UAE-Based Belong Raises $1.5 Mn Pre-Series A

The UAE’s social app Belong raised $1.5 mn raise in pre-Series A funding, the company said in a press release.

Founded in 2019 by Michael Askew and Matthew Gaziano in Dubai, city-focused social app Belong (formerly ASKWHO) helps users connect and make friends in different cities, addressing the issue of adult loneliness in urban communities. The app allows users to participate in local groups that are classified by interest, including fitness, art, lifestyle, and travel. The app has since scaled up its operations to New York and San Francisco in the US.

The latest round of funding brings the company’s total capital raised to-date to $3.5mn. Last year, Belong raised $1 mn seed funding from a number of undisclosed angel investors.