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Popcorn AI Raises $500,000 For “Conversational eCommerce”
The firm’s AI platform uses specialized chatbots to handle entire eCommerce journeys, from recommending products to seamless payments.
Dubai-based Popcorn AI has announced the closure of a pre-seed funding round that raised $500,000 for its revolutionary AI platform. The investment, led by Spring Studios with the backing of Salica Investments, Al Waha Fund of Funds, and prominent angel investors from Saudi Arabia, represents a key step forward in reshaping customer-business interactions using the power of conversational AI.
Unlike traditional chatbot systems, Popcorn AI’s platform is designed to redefine eCommerce by creating highly intelligent sales agents that handle entire customer journeys, from personalized product recommendations right through to seamless payment acceptance — all through a conversational experience.
The clever idea was recently tested to great success when one of Popcorn AI’s chatbot agents closed a $400,000 real estate transaction, handling everything from the first inquiry to the final sale. Early adopters have reported a massive 90% reduction in customer acquisition costs, along with a highly impressive 20% improvement in conversion rates, highlighting the platform’s potential to transform customer engagement across dozens of industries.
Josh Rodger, Principal at the Spring Studios fund, expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying, “We are proud to support Popcorn AI’s mission to reshape how businesses connect with their customers. Their innovative approach to conversational commerce has the potential to revolutionize industries and redefine the way customers experience digital transactions”.
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Meanwhile, Popcorn AI founder and CEO Yousef Al Arif declared: “The future of commerce is conversational,” adding, “Today’s consumers want shopping experiences that are instant, personalized, and effortless. We’re not building just another chatbot; we’re crafting intelligent commerce agents that understand context, recall customer preferences, and guide users through the entire shopping process, much like an expert salesperson would”.
Building upon a decade of experience scaling eCommerce and marketplace platforms across the MENA region, Al Arif has now achieved huge success with Popcorn AI, positioning the product at the cutting edge of AI-powered eCommerce. The platform has also made significant impacts in sectors such as real estate, and hospitality, signaling that conversational commerce is emerging as a powerful new model for digital businesses.
News
HUMAIN & NVIDIA Partner To Build Saudi AI Factories Of The Future
In a push to position the Kingdom as a global AI hub, the partnership will co-develop next-gen AI infrastructure, digital twins, and workforce training.
HUMAIN, the AI-focused subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to build the infrastructure powering Saudi Arabia’s next industrial revolution: AI factories capable of driving massive-scale innovation and digital transformation.
The partnership reflects HUMAIN’s plans to turn the Kingdom into a global AI powerhouse by building new infrastructure, real-world applications, and investing in talent. Through the alliance, HUMAIN and NVIDIA will construct hyperscale AI data centers, digital twins, and launch national upskilling programs.
At the heart of the partnership is HUMAIN’s plan to deploy AI factories with a capacity of up to 500 megawatts, fueled by hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs over the next five years. Phase one includes the installation of 18,000 NVIDIA GB300 Grace Blackwell superchips and InfiniBand networking, creating one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputing environments.
These centers will provide the scale and security needed to support innovation across Saudi Arabia’s industries — from energy and logistics to healthcare and finance.
“AI, like electricity and the internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Together with HUMAIN, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realize the bold vision of the Kingdom”.
HUMAIN will also leverage NVIDIA Omniverse to drive the next phase of industrial transformation — physical AI. By simulating and optimizing complex environments in digital twin form, sectors like manufacturing, utilities, and logistics can operate more efficiently, safely, and sustainably.
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“Our partnership with NVIDIA is a bold step forward in realizing the Kingdom’s ambitions to lead in AI and advanced digital infrastructure,” said Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN. “Together, we are building the capacity, capability, and a new globally enabled community to shape a future powered by intelligent technology and empowered people”.
In tandem with infrastructure development, HUMAIN and NVIDIA will also launch large-scale AI education and training initiatives, designed to upskill thousands of Saudi professionals in advanced AI, robotics, and digital twin technologies.
These efforts will contribute to building a self-sustaining AI ecosystem and support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions for economic diversification and digital leadership.
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