Vuz, a start -up known for offering red carpet video experiences and football stadiums, has raised $ 12 million as it doubles in its presence in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as accelerating expansion to Africa and Asia.
The Preeries C funding tour, led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), also returned the participation of Al Jazira Capital, the success of Crosswork VC, many existing investors and several high -profile Family Offices in Saudi Arabia, the company said.
The IFC investment is particularly remarkable. A member of the World Bank team, best known for investing in economic infrastructure and logistics in all emerging markets, makes a rare bet on consumer technology and in particular the so -called “impressive internet”.
“They focus on emerging markets and saw us as a company that focuses on escalating worldwide and also on these markets. Our work on creators and their content was very excited and based on our progress and development, there is so much opportunity to rely on it,” Khaled zaatarah He said in an interview with TechCrunch.
Vuz, a former 360Vuz, is not just competition locally. They are confronted with world giants such as YouTube, Tiktok, Twitch and Instagram, platforms that already dominate huge users and strong faith in the creator.
But Vuz believes he has a differentiated offer: 360 -degree moving content that puts users “in the experience”, whether it is Grammys in LA, the La Liga race in Spain or a fashion show in Dubai. Users can consume content through mobile applications, web, VR headphones such as Apple Vision Pro and Oculus, as well as smart TVs.
The company, which raised a B $ 20 million B $ 2022 series, has signed exclusive transactions with La Liga and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and works with over 100 content creators whose combined audience reaches 100 million.
Flow goes local but still global
Vuz’s expansion push comes at a time when global flow development is a plateau in mature markets. YouTube and Tiktok dominate the consumption of mobile video in the US, while Netflix and Disney+ are fighting and focusing on profitability.
However, in emerging markets such as Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia and Kenya, users are still accelerating, especially among the younger, mobile-I understand audience with appetite for video and live content.
Zaatarah says Vuz is ready to meet this demand. The platform has passed 15 million users worldwide, from 10 million in 2022, and now records about 3 billion life screen views, from 1 billion at that time (when we recently covered the start). The base of its users covers the Middle East, the US, Asia and Africa.
To accelerate US impulse, the company is shifted from organic growth to paid marketing, with the aim of converting spectators such as Oscars and the music premiere into long -term users. Meanwhile, in Africa and Asia, VUZ is investing in local corporate relations, especially with telecommunications operators, to expand its distribution. It has over 40 such collaborations worldwide.
The VUZ revenue model has evolved from its previous days, when the platform offered about 70% of its content for free and created revenue. Now, this reason has shifted to 60% free and 40% premium content, accessible through annual subscription or group telecommunications bids.
The company says it has doubled revenue for the last two years and has published an increase of 80% of gross profit last year. While refusing to share accurate numbers, Zaatarah says the company reached EBITDA’s profitability in 2024.
This is partly thanks to a Uber -like content model: instead of developing large production crews, Vuz trains and independent journalists and creators, often with privately owned cameras, to shoot and upload content. Creators often have the cost of the equipment deducted from their future profits.
In addition, the start supports the creators through the “Vuz Studio”, an internal group that helps to process and the package of vaccine content quickly. According to Zaatarah, this saves the creators of time processing. It also offers Live Commerce features, allowing influences, especially female creators, to sell beauty products or fashion items directly during live currents.
To succeed, Vuz must convince users that iconic content is not just a trick and to convince the creators that creating Vuz revenue is better than Tiktok or Youtube. In the Middle East and in parts of Africa, where the creator’s economy is still early and distribution partners are important, which can be feasible.
But in the US and other developed markets, competition is tougher.
Still, Zaatarah believes that Vuz, which targets more than 5 billion views by 2026, can chart a place going to where others do not.
“YouTube and Netflix are great, but they don’t build for creators in Nairobi or Riyadh,” he said. “We are creating a model of product, network and revenue that is over-local-with a scale of revenue.”
This scale comes to the fore: The company now has offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and the US building active teams in India and Indonesia. In Africa, Vuz is already living in Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria and says it will start in South Africa later this year.
“Tech Edge and Vuz’s Global Reach are well -lined with our command to support scalable platforms that empower creators,” said Farid Fezoua, IFC Global Director for technologies, services and funds.
