News
Garmin Reveals First Running Watches With AMOLED Displays
The range-topping Forerunner 965 will cost $600 when released in late March, while the 265 model launches today for $450.
Garmin has unveiled two new GPS smartwatches with AMOLED displays: the Forerunner 965 and 265 series. The timepieces are labeled as dedicated running watches and provide “advanced training metrics” for athletes, heart-rate variability (HRV), sleep quality, training load and more.
The high-end Forerunner 965 model comes with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, a decent 31 hours of GPS-mode battery life and up to 23 days of use as a smartwatch. The flagship model of the series features additional performance stats over the cheaper 265, including training load ratio, stamina info and detailed climbing metrics (including gradient, distance and elevation).
The Forerunner 265 Series comes in two sizes (42mm and 46mm) and holds out for 24 hours in GPS mode or 15 days in smartwatch mode.
All of the watches in the series use Pulse Ox sensors, and offer “Body Battery” monitoring, sleep and stress stats, menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking. As well as featuring adaptive training options and suggested workouts, the Garmin 965 and 265 both monitor v02 max and other important performance metrics.
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The Forerunner 965 will cost $600 when it hits stores in “late March”, while the cheaper Forerunner 265 is available now for $450.
News
Paymob Extends Series B Funding To $72M Amid Continued Growth
The financial services provider has secured an extra $22 million after strong performance in its core market of Egypt.
Leading financial services provider Paymob has secured an additional $22 million in a funding extension, bringing its Series B total to $72 million.
The funding was spearheaded by EBRD Venture Capital, with support from Endeavor Catalyst. Existing backers such as PayPal Ventures, BII, FMO, A15, Nclude, and Helios Digital Ventures also participated, reaffirming their confidence in Paymob’s business model and potential in the regional fintech industry.
This extension comes on the back of Paymob’s strong performance in its core market of Egypt, where it has experienced 6x revenue growth since the initial Series B in Q2 2022. With the Series B extension and continued profitability in Egypt, Paymob is well-positioned to further its expansion strategy across the MENA region.
Islam Shawky, Co-founder and CEO of Paymob, commented: “We are very excited by our strong prospects in Egypt – where we hold a market-leading position – and the significant traction experienced in the UAE since launching operations there. This funding will help Paymob fully capitalize on the momentum in our established markets, as we accelerate our GCC roll-out. We remain committed to creating cutting-edge infrastructure enabling SMEs across the region to thrive in the digital economy and are proud of our continued impact”.
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The expansion into GCC markets has been driven by Paymob’s initial Series B funding of $50 million, raised in 2022 and led by Kora Capital, PayPal Ventures, and Clay Point. The investment fueled Paymob’s growth, allowing it to launch its mobile app in 2023 and grow its merchant base by 3.5 times, now serving nearly 350,000 merchants across MENA.
Paymob has also expanded its payment acceptance suite to offer 50 payment methods through its gateway, POS terminals, and the Paymob app, providing the region’s most comprehensive fintech solution. The company recently introduced embedded checkout services for Shopify and WooCommerce, further demonstrating its commitment to empowering small and medium businesses across the region.