Gobi-backed Bitsmedia lays off 21 employees

Bitsmedia, the Singapore-based company behind Islam-focused lifestyle app Muslim Pro, laid off 21 employees across its Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh offices in August, Tech in Asia has learned.

Affected employees were notified on August 31 and terminated the same day, per a letter to staff seen by Tech in Asia. The job cuts hit content, marketing, and business development teams.

Bitsmedia managing director and CEO Nafees Khundker/ Photo credit: Bitsmedia

A majority of those who lost their jobs – 17 employees – were based in Singapore, says an affected employee who agreed to speak to Tech in Asia on the condition of anonymity.

In the retrenchment notice, signed off by co-CEO Syakir Hashim, Bitsmedia says it is implementing cost-saving measures and reducing its workforce amid a “restructuring exercise to align the company’s goals and objectives with its long-term strategic plans.”

The firm employs an estimated 60 to 80 individuals across its markets, two affected employees say. On its LinkedIn page, Bitsmedia states that it has between 11 and 50 employees.

Managing director and CEO Nafees Khundker declined to disclose exact layoff figures when contacted by Tech in Asia. However, he confirms that the job cuts were carried out.

“It was a difficult decision and not one we took lightly,” Khundker says in his response sent via email.

He adds that over the past year, the firm has been focusing its business on areas with the strongest user and commercial impact, including the core Muslim Pro experience, subscriptions, fintech, partnerships, giving, and pilgrimage.

“The restructuring reflected those priorities, and a broader effort to simplify how the company operates,” Khundker writes. “AI was not a factor in the decision.”

He says the company has no plans for further restructuring at the moment.

AI “not a factor”

Founded in 2009, Bitsmedia helps Muslims across 190 countries track prayer times. Its app also offers features such as a qibla compass, which helps users find the direction of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, toward which Muslims face during prayer. It has audio recordings of the Quran in various languages, too.

Muslim Pro says it has surpassed 190 million downloads globally as of February 2026.

In 2022, the company launched Qalbox, a video streaming service within Muslim Pro, and has since added other features including an AI-powered Islamic chatbot called Ask AiDeen.

Concerns raised