A Dubai-based tech start-up is aiming to disrupt the titans of the social media world with an audio app that fosters relationships through building communities.
Billed as an alternative to the traditional radio or podcasts, the Chai app, established by friends Yousif Almaazmi, Bassam Elshorafa and Hesham Alkhazraji, is based on the traditional majlis in the form of an audio room.
Elshorafa told Arabian Business: “It’s a place where you and other like-minded individuals can come together for a casual in-the-background’ chat. It’s really the magical thing about Chai. I can have it in the background and I can chime in whenever I want, and usually that’s what happens most of the time.
“It’s fundamentally being done over audio, which is a new way of consuming content. Most people are familiar with audio for either podcasting or radio, this is a third angle for audio that turns everyone into content creators by just speaking and engaging with others and communicating on topics that you’re interested in.”
The app, which has been backed by the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), promotes the creation of communities where people can come together in different ‘rooms’ and chat formally or informally about a particular topic.
“You don’t need a link to enter a room into the majlis,” said Almaazmi. “You just need to download the app and you see a list of all the communities and the rooms in those communities. Just like a majlis, you come in.”
The Chai app promotes the creation of communities where people can come together in different ‘rooms’ and chat formally or informally
Launched around a month ago, the app, which is free to download and is available worldwide, currently boasts 350 members and, according to Almaazmi is resonating, in particular with anime fans, podcasters and gamers, who are using Chai as an alternative to Discord.
And while many social media platforms have come under fire for allowing hate speech and, generally, inappropriate language and behaviour, Alkhazraji insisted that they are able to police the app.
He said: “We do have the ability to remove rooms manually ourselves. Maybe based on the title, or some of the key words people can use in the titles, we are able to filter rooms that we won’t allow.”
Photo courtesy of AUD
The start-up has been boot-strapped by the three partners, which has included funding from family and friends.
However, Almaazmi said: “Like any start-up, we need some venture funds, sooner or later. This is one of the things we’re looking into, because I don’t want this business to last until the end of 2021, I want this business to last until the end of 2030 at the very minimum. The second thing we’re looking into is to reach our critical mass of around 15,000 users and then we can start monetising the app.”
This includes charging people to be featured communities, a form of donations, or the less preferable approach of using targeted ads.
Elshorafa added: “We’re not so much concerned about creating revenue as we are about connecting people.”
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