still in the bank?
According to Gaber, the decision came down to conviction.
“Continuing just for the sake of trying something else didn’t feel responsible,” he explained.
Without strong belief in a new direction, the founders concluded it was better to close operations than pursue another pivot without clarity or passion.
Lessons in Failure and Growth
Gaber framed the shutdown not as defeat, but as a sign of maturity.
- Knowing when to stop is as critical as knowing when to push forward.
- Failure is part of success, every attempt teaches valuable lessons.
- Capital isn’t enough, true sustainability comes from market fit.
Reflecting on the journey, Gaber noted that while Bosta went on to become one of the region’s largest logistics startups, TradeHub did not succeed. Yet, he values both journeys equally for the lessons they offered.
He emphasized that markets don’t forgive solutions without demand. Entrepreneurs must deeply understand customer pain points, not just raise funding.
What’s Next for the Founder?
After nine years of building ventures, Gaber plans to step back temporarily. He intends to rest, travel, and conduct light market discovery before committing to a new business idea.
While TradeHub may have ended, its story resonates across the regional startup ecosystem: courage in entrepreneurship isn’t only about pushing forward, it’s also about knowing when to walk away.