Astra Tech
Astra Tech is an Abu Dhabi consumer technology group, established in 2022, that owns the Botim app and the botim money and botim finance units.
Industry: Consumer technology and fintech | Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Founded: 2022 | Total Funding: USD 500M
About Astra Tech
Astra Tech is a consumer technology group based in Abu Dhabi and best known as the parent of Botim, a communication and financial services app. Its website says the group was established in 2022, that it aims to reshape digital and fintech services in the Middle East and North Africa, and that it has more than 150 million users across 155 countries.
Abdallah Abu Sheikh founded Astra Tech in March 2022, according to Wamda. He left as chief executive in November 2024 and sold his stake, Gulf News reported, with chief technology officer and co-founder Long Ruan taking over on an interim basis. Forbes Middle East lists Tariq bin Hendi as chief executive since November 2024; he also serves as non-executive chairman at Edelman and as a board trustee of United Arab Emirates University.
The group's businesses include the Botim app, botim money, the business payments unit formerly called PayBy, and botim finance, the lending unit formerly called CashNow, both renamed in July 2025. Rizek, a home-services platform, was acquired in 2022. Botim 3.0 launched in May 2023 and an AI-native interface in July 2025. In August 2025 Botim added gold-investment features with O Gold, per Forbes Middle East.
Astra Tech bought PayBy in August 2022, Botim in January 2023 and Y Finance in July 2023, the last of which took it into the Philippines, according to its website. Wamda reported that Botim, founded in 2018, then had 90 million registered users and that the price was not disclosed. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank agreed in 2024 to become the first bank offering services through the Botim app in the UAE. The Central Bank of the UAE issued botim finance a Finance Company Licence in July 2024, the company says.
Gulf News reported on 24 December 2022 that Astra Tech raised USD 500 million in a round led by G42, for e-commerce, fintech and communications. Wikipedia reports a separate USD 500 million Citi investment in the Quantix unit in December 2024. No audited financial results were found.
Leadership
- Long Ruan, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder; interim CEO
- Tariq bin Hendi, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member
- Peng Xiao, Board member; Group CEO, G42