UAE-based celebrity platform Starzly closes Seed fundraise
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Another win for the celebrity & influencer content marketing scene in the UAE with Celebrity Content platform Starzly successfully raising funds in its latest round. The Seed funding round was led by SEEDRA Ventures, 500 Startups, and existing investor Nama Ventures.
Launched in August 2020 by Badr Kachibal, RedOne, and Mouhcine Kachibal, Starzly offers an eye-grabbing seamless platform connecting individuals and brands with celebrities and influencers. Through the platform, fans and brands can request personalized videos from celebrities, taking the global social media interaction to another highly personal level.
Ever since the rise of virtual experiences, live streaming trends, and short-lived consumable content, startups in MENA, Turkey, and Pakistan have been getting creative in disrupting content models, finding new ways of creating organic unique content that sticks. Similar to Starzly, some content marketing startups in MENA focused on international celebrities and A-list influencers like Saudi-focused Yela and Pakistan-based Walee, both closing Seed rounds above $2M. While other startups took on a different form of content creation like Beirut-based Rawa.tv, the game streaming platform just acquired by Medal.tv, and Ammand-based Bith.tv the gaming content platform offering clip sharing and integrated streaming features.
Since its launch, Starzly has become a prominent player within the market, with over 1,000 celebrities from the MENA region and across the globe and more than 200,000 users, delivering unique curated virtual experiences. Having served as the Digital Technical/Creative Director for Al Arabiya, Shahid.net, and MBC Group, Co-Founder and CEO Badr is very familiar with the Entertainment and EntertainTech space in the region. “Starzly has become the first destination for personalized video messages in the region, currently used by over 1,000 celebrities and delivered tens of thousands of videos to more than 71 countries all around the world since its launch last year,” said Badr.
Built to offer a unique and authentic experience, Starzly has attracted over a thousand Arab and international celebrities, including the likes of Saad Lamjarred and Bassem Youssef, and has also helped 500+ businesses, from SMEs to large companies. The startup aims to use its newly acquired funds to expand its operations and support its platform technology. In light of this recent fundraise, Co-Founder and CTO Mouhcine Kachibal concluded “We are building a technology helping talents monetize their fan base while allowing fans to get a unique and a very authentic experience from their loved personalities. Our focus always is to offer customers, celebrities, and businesses the best experience in a very safe and moderated environment.”
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