WOLF (formerly Palringo) is a British messaging and gaming platform, which developed the WOLF Qanawat app for iOS, Android[3][4] and web for Arabic-speaking users in the MENA region, prioritising live audio in its development.
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The name WOLF is an acronym for The World's Online Festival, reflecting the app's focus on enabling users to provide live entertainment shows for one another. The app serves as a platform where people can create audio entertainment shows, communicate with others and play games. Community members team up to produce thousands of live channels featuring podcast-style shows, game shows, poetry, singing, competitions, and general conversation.
Users could create groups where they can send each other text and audio messages and images. Groups feature a Stage, which provides five live microphone slots for users to chat.[5] The app features a store[6] where users can purchase in-app credits that can be used to buy additional features and games, and to send in-app gifts to other users. Users have a reputation level that increases from actions such as playing chat games or purchasing credits.[7]
WOLF's headquarters is located in London, with branch office locations in Newcastle, UK and Amman, Jordan.[8][9] WOLF is run by its senior team in London, but by optimising cross-functional working, supported by team members, including analysts, technical teams, programmers and senior managers, in Newcastle, Jordan and Riyadh, WOLF has accelerated company growth and productivity.
Over 4 million, mainly Saudi, users have used the platform to date, with the community producing over 22,000 live shows per month. WOLF Qanawat has a 98% retention rate of its long-term community, with the average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) hitting more than $150 per month.[citation needed]
In August 2025, WOLF announced substantial end of year financial results, driven by WOLF’s investments and tech developments.
History
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Palringo was developed by Martin Rosinski in 2006. In August 2006, Northstar Ventures invested £650,000.[3][8] Palringo offered a technology (Palringo Local) that allows users to establish and view the location of their peers by means of their manual position, GPS, triangulation or estimation on the internet network used at that moment. It used the Google Maps API to show peer locations and also offered a "nearby" section in friends and group lists to show users who are nearby.[10]
In 2010, Palringo launched an enterprise version of the app, offering companies private group communication networks.[citation needed]
In August 2012, Palringo began a shift towards the consumer market. The current business model involves selling virtual products such as premium accounts, decorative profile stickers (called Charms), game bots, and functional utilities.[11][12][6]
When WOLF was still Palringo, it got a new CEO, Tim Rea. Rea made several acquisitions, and shifted the strategy of the company.[13][14]
In May 2014, Palringo acquired Swedish games developer Free Lunch Design (FLD).[15]
In May 2015, Palringo acquired Finnish chat games developer Tribe Studios.[16]
WOLF's CEO from 2016 onwards became ex-EA Games and SEGA executive, Gary Knight, whose strategy was to double down on live audio entertainment and casual gaming as well as chatting.
In late 2019, Palringo introduced Stages, which allows up to five users to broadcast live audio within their chat group.[5]
In February 2020, Palringo officially re-branded to The World's Online Festival (WOLF).[17]
In August 2023, WOLF released WOLF Virtual Reality (VR) – the brand’s first virtual reality experience. The launch marked the first time an Arabic audio entertainment app has built a VR experience for Middle Eastern audiences. The VR offering, available initially on the Meta Quest platform, takes the friendship, entertainment and engagement experiences that users enjoy in WOLF Qanawat's app one step further into the immersive world of virtual reality, for its Arabic users.
In October 2023, WOLF Qanawat launched its first customised AI virtual assistant, named Yasmine, to offer a seamless and convenient means of communication in Arabic, informing and amusing users while helping them find content, connect with others, and navigate the platform. Yasmine AIn 2013, the company launched a charitable initiative aimed at their users in the Gulf region during the month of Ramadan, which enabled users to donate Palringo credits through a special charity Bot. Palringo users raised over US$230,000 for Charity Right and Islamic Relief.[4] During Ramadan in 2015, Palringo raised more than $300,000 to be split between Action Against Hunger and Islamic Relief Worldwide.[18]
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