The UAE's e& capital, the investment unit of the global technology conglomerate formerly known as Etisalat Group, has led a $60 million series B funding for Airalo, the eSIM marketplace that aims to expand its global presence.
The investment brings Airalo's total funding to $67.3 million, and was participated in by Antler Elevate, Liberty Global, Orange, T.Capital, Rakuten Capital, Singtel Innov8, Telefonica Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Surge, KPN Ventures and I2BF Global Ventures, Airalo, a US start-up, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The capital injection will be used to boost Airalo's expansion plans, including scaling its community that comprises millions of users and grow its global team, the company said.
It will also use the funding to introduce Airalo Partners, a new connectivity solution tailored for businesses and organisations.
"We have complete confidence in Airalo’s ability to expand its user community, strengthen its diverse team and introduce its latest product Airalo Partners, a groundbreaking connectivity solution for global businesses and organisations," said Kushal Shah, managing director of Abu Dhabi-based e& capital.
"We believe that Airalo has the potential to become a travel essential and are excited to support their journey towards becoming the definitive gateway to instant connectivity worldwide."
eSIMs are virtual versions of subscriber identity modules, which are primarily used in mobile devices, most notably smartphones. They contain user identity, primarily a mobile number and are pinpointed to a certain mobile network.
With eSIMs, users do not have to physically swap or transfer SIM cards from device to device; they can be activated online, providing more convenience.
Major companies that offer eSIM services include Apple with its iPhones, Google with its Pixel devices and Samsung Electronics with its Galaxy line-ups.
The global eSIM market is projected to hit $4.62 billion by 2030, from an estimated $1.21 billion in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 21 per cent, according to Fortune Business Insights.
"Airalo has alleviated the pain points and improved the experience of millions of travellers by providing very affordable and accessible connectivity all around the world," Airalo co-founders Abraham Burak and Bahadir Ozdemir said.
"This new consortium of investors will further enable us on our quest to build the gateway to instant connectivity worldwide."
Airalo was founded in 2019 and currently offers eSIM packages in more than 200 countries. Its website and app are available in 22 languages, with plans to support 53 languages in the near future.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The%20specs
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The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Naga
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
More on animal trafficking
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
