An unknown development program that is thought to work in Saudi Arabia

Fizz, an obscure social media app that started on college campuses, is going global in more ways than one. Its Global Fizz feed is enabling the program to expand beyond the college community and support more users, and the program has been recognized with its first overseas launch in Saudi Arabia.

When Fizz appeared quietly in Saudi Arabia in mid-March, the founder and CEO Teddy Solomon I did not expect the program to perform as well as it did. Within 48 hours, the app hit number 1 on the App Store charts; remains No. 1 in the news category, Solomon told TechCrunch. He added that Fizz users have sent over 1 million messages in the past week.

“We have already known that our main goal is to be a generational social product, not a college social app, and now we are doing it,” said Solomon.

Fizz has never talked about his global growth.

Solomon and his co-founder, Ashton Cofer, began Fizz in 2022 they are students at Stanford, before dropping out. After raising $ 40 million and starting 700 schools, the program is trying to expand the Global Fizz food, which allows non-students to join the communities that have land. Users have the option to post with a handle, but they can choose to remain anonymous if they wish. It’s similar to the main Reddit feed, but without the ability to create or join themed communities – similar to Reddit.

Solomon said that after attending a conference in Dubai, he saw the potential for Fizz to grow in the Middle East. Soon after, Fizz’s marketing expert Michael Fonseca moved to Saudi Arabia to connect with the region and gain a better understanding of the culture, leading to Fizz’s global presence.

“Mike was welcomed with open arms,” ​​said Solomon. “I think (Saudi Arabia) has changed a bit in recent years.” The country is “jumping right now,” said Solomon. “Business is moving forward. Social media is growing. Snapchat is big there. And social media is big in the community, whether it’s Snap, or WhatsApp, or TikTok — whatever app it may be.”

This change in the image of the world is deliberate. In 2016, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a government plan called Saudi Vision 2030which aims to reduce the dependence of the country’s economy on oil. This process involves reshaping the image of the world – women can now driving legallyfor example – investing in Western technology companies, such as Google and Uber. Recently, the crown prince launched a government-backed AI company called Man.

Despite these changes, Saudi Arabia remains a de facto monarchy, ruled by a royal family that suppresses free speech. In 2024, the Saudi government decided Manahel al-Otaibi for 11 years in prison for the “terrorist crime” of tweeting about women’s rights and posting pictures on Snapchat in which she was not wearing the traditional abaya, according to Amnesty International.

Working in Saudi Arabia, Fizz should know that the kingdom can monitor its program for what it deems to be offensive, order the removal of certain items, or arrest someone based on what they posted on Fizz. Solomon doesn’t have a clear plan for how Fizz can handle things like this.

“The answer is, (we will cross) that bridge when we arrive,” he said. “We really believe in our guidelines. We’re managing it carefully and in a way that satisfies the community and makes sure we’re in compliance with state and national laws.”

Fizz says he has not received money from any Saudi Arabian organization and has not spoken to any members of the government.

Solomon said Fizz has invested heavily in Arabic translation tools to help improve its content. The company also brought on board “hundreds” of volunteer managers from the Saudi Arabian Fizz group. Fizz uses a similar approach to its college teams – it uses AI-based management tools, and seeks out dedicated administrators who understand the campus culture, giving them more time to make the right decisions.

“There is a lot of care in their community,” said Solomon. “There is great pride in their country, great pride in the city they live in, and they love the platform.