Book Summary App Wajeez to Launch Podcasts & More After $3 M Funding

Jordanian edtech startup, Wajeez, has continued its remarkable first seven months of operations with the announcement that it has closed a Pre-Series A round of $3 Million.

Led by Saudi VC, STV, and including participation from Shorooq Partners, Mawdoo3, and Wise Venture, the investment will be channeled into several areas of expansion, including the launch of a new short-podcast series, WajeezCast, the establishment of more B2B partnerships and increasing its offerings to include Turkish and Urdu content.

Founded in late 2020 by Mohammad Zatara and Rami Abu Jbari, Wajeez has often simply been described as a book summary platform, though this seemingly simplistic summation belies its lofty ambitions. It’s estimated that only 7% of the world’s internet users are MENA-based Arabic speakers and only 3% of overall online content is in Arabic. It’s these quite damning numbers that Wajeez is looking to improve on with its app-based platform, which includes over 3,500 Arabic-language summaries of books ranging between local and international, literature and non-fiction.

While the very concept of book summaries might seem peculiar, their value up for debate, the platform has found plenty of fans, amassing some 800,000 users in seven months.

“People in the region often have a preference for shortened summaries of books and content, rather than full books,” said Zatara, who also serves as CEO. “Through Wajeez, we offer anyone the opportunity to distill the main points from the most popular and award-winning non-fiction books, in Arabic, saving people the time while still extracting the key points.”

For STV, a venture capital firm that works with a global mandate, the investment marks its first in the Levant and offers a unique proposition. 

“With the largest library of non-fiction summaries in the region, the company has created a flywheel that only gets stronger with more time, content, and listeners,” Talal Damen, Senior Associate at STV, said. “We believe this to be significant whitespace in the region, and are excited to partner with Mohammad and Rami on their journey.”