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Astra Tech, the UAE-headquartered consumer technology company, has announced the rebranding of PayBy, the platform powering botim’s financial services, to ‘botim money’, consolidating its fintech offerings under a single, consumer-facing brand.
The move marks a major step in Astra Tech’s strategy to simplify financial access for millions across the region while enhancing user experience and everyday accessibility.
Originally launched as the UAE’s first free VoIP calling app, botim now has more than 150 million users globally and has evolved into a key player in embedded finance.
The platform supports the UAE’s national push toward a cashless economy, aligned with the Dubai Cashless Strategy 2026 and the Central Bank of the UAE’s National Financial Inclusion and Literacy Policies Forum.
“botim money is more than just a new brand name or mere product integration, it’s a reflection of our increasing commitment to financial inclusion and innovation at scale, and our way of turning connectivity into access,” said Dr Tariq Bin Hendi, board member at Astra Tech and CEO of botim. “We first earned the trust of millions through communication. Now, we are transforming that into financial value. The users we connected are now the users we empower.”
botim money retains dual authorisation
Licenced by the Central Bank of the UAE, botim money retains its dual authorisation to operate as both a retail payment services provider and a stored value facility.
The platform enables users to perform local and international transfers, access prepaid cards, lending products such as send now, pay later (SNPL), and investment options including National Bonds and gold.
Astra Tech has also launched ‘botim money for Business’, a B2B solution offering payment infrastructure for regional enterprises, including secure salary disbursements, POS systems, and wage protection system (WPS) compliance.
The rebrand, guided by a new design philosophy dubbed the ‘Blueprint of Simplicity’, aims to make managing finances as seamless as messaging a friend, with services reorganised based on real user behavior.
To mark the transition, botim unveiled a nationwide brand campaign anchored in the hand sign for love, reimagined to symbolise money – a gesture intended to connect finance with emotion.
Developed and owned by Astra Tech, the consumer arm of the G42 ecosystem, botim represents how the group translates its AI expertise from sectors like healthcare and energy into consumer applications.
In other news, in August, O Gold, the UAE’s first Emirati app for fractional gold and silver ownership, has partnered with botim, Astra Tech’s flagship AI-powered fintech and communication platform, to integrate gold investment services into the botim ecosystem.
The partnership, backed by an agreement signed in 2023, makes botim the first fintech in the UAE to officially offer gold investment solutions, reinforcing its position in the region’s expanding digital finance sector.
Users can now buy, sell, and manage digital gold starting from 0.1 grams directly within the botim app.
