News

Pyypl Growth To Accelerate After $20 Million Investment

The Abu Dhabi-based financial platform continues to go from strength to strength, with sights set on a huge regional expansion.

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2022

Nour Nasir

pyypl growth to accelerate after $20 million investment

Pyypl (pronounced “people”), the Middle East and Africa-focused financial services platform, has just secured $20 million in Series B funding from international investors, as well as ten of its existing backers.

Since being founded in 2017, the Hub71 member has raised nearly $40 million in investment capital. This recent financing round will help the platform increase its reach even deeper into the MEA region.

As the company develops what’s known as “Pyypl 2.0”, new features and proprietary technology will also be built to enhance user experience and help scale in new markets and business verticals. Pyypl is led by a skilled management team with a proven track record and is now one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the region, quadrupling its user base and transaction volumes in just 12 months.

Pyypl has established key partnerships since its foundation, and now boasts a mature and expansive financial ecosystem that includes Visa, several payment gateway partners, Ripple, and Binance. Based in Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, Pyypl also gains access to a wide-ranging network of partners and benefits from a strong local talent base.

Also Read: Paymob Announces New UAE Regional Hub

The combination of proprietary technology, an experienced management team, and a unique multi-product approach is paying dividends for the startup, which seems to have been founded at the exact right time to benefit from the region’s growing tech landscape. The ecosystem boasts “internationally accepted virtual and physical prepaid cards, instant domestic and international user-to-user transfers as well as remittances to 38 currency destinations”, with plenty of additional features being added to the roadmap.

“We welcome our new investors and appreciate the further investment from our existing shareholders to support our financial inclusion journey. We have grown significantly since our Series A round and are excited to enter the next phase of growth and capability. This is just the beginning,” says Antti Arponen, co-founder and CEO at Pyypl.

Pyypl’s platform offers key financial services via a single app, and could benefit up to 800 million financially underserved smartphone users across Africa and 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.