Dubai's Xpanceo Raises $250 Million to Make Night‑Vision Contact Lens
Jul 09, 2025
Dubai-based deep-tech startup Xpanceo has raised a $250 million funding round to advance development of its smart contact lenses, which deliver night vision, augmented reality, and hands-free control via gaze and voice commands.
Founded by a Russian-Ukrainian team and supported by the establishment of a state-of-the-art lab in Dubai, Xpanceo is developing compact, intelligent lenses packed with microprojectors, AI chips, biosensors, and wireless connectivity. The lenses form the basis of an "Invisible Computer" concept that replaces smartphones and wearables with contact lens-based interfaces inspired by sci-fi references like Iron Man.
The $250 million investment will support human trials, further R&D, and expansion of the Dubai lab, aiming for a commercial launch in 2027–2028. Xpanceo's founders hope to unlock new interactions and sensory capabilities -ranging from infrared vision to health tracking - while integrating invisible watermarking to help distinguish AI-generated content.
The funding positions Xpanceo among a new wave of capital-backed AI and wearables companies in the MENA region, marking a strategic push toward frontier technologies that bridge digital and physical worlds.
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Egypt Independent
5 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Russia built a massive drone factory to pump out Iranian-designed drones. Now it's leaving Tehran out in the cold
'Finally, something no one else has,' a Russian journalist says during a TV documentary on the country's largest drone factory. 'Such mass production of two-stroke engines doesn't exist anywhere else in Russia.' The factory in question, Alabuga, 600 miles east of Moscow in Russia's Tatarstan region, has been pumping out increasing numbers of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 attack drone (known in Russia as Geran), but the man behind the site believes this may be one of its greatest achievements. 'This is a complete facility,' CEO Timur Shagivaleev adds in the documentary, explaining most of the components for the drone are now produced locally. 'Aluminium bars come in, engines are made from them; microelectronics are made from electric chips; fuselages are made from carbon fiber and fiberglass – this is a complete location.' The claim signals that production of the Iranian-designed Shahed, which has been the backbone of Moscow's drone war on Ukraine, has now been mostly absorbed into Russia's military industrial machine. Analysts and intelligence officials believe 90% of production stages now happen at Alabuga or other Russian facilities. To that end, recent satellite imagery shows the site is continuing to expand, with new production facilities and dorms that would allow it to scale up production exponentially. Analysts CNN spoke with believe this growth would allow Russia to potentially export an updated and battle-tested version of the drone it originally imported from Iran – maybe even to Tehran itself. But a Western intelligence source says the expansion and the complete Russian integration of the Shahed-136, have effectively marginalized Iran, revealing a rift between Moscow and Tehran. They say Tehran has been growing increasingly impatient with the little return it's received from Russia, despite having supported Moscow's war effort with not just drones, but missiles and other assets. That discontent effectively boiled over throughout Israel's 12-day bombing campaign of targeting Iran's nuclear weapons program in June, during which Russia's statements of condemnation were seen as paltry support for a country that has been helping Moscow since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 'Iran may have expected Russia to do more or take more steps without being required to do so,' Ali Akbar Dareini, an analyst for the Tehran-based Center for Strategic Studies, the research arm of the Iranian President's office, told CNN. They may not intervene militarily, but they may beef operative support, in terms of weapons shipments, technological support, intelligence sharing, or things like that.' But Russia's distant approach was not surprising for the Western intelligence official CNN spoke with, who argued it showed the 'purely transactional and utilitarian nature' of Russian cooperation with Iran. 'This explicit disengagement demonstrates that Russia never intervenes beyond its immediate interests, even when a partner – here an essential supplier of drones – is attacked,' they said. Strategic partnership After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it began importing Iranian Shahed drones. By early 2023, Moscow and Tehran had inked a $1.75 billion deal for Russia to make the drones domestically. The 6,000 drones by September 2025 stipulated in the initial contract were manufactured about a year ahead of schedule and, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Alabuga is now pumping out more than 5,500 units per month. It's also doing so in a more efficient and cost-effective way. 'In 2022, Russia paid an average of 200,000 US dollars for one such drone,' a Ukrainian Defense Intelligence source said. 'In 2025, that number came down to approximately 70,000 US dollars.' Ukraine also said Russia has also modernized the drone, with improved communications, longer-lasting batteries and much larger warheads, making them deadlier and harder to bring down. The Western intelligence official said Iran initially seemed to embrace Russia's efforts to localize roughly 90% of production of the Shahed 136 at Alabuga but Moscow's upgrades seem to have caught it off guard. 'This evolution marks a gradual loss of control for Iran over the final product, which is now largely manufactured locally and independently,' the source explained. They added Moscow's end goal is 'to fully master the production cycle and free itself from future negotiations with Tehran.' Dareini says Russia's predatory behavior is not surprising and describes the relationship between the two countries as 'both cooperation and competition.' 'It's obvious that Russians want more, to get more and give less, and this is this applies to Iran as well,' he explained. 'Iran has provided Russia with drones and technology and the factory, and it has not been for free.' But in the process of expanding, the official says, Alabuga has been unable to meet obligations to its Iranian partners. According to them, in addition to the loss of control over the final product, Iranian authorities and companies, namely Sahara Thunder, have complained that some payments have not been made, in part because of the suffocating international sanctions the Russian economy has been under for more than three years. CNN has been unable to independently verify this. CNN has reached out to the Alabuga administration for comment but has yet to hear back. 'These obstacles add to Tehran's frustration with the blockages hindering the transfer of Russian aeronautical technologies to Iran, which were promised by Moscow in exchange for its support,' the official added. Salvaging the relationship? The ceasefire between Israel and Iran has seen Tehran mostly withdraw from the international sphere to regroup, reorganize and rebuild what was destroyed during the conflict. And in addition to the well-publicized damage to Iran's nuclear facilities, Israel targeted several other Iranian facilities. David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and head of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) think tank, believes Alabuga's expansion may allow Moscow to provide some meaningful support and send some of the updated versions of the Shahed back to Iran. 'Some of [Iran's] drone production facilities were bombed and they fired a lot of [drones], so as a way to build back stock, they may do that,' Albright said. 'And then then Iran could reverse engineer or receive the technology to make the better quality Shahed.' 'I think it's very dangerous,' he added. Other military equipment may be making its way to Tehran as well. Open-source flight tracking data shows a Gelix Airlines Ilyushin–76 military cargo plane flew from Moscow to Tehran on July 11. The IL-76 is a heavy transport plane frequently used by the Russian military to ferry troops and military equipment, and Gelix Airlines has been associated with the transport of military equipment in the past. The aircraft spent around three hours on the ground and then flew back to Moscow. CNN was unable to confirm what was on board but Iranian media reported it was the final components of a Russian S-400 air defense system. CNN asked the Russia Ministry of Defense for comment on the tension between the two countries but has not received a response. Similarly, CNN also reached out to the Iranian government, both in Tehran and via its embassy in the UK, but has yet to hear back. These latest developments highlight Dareini's core belief about relations between the two countries: while there may be tension, ultimately Iran will also reap the benefits of the partnership. 'Iran has got, and very likely will get the things it needs for its own security,' he explained. 'Whether it's military hardware, whether it's in terms of economic cooperation, technology and whatever it needs.'
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Trump, Putin Arrive in Alaska for Pivotal High-Stakes Summit"
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Trump Heads to Alaska for Summit with Putin on Ending Ukraine War
Taarek Refaat U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Alaska today ahead of a highly anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in what many observers see as a pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The 'Alaska Summit,' set to take place over the weekend, has drawn global attention amid hopes that the meeting could pave the way for a negotiated settlement to a conflict that has strained international relations, disrupted global supply chains, and weighed heavily on the world economy. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump described the summit as 'an unprecedented opportunity to achieve peace in this region and bring an end to a war that has cast a long shadow over the global economy.' While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, sources familiar with the talks say discussions will focus not only on the cessation of hostilities but also on post-war security arrangements, humanitarian aid, and the rebuilding of Ukraine's war-torn infrastructure. International analysts note that the choice of Alaska, a U.S. state geographically closer to Russia than any other, underscores both the symbolic and practical significance of the meeting. The location is seen as neutral ground that avoids the political baggage of holding talks in Washington, Moscow, or Europe. Diplomatic circles remain cautiously optimistic, though skepticism lingers about whether the deep-rooted tensions between Washington and Moscow can be overcome in a single round of negotiations. Still, the very fact that both leaders have agreed to meet face-to-face is being hailed as a rare opening in a war that has entered a grinding and costly phase. The summit comes amid growing domestic and international pressure on both sides to find a path toward peace, with humanitarian organizations warning of a worsening crisis as winter approaches in Ukraine. For now, the world watches as Alaska becomes the unlikely backdrop for what could be one of the most consequential diplomatic encounters in recent history. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
