Locals: London's Fastest Growing Social Network for Entrepreneurs Makes Its Debut in the UAE

• Locals.org, the fastest growing London-based real-life social networking platform for entrepreneurs, has officially arrived in the UAE, following an $11 million USD round of seed funding.

• Founded in 2021 by Eugene Nevgen, Natalia Vodianova, Sergey Gonchar, and Timon Afinsky, the platform aims to create the Middle East's largest "real-life" social networking community for entrepreneurs, with an impressive track record of over 200,000 users.

• To date, the platform has hosted over 25,000 events and facilitated 400,000 connections, emphasizing the importance of bringing virtual connections into real-life meetups.

Locals.org, London's fastest growing real-life social networking platform for entrepreneurs, has officially launched in the UAE, following an impressive $11 million USD round of seed funding. As one of the fastest-growing platforms of its kind, Locals.org offers a unique avenue for entrepreneurs to build meaningful connections in real life, bridging the gap between online interactions and face-to-face meetings.

Eugene Nevgen, Co-Founder, and CEO of Locals.org expressed enthusiasm about the platform's expansion to the UAE, stating, "We are thrilled to be launching and scaling in the UAE. The country has always been a hub for entrepreneurs with over 94 percent of the businesses in Dubai alone classified as small and medium-sized enterprises. We want to bring our unique social networking vision to the market – so that entrepreneurs and world changers can connect with like-minded people whether for networking or simply based on the social activities they enjoy."

Locals.org has already gained significant traction, attracting over 200,000 entrepreneurs who seek to connect with like-minded individuals in person based on shared interests. Natalia Vodianova, Co-founder of Locals.org, emphasized the platform's mission, saying, "The Middle East is a melting pot for talent and entrepreneurialism. We want Locals.org to provide an avenue where we can not only connect people with fellow entrepreneurs and businesses but go one step further and provide an opportunity for people to find communities or events to facilitate a connection in real life."

The platform, founded by serial entrepreneurs Eugene Nevgen, Natalia Vodianova, Sergey Gonchar, and Timon Afinsky, is determined to create the largest online "real-life" social networking community for entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Since its inception in London in 2021, Locals.org has been successfully bringing entrepreneurs together based on shared professional interests as well as personal hobbies and passions.

"We want to bridge the gap between online interactions and real-life connections," said Eugene Nevgen. "Through activities and events-based approaches, we are going to create a powerful and safe community that will foster meaningful connections and become a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth in the UAE."

Locals.org has garnered support from prominent VC investors, including Goodwater Capital, TheSoul Publishing, and Michael Antonov, co-founder of Oculus. The platform's launch in Dubai in early July is just the beginning of its expansion plan to serve the wider Middle East region.

In recent months, Locals.org has seen an impressive crowd of entrepreneurs hosting meetups and events through the platform. High-profile figures such as Sam Altman, founder of Open AI, Nik Storonsky, founder of Revolut, Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, and Natalia Vodianova, supermodel and co-founder of Locals.org, are among the big names actively involved in fostering connections through the platform.

One notable event hosted on Locals.org was a Padel tournament organized by Jessica Kahawaty, a Dubai-based entrepreneur, former Miss World Australia, and philanthropist. The event saw the participation of over 50 entrepreneurs and gained massive exposure, garnering 170 million views on Instagram.

Related: 10 Notable Middle Eastern Executive and Founders who have made their Mark in Silicon Valley