BeReal Takes Top Honors in Apple's 2022 App Store Awards
Apple names BeReal its 2022 App of the Year, highlighting the photo-sharing app's massive impact on social media. Meanwhile, African restaurant tech startup Orda raises $3.4 million and Indian fintech CRED acquires CreditVidya.
Apple announces BeReal as its 2022 App of the Year, rewarding the popular social media platform that encourages users to share unfiltered, instant photos. This recognition highlights a major shift in user preferences away from highly curated feeds toward authentic, in-the-moment connections. The annual App Store Awards celebrate the best applications and games that demonstrate exceptional quality, innovation, and positive cultural impact.
In other global tech news, Nigerian restaurant technology company Orda secures $3.4 million in funding to expand its cloud-based operating system. The startup focuses on digitizing operations for small, independent restaurants across Africa to help them scale efficiently. Additionally, Indian fintech giant CRED acquires CreditVidya, a SaaS platform that specializes in underwriting first-time borrowers, marking a strategic move to broaden CRED's infrastructure and product offerings.
The broader venture capital landscape remains active despite a recent market downturn, with initiatives like Seedstars Capital launching to help emerging fund managers around the world. Meanwhile, prominent venture capitalist Bill Gurley shares a list of "red flags" that investors ignored regarding the collapse of FTX. Critics suggest that publishing these warning signs after the fact offers little practical help, as the problematic behaviors have already ceased and the damage is done.