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With over 500 million podcast listeners worldwide and the podcasting market projected to grow from $27B in 2023 to over $234B by 2030, the global demand for podcasts is booming.
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However, the biggest challenge for podcasters remains discoverability. As listeners complete 80% of podcast episodes, advertisers are expected to spend $4.02 billion in 2024. To address the discoverability hurdle, Podeo has announced a $5.4M Series A funding round. Podeo is the world’s largest podcast distribution platform.
This funding round was led by Oraseya Capital with participation from Ibtikar Fund, and Cedar Mundi Ventures. Others are Samarium, iSME, and returning investor Razor Capital. The investment will empower Podeo to enhance its platform. This will help podcasters reach wider audiences and tackle the issue of podcast discoverability.
Podeo now end-to-end podcast platform
The platform was founded in 2020 by Stefano Fallaha, Anthony Essaye, and Mario Hayek. Podeo has evolved from a podcast app with exclusive content into a comprehensive, end-to-end podcast platform. It offers services that cover content creation, distribution, and monetization. But Podeo’s unique distribution model transcends traditional streaming apps. The company provides exposure across radio stations, airlines, ride-hailing services, gaming platforms, and messaging apps.
Podeo now serves over 100,000 creators and has a global audience of more than 50 million listeners. This has made it a key player in breaking the reach barriers for independent podcasters. This platform enables creators to engage with diverse audiences while offering advertisers advanced tools for optimizing ad spend and maximizing reach.
CEO Stefano Fallaha shared, “We are committed to empowering creators to become the next generation of global audio stars. This Series A funding will help us scale rapidly across emerging global markets, making storytelling accessible to billions worldwide.”
Podeo making waves in the MENA
Podeo is also making waves in the MENA region. It has increased podcast supply by 50x in just two years. In addition, it is driving a six-fold revenue surge for the region’s top publishers and advertisers. The platform’s integration with services like Dubai Taxis, Anuvu’s airline customers, messaging giant imo, and Arabic media conglomerate Rotana demonstrates its ability to reach on-the-go audiences in both offline and on-demand experiences.
Creators on Podeo see an average audience growth of 166% per month, with seamless platform migration and powerful monetization tools. Mo Islam, host of Saudi Arabia’s top English podcast, The Mo Show, praised Podeo’s support, stating, “Since switching to Podeo, we’ve transformed from just another number on a hosting platform to being part of a vibrant creator community.”
With the new funding, Podeo is set to accelerate its global expansion, enhance its AI capabilities, and continue providing groundbreaking tools that revolutionize the podcasting industry. Julien Plouzeau, Senior Partner at Oraseya Capital, expressed confidence in Podeo’s ability to scale, stating, “Their unique distribution model and Stefano’s leadership have positioned Podeo at the forefront of the podcasting industry in MENA and beyond.”
This new investment cements Podeo’s vision of becoming the world’s leading content distribution platform, merging radio and on-demand content into one thriving ecosystem and redefining the podcasting value chain.
