Founded in Hong Kong in 2022, Sthrive has grown from a content authoring tool into a full-scale AI workforce performance platform. After winning the China Tech Retail Award for its innovative content builder, the company introduced the first AI virtual coach for frontline staff in 2023, delivering real-time, personalised support without relying on HR.
By the following year, the company had expanded into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, launching a platform that connects operational data with automated diagnostics and tailored action plans. This year Sthrive launched an AI content builder capable of detecting performance issues and delivering bespoke training adapted to each team member’s role, language, and literacy level.
Today, Sthrive operates in eight countries and has been recognised by Techstars Saudi Arabia (MCIT) and SANDBOX in the UAE as a leading force in workforce innovation.
We spoke to co-founders David Gravet and Laurence Ouaknin and started by asking them about their early years with the company.
Gulf Economist: Let’s start with what inspired you to start this business.
David Gravet & Laurence Ouaknine: During the pandemic, we saw well-known companies collapse. This was not from a lack of tools, but from an inability to adapt fast enough. Despite major investments in HR tech, frontline teams were left behind. Service broke down, customer needs shifted, and companies couldn’t respond quickly or efficiently. That’s when we realised that the real challenge for many companies isn’t going digital but it’s doing it efficiently and at lower cost.
So Sthrive was built to meet that need. We saw a gap where existing platforms focused on deploying content, but not on producing solutions. Our platform connects strategy to execution, enabling any company to diagnose issues and generate tailored actions automatically, using AI trained on proprietary field data.
GE: How important was creating the right kind of culture?
DG & LO: Our culture is built on trust, accountability, and a deep belief that innovation and ethics must scale together. As serial entrepreneurs and former C-level executives, we understand how to balance the discipline required to grow a company with the agility of a startup. We move fast, take ownership, and empower our teams, but never compromise on integrity.
GE: You are now based in the UAE. How would you describe the investment and innovation environment?
DG & LO: As French founders who spent over 15 years in Asia, we’ve seen markets where innovation moves fast, but the UAE stands out as one of the few countries where public institutions operate with the decisiveness and ambition of a startup. Yes, the region’s fragmented landscape poses scaling challenges, but only for companies not built for global deployment. Sthrive was designed for international rollout from day one, which makes the UAE an ideal base.
GE: What’s the future for Sthrive?
DG & LO: Sthrive has demonstrated its ability to serve complex, multi-country Fortune 500 clients with high-impact results. We are doubling down on markets where we’ve already succeeded (UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Hong Kong, France), while expanding into new verticals like hospitality and MICE.
GE: Thanks so much for your time.
*A call-out to early-stage tech founders – are you setting yourself up for success?*
SANDBOX is a highly competitive investment programme which offers $150,000 in funding, mentorship from seasoned experts, and direct exposure to a network of regional and international VCs. Held twice a year in February and September, SANDBOX draws over 1,000 applications per cohort, with only 2% coming through the selection process, making it one of the region’s most sought-after programmes for early-stage tech founders.
SANDBOX is run by Oraseya Capital – a $136m venture capital fund backed by Dubai Integrated Economic Zones (DIEZ). As the UAE’s most active investor, Oraseya Capital backs startups from pre-Seed to Series B from $150,000 to $3m.
SANDBOX is now accepting applications to its 7th cohort commencing September 2025. For more information, go to www.sandboxaccelerator.com.
Looking ahead, Sthrive aims to harness its growing dataset to forecast performance trends and help businesses proactively prevent operational dips.
Sthrive is an AI-powered workforce performance platform quietly gaining traction among mid-sized and enterprise-level companies looking to sharpen their edge in retail, hospitality, and other customer-facing sectors. At its core, the platform addresses a long-standing challenge: turning mountains of customer feedback, sales data, and training metrics into timely, actionable improvements on the frontline.
Rather than relying on generic dashboards or delayed reports, Sthrive connects the dots in real time—analysing everything from staff mindset to customer interactions to pinpoint exactly what’s holding performance back. The platform then pushes out targeted, AI-generated recommendations and training to individual team members, helping brands close the loop between insight and execution.
Backed by Oraseya Capital and recognised by Techstars and the China Tech Retail Award, the company is now expanding into the UAE, EU, and Hong Kong.