A new startup company in Tehran has broken the mold with its new business plan. The new startup is currently being mentored by an accelerator in conjunction with the University of Tehran and hopes to market their new online android audio book app available to mobile users.
Navaar – the audio app’s name meaning “tape” – is a modern take on the traditional audio book and hopes to seize the Persian language online audio market with their unique proposition. The Avatech accelerator program companies’ website states that users can select their audio book from a selection of different topics, and with the high quality audio saved in their cloud, users could pick up their book on a number of platforms.
The business owners include Hamid Asadi, Arash Sabahat with Aref Gharakhani for back support.
In a brief interview with the Financial Tribune, Hamid Asadi stated that the reason the group created Navaar was to be able to listen to a good audio book, adding, “When we shouted out of joy from the pleasure of a great audio book production, then one day with a good business-plan it all came possible.”
Navaar also looks to be in a good position as more Iranians move to 3G, 4G and LTE mobile internet connections. When we asked them about where they wish to take their platform in the future, Asadi responded, “In 5 years, we see Navaar as the main hub for audio book production and distribution of rich literature contexts.”
The majority of people joining the smart phone revolution are likely to buy Android phones, which currently has the largest proportion of the market and most support in terms of manufacturer support and third party app stores in Iran.
Prior to Navaar the majority of the available audio books in Persian were usually sold on compact disc in specialist music stores. What makes this startup unique is how it aims to give the audio book experience to a much wider audience, and in turn push Iranian users to listen to more literature.
Iran’s CD and DVD industry has seen a drop in sales due to the emergence of the internet. It’s not known how much is lost due to changing habits. Another major contributing factor affecting the traditional industry is piracy. Iran’s streets are rife with sellers selling illegally produced copies of local and foreign movies and music albums, some of which are not permitted by the country’s ministry of Islamic guidance.
Websites and apps like Navaar are useful in self-regulating the audio industry, as their catalogue of books grows people are less likely to download them from illegal sites. The website also helps the authors and publishers of the books as they should receive a royalty from each download.
Navaar is one of the initial groups of startup businesses working in the Tehran accelerator program. As part of the fledgling business accelerator program, new budding businesses are offered an initial round of funding called “seed funding,”
which usually equates to a few thousand dollars to see the business through the first year.
Navaar is currently going through the Android Cafebazaar app store, and is likely to be listed for download in the next two weeks.
