The Investor’s View: Is The App Boom Over?

By Samih Toukan | Jun 01, 2016
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Lately, in the entrepreneurial and tech-centric media, there’s been some discussion on whether the app boom days are over, especially in light of the ever-climbing CAC costs reported by tech startups. We asked investors based in the Middle East, from angels to VCs, to talk back and give us their views on whether startups in the app space still have a chance to make it (and get looked at seriously for capital).

THE Q What is your opinion on the idea that the app boom has already gone through a life and death cycle, and that it’s now an overly optimistic (and unlikely) area for entrepreneurs to succeed in?

“I don’t agree with this notion. I think mobile apps continue to grow and the success is dependent on the entrepreneur and the business idea and the execution of that idea. Today traffic and transactions have shifted towards mobile and continue to do so and entrepreneurs need to innovate and differentiate themselves in order for people to use their apps.”

Related: What Investors Look For When Evaluating Your Pitch: Samih Toukan

Lately, in the entrepreneurial and tech-centric media, there’s been some discussion on whether the app boom days are over, especially in light of the ever-climbing CAC costs reported by tech startups. We asked investors based in the Middle East, from angels to VCs, to talk back and give us their views on whether startups in the app space still have a chance to make it (and get looked at seriously for capital).

THE Q What is your opinion on the idea that the app boom has already gone through a life and death cycle, and that it’s now an overly optimistic (and unlikely) area for entrepreneurs to succeed in?

“I don’t agree with this notion. I think mobile apps continue to grow and the success is dependent on the entrepreneur and the business idea and the execution of that idea. Today traffic and transactions have shifted towards mobile and continue to do so and entrepreneurs need to innovate and differentiate themselves in order for people to use their apps.”

Related: What Investors Look For When Evaluating Your Pitch: Samih Toukan

Samih Toukan

Chairman, Jabbar Internet Group
In the year 2000, Samih founded and became the CEO of Maktoob.com, the world's first Arabic email and largest Arab online community with over 16 million users. In 2009, Maktoob was acquired by Yahoo! in the largest technology acquisition deal in the history of the region.Following the acquisition, Samih became the Chairman of Jabbar Internet...

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