News Summary

Ali Shaverdi, the founder and CEO of Flomaru, has introduced a global delivery startup in Canada that aims to simplify cross-border gifting. Flomaru, based in Waterloo, is building an online marketplace that allows people to send gifts in any language or currency. The startup, which began its development six months ago, has grown to a team of 12 without any external funding. The idea for Flomaru was born from Shaverdi’s personal experience in Kuwait, where he faced challenges in sending gifts to his family in Iran due to language and currency barriers. Flomaru plans to pilot its service with a focus on gift delivery to Egypt and Jordan, with plans to expand to India and other countries. The platform emphasizes cultural nuances in gifting and employs a franchise-style model to work with local partners. Flomaru is also part of the Google Cloud for Startups program and Azure for Startups community, which supports its infrastructure and growth. The startup’s pilot launch is expected in July, with the team seeking user feedback to expand into new markets.