Astra Tech, a technology company based in the UAE, has acquired BOTIM, the most widely used voice calling app in the Gulf region, moving it one step closer to developing a platform that would include everything from instant messaging to digital payments.
Astra Tech will become one of the biggest communications technology platforms in the Middle East and North Africa due to the agreement. BOTIM, which the company purchased from a consortium of UAE investors, has 90 million registered members and 25 million active users per month, according to the company, which did not specify a price.
Skype, WhatsApp, and FaceTime calls are all blocked in the UAE. Due to this, more people are using BOTIM, one of the few apps available to UAE citizens for online audio calls.
According to a release, BOTIM also provides free voice and video calls, according to Gulf News local and international bill payments, phone recharges, and money transfers within the UAE. After the acquisition, Astra Tech will enable customers to use the app to order food and groceries, pay bills, and access government services. “BOTIM will be the first of its kind in the region to simplify interactions of hundreds of millions of users, allowing them to engage and transact seamlessly,” Astra Tech Founder Abdallah Abu Sheikh said.
In developing so-called Super Apps, Astra Tech has joined businesses like Careem, a subsidiary of Uber Technologies Inc. in the Middle East. The Careem app will give users access to services like meal delivery, grocery shopping, shipping, and bike rentals, all of which saw significant growth during the pandemic.
The agreement was reached just days after Astra Tech announced that PayBy, which it had bought in August, had been permitted by the central bank to offer services like payments and money transfers. According to Gulf News, the business wants to incorporate these services into BOTIM so that consumers can use them to pay bills or conduct online business.
In the year since its founding, Astra Tech has raised $500 M from investors, including G42, an artificial intelligence company based in Abu Dhabi. At the end of the first quarter, the company anticipates announcing additional BOTIM plans. Its initial acquisition was Rizek, a platform that links customers with providers of services like car rentals, COVID tests, housecleaning, and personal training. In its most recent investment round, Rizek, whose backers include ADQ of Abu Dhabi, was valued at $75 M and had more than a million subscribers.
