• BOTIM will allow users to engage and transact seamlessly.
• The acquisition will let users pay bills, access government services, and order food and groceries using the app.
Image: COURTESY
UAE-based technology development group, Astra Tech, has acquired BOTIM, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading Voice over Internet Protocol solution to relaunch it to an Ultra app.
This comes after the firm raised Sh61.9 billion ($500 million) in funding, led by G42, to accelerate the relaunch of BOTIM into an ultra app serving the region’s everyday needs.
The acquisition will let users pay bills, access government services, and order food and groceries using the app.
This milestone addition to Astra’s portfolio is the most recent in a string of strategic acquisitions in 2022.
This including Rizek home cleaning services and Payby, a homegrown fintech company that will seamlessly integrate into BOTIM to offer a range of services through a single integration.
Abdallah Abu Sheikh, a pioneering serial entrepreneur in MEA and founder of Astra Tech is spearheading the formation of BOTIM’s relaunch.
He seeks to emphasise the importance of creating a massive app with several services, an intuitive interface, and a strong value proposition for customers and merchants with scalable and profitable unit economics.
Sheikh said BOTIM will be the first of its kind, in the region, to simplify interactions of millions of users.
It will allow them to engage and transact seamlessly.
“Acquiring BOTIM puts us on a path to continue our mission of disrupting consumer technology and building a global benchmark of what an Ultra-app should look like,” he said.
He also added that the need for an all-encompassing app accessible to all customers that can re-steer profitability in the right direction while giving customers, traders, and investors a fair deal is paramount.
BOTIM, the region’s most popular VoIP app, saw its popularity explode during the Covid-19 pandemic as it provided much-needed communication solutions.
These include video, audio, instant messaging, and group chats with up to 500 users.
Astra will continue its pursuit of strategic acquisitions for BOTIM while synergistically working with its architecture, research, development, and tech teams to fast-track design and development.
BOTIM boasts 90 million registered users and 25 million active users.
The acquisition gives Astra Tech a massive advantage as it plans to expand beyond super apps and build the region’s first Ultra app with BOTIM.
Additional plans for BOTIM, are expected to be announced in Q1 of 2023.