News

New Club Allows You To Invest In Lebanese Startups For Just $50

The close-knit group will allow worldwide financial backers to support vetted, high-potential, home-grown Lebanese businesses.

Published

4 months ago

June 4, 2024

Nour Nasir

new club allows you to invest in lebanese startups for just $50

Berytech

In spite of its troubled economy, Lebanon is home to a burgeoning tech scene and is rapidly becoming a hub for startups and local talent outsourcing.

However, although the country has plenty of potential to shine on the world stage, so far, financial backers and venture capital firms have been slow to invest.

To that end, the leading online source for all things Lebanon, 961, has decided to take action. The result is a new Investor Club where financial backers can support Lebanese startups, helping to reduce unemployment and ignite the growth of a clean economy.

For as little as $50, investors can be part of a close-knit club that will allow them to back vetted, high-potential, home-grown Lebanese founders.

Here are some of the opportunities that the 961 Investor Club is offering local startups:

Tech & Digitalization: Innovations that drive digital transformation.
Solving Day-to-Day Problems: Practical solutions to improve day-to-day life.
Proven Startups Looking to Grow: Established local companies aiming to scale.
Companies Looking to Expand Abroad: Businesses preparing to enter new markets.
Taking Concepts/Franchises Abroad: Growing Lebanese brands globally.

Startups based abroad may be eligible for funding, but they’ll need to pass specific criteria. For example, companies must demonstrate potential for significant growth, maintain and keep a sizable team in Lebanon, and prioritize Lebanese hires wherever possible.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Freelance Platforms In The Middle East

In addition to the ever-popular tech startups, investors will also be able to back local restaurants, food trucks, nightlife venues, retail outlets, and franchises.

Experts will rigorously vet all businesses before they are presented to the 961 Investor Club, and members can choose to invest in whatever opportunities interest them most.

How To Join

Head over to the 961 website and fill out the form to join the club and be part of a private WhatsApp group. Alternatively, if you’re one of the Lebanese startups looking for a funding opportunity for your business, you can apply here.

News

Oura’s Fourth-Generation Ring Becomes Sleeker And Smarter

The Finnish tech company’s fourth-gen Ring offers a sleeker design, improved sensors, and smarter health insights, along with a revamped app.

Published

19 hours ago

October 3, 2024

Nour Nasir

Oura

Oura, the Finnish company known for pioneering smart rings, has just revealed its fourth-generation Ring. The updated version features a refined design, improved battery life, and upgraded sensors that provide more detailed health insights.

One of the biggest changes in the Ring 4 are the sensors, which now sit flush with the surface, making it smoother and sleeker. The improvements go beyond just aesthetics, with Oura stating that the Ring 4 now has 18 signal pathways, a significant increase from the 8 found in the previous generation.

The company claims that the updated sensors improve blood oxygen data accuracy by 30%, while gaps in nighttime heart rate are reduced by 31%, and daytime gaps are cut by 7%. Although the exact battery capacity hasn’t been revealed, the sensor optimizations should also allow the Ring 4 to last up to eight days on a single charge.

The Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4-15) and six colors: Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Stealth, and Black. All options except Stealth are coated in titanium with a physical vapor deposition finish, while Stealth features a diamond-like carbon coating.

The Ring is also water-resistant up to 100 meters, making it suitable for swimming and sauna use, though not for dedicated deep-sea divers.

In addition to hardware upgrades, Oura is rolling out a redesigned mobile app. The app organizes health data into three sections: Today, Vitals, and My Health. These sections help wearers monitor their daily vital signs and long-term health metrics, such as cardiovascular age and sleep patterns. The app update is available for all users, regardless of which generation of Ring they own.

Also Read: Meta Reveals Orion AR Glasses, Offering A Glimpse Into The Future

As with the previous model, Oura continues to offer some features behind a membership paywall, priced at $5.99 per month or $70 per year. New to the Ring 4 are automatic activity and heart-rate detection for up to 40 different activities. The app will also now provide better insights for menstrual tracking, specifically around fertility windows.

The Oura Ring 4 is available for pre-order starting today, with prices beginning at $349. Shipping is expected to start on October 15, 2024.