News

Anghami To Become The First Arab Tech Company To List On NASDAQ

Published

4 years ago

March 4, 2021

Anghami

Anghami, the first music-streaming platform in the MENA region, will soon also become the first Arab technology company to list on NASDAQ New York via a merger with Vistas Media Acquisition Company Inc., a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company.

“Today, we have taken a significant step forward in our growth plans in seeking to become the region’s first Arab technology company to list on Nasdaq,” said Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun. “Being a US-listed public company gives us access to growth capital and a global platform that is the best in the world.”

Anghami, which translates into “my tunes” in Arabic, was founded in 2012 by Maroun and his fellow Lebanese entrepreneur Elie Habib, providing convenient access to Arabic and international music alike. Over the years, the platform has become the leader in the MENA region, offering around 60 million songs to more than 70 million registered users.

anghami listed on nadsaq new york

In early 2021, Anghami moved its headquarters to Abu Dhabi, after a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. The merger with Vistas Media Acquisition Company Inc. implies an initial pro-forma valuation of around $220 million. The music-streaming platform will continue to operate under its name and trade under the symbol “ANGH”.

Also Read: Anghami Review: The MENA’s Favorite Music Streaming Service

“This is a landmark transaction for the MENA region and for Vistas,” commented Saurabh Gupta, co-founder of Vistas Media Acquisition Company Inc. “The combination of Anghami and the Vistas team will be a powerful force in the media and entertainment world, and we couldn’t be prouder of the hard work from everyone to get to this stage, but our work has only just begun.”

Anghami founders would like to use the new funding to not only attract additional customers from the MENA region, but they would also like to expand into new markets and compete with services like Spotify and Deezer, both of which are significantly more popular outside the Middle East.

News

Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent

According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.

Published

2 days ago

December 4, 2024

Nour Nasir

samsung smart glasses teased for january software reveal imminent

Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.

As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.

Just in: Samsung is set to unveil a prototype of its augmented reality (AR) glasses, currently in development, during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event early next year, likely in the form of videos or images.

Additionally, prior to revealing the prototype, Samsung plans to introduce…

— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 3, 2024

The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.

A Collaborative Software Effort

Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.

Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.

Feature Set And Compatibility

The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.