The startup ecosystem in Pakistan faced numerous challenges in the year 2024. The trajectory of their growth was severely affected due to the global economic slowdown, rising inflation, political instability, and decrease in venture capital funding. Despite this, invest2innovate reported that “Pakistani startups raised $26.5M in Q4 and contributed 62% of the total funding raised in 2024,” ending the year on a positive note.
In 2025, Pakistan is expected to witness promising development in economic growth according to a UN report. World Economic Situation and Prospects suggested that “modest expansion in economic activity is projected for Pakistan, with GDP expected to increase by 3.4% in 2025.” A rising GDP indicates stability and potential profitability, making the ecosystem attractive for venture capitalists and other investors.
This heralds good news for Pakistani startups from different industries. Let’s take a look at some of the promising ventures that are anticipated to create disruption in 2025.
Saraaf
Saraaf is a commodity and mineral sourcing company, connecting international markets with suppliers across Central and South Asia. The startup has gained spotlight recently with the substantial investment they secured through Shark Tank Pakistan. Bagging PKR 1.5 billion (USD 5.37 million), Saraaf made headlines for striking a global record-breaking deal.
In an interview with Dawn, the co-founder Muhammad Ismail remarked, “We want to become a platform where anyone from all over the world who wants to buy onyx, cotton, or any mineral from this region, can just press a button and everything will be done for them by us and our team.”
It would be interesting to see how the startup steps forward in 2025 with the investment they’ve secured to achieve its vision of becoming Asia’s largest B2B sourcing platform.
Bazaar Technologies
Operating from Daftarkhwan’s coworking space, Bazaar is one to keep an eye on this year. Launched in 2020, it has become a leading B2B e-commerce and financial services platform. Their user-friendly smartphone app makes the process of supply chain easy, enabling retailers to source essentials like flour and sugar at reduced costs while eliminating the involvement of multiple intermediaries.
In 2022, the startup secured $70 million in Series B funding and grabbed significant attention. Recently, Bazaar has introduced a new vertical, Bazaar Pro - an end-to-end procurement platform for businesses. It offers 2000+ products across 30+ categories, from groceries to electronics with flexible payment terms, earning a renowned clientele including TCS, ARY Digital and Ismail Industries.
Bazaar, as a part of our community of innovators, benefits from a flexible and collaborative model of working. With their aim to scale and grow within the ecosystem, 2025 will be a pivotal year to watch long-term growth of this resilient startup.
Farmdar
Farmdar is an agritech startup that uses AI and space technologies to optimize agricultural productivity. Farmdar captured attention in 2024 with the Pre-Series A Investment they received from the Silicon Valley, making it the first of its kind funding in Pakistan.
Highlighting its importance, their co-founder Muhammad Bukhari said, “Agriculture is facing unprecedented climate challenges. This investment allows us to further boost climate adaptation in Pakistan and accelerate our growth in some of Southeast Asia’s vital agricultural markets.”
With the escalating climate crisis in Pakistan, ventures like Farmdar should be observed to understand the steps that are required to mitigate climate challenges in 2025.
PostEx:
PostEx is a hybrid fintech and logistics solutions startup that helps e-commerce companies access growth capital. What makes PostEx stand out this time around is their active attempts to expand and enter into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. In August 2024, the company also bagged $7.3 million in Pre-Series A funding to extend their reach to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. With their aim to replicate their success in Pakistan, it would be intriguing to watch them tap into new markets in 2025.
With the funding secured in Q4 2024, fintech startups like Abhi and Neem, which offer Earned Wage Access, are set to make a great impact in the ecosystem this year. Additionally, the technology driven fashion platform, Laam, has generated quite a buzz by securing a massive funding of $5.5M in December of last year. Their efforts to globalize South Asian fashion are expected to materialize in 2025. Moreover, Krave Mart, an e-commerce grocery delivery platform, is anticipated to drive success after receiving an undisclosed amount of funding from inDrive for potential expansion into emerging markets.
All in all, startups in Pakistan are pushing forward with resilience despite the challenges. The outlook of this year appears to be promising with economic growth indicating investor confidence. With more funding opportunities, startups are forecasted to grow and scale in 2025 to take the lead.
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