In a landmark step for Pakistan’s blockchain and AI innovation ecosystem, Vanar — the intelligent Layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for real-world finance — has successfully graduated the first cohort of Web3 startups from its Web3 Leaders Fellowship, a four-month accelerator run in collaboration with Google Cloud.

Bringing together frontier technology, entrepreneurship, and institutional-grade infrastructure, the fellowship fast-tracked eight promising startups working at the intersection of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and user-centered design. Each startup received hands-on mentorship from Vanar’s blockchain engineers and product teams, along with technical infrastructure, Web3 tools, and up to US $25,000 in Google Cloud credits. A further US $25,000 milestone-based grant was awarded by Vanar itself.

Web3 Meets Pakistan’s Innovation Wave

The startups span verticals such as carbon credit trading, decentralized finance (DeFi), and play-to-earn gaming. Over the course of the program, founders participated in code reviews, product clinics, and workshops covering everything from scalable Solidity architecture and tokenomics modeling, to on-chain AI agent design using advanced prompt engineering.

The program culminated in a demo day in Lahore, where founders pitched live to a curated audience of investors, Web3 builders, and ecosystem partners.

“The Fellowship converted months of guesswork into weeks of momentum,” said Anjum Shahzad, CEO of identity management startup Flare ID.

“It connected us with decision-makers that normally take a year of networking to reach,” added Talha bin Afzal of ExoFarm, a play-to-earn gaming platform.

Saad Siddiqui of edtech startup Edversity pointed out the program’s psychological impact: “Building alongside two global leaders forces you to raise your own bar.”

A Strategic Bet on Pakistan’s Digital Future

Pakistan’s digital economy is undergoing a historic transformation. In May, the Ministry of Finance allocated 2GW of surplus electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI data centers, an unprecedented policy move aimed at attracting foreign direct investment and high-tech employment.

Simultaneously, grass-roots adoption continues to surge. Chainalysis ranks Pakistan ninth globally for peer-to-peer crypto adoption, while local communities like Web3 Pak have grown to over 7,000 members across 40 universities, offering a rich talent pipeline for programs like Vanar’s Fellowship.

Scaling Beyond Borders

Vanar’s CEO and co-founder Jawad Ashraf believes this is only the beginning for emerging market builders:

“The graduation proves that frontier founders can leapfrog the traditional development cycle. By combining the high-speed, AI-native Vanar Chain with Google Cloud’s world-class infrastructure, we are helping startups eliminate the old trade-offs between speed, cost, and security.”

He also announced that applications for the 2026 Fellowship will open later this year and will, for the first time, expand to founders from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while maintaining a core focus on Pakistan.

About Vanar

Jawad Ashraf – CEO Vanar Chain

Vanar is an AI-native, EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain designed for real-world financial applications, including tokenized assets and programmable finance. The Vanar Stack features:

• Kayon: On-chain reasoning engine

• Neutron: Semantic compression layer for live on-chain data queries

• High-throughput, energy-efficient architecture

Backed by partners like Worldpay, Binance, and Stakefish, Vanar operates globally with engineering hubs in Singapore, London, and Lahore, offering builders grants, hackathons, and enterprise-grade infrastructure.

Jawad Ashraf is a veteran technologist and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience across industries and continents, including the UAE, UK, USA, Turkey, Australia, and Norway

He has successfully built and exited multiple ventures, including steering The Entertainer Dubai through a $100 million exit.

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In a historic achievement, Pakistani startup BIONIKS has been honored with the Zero Project Award 2025 at a United Nations event, becoming the first Pakistani company to receive this prestigious global recognition. The award celebrates groundbreaking innovations that empower people with disabilities and promote inclusivity in the workforce.

Founded in 2016, BIONIKS specializes in AI-powered prosthetic technology, using artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D scanning to create custom-designed prosthetic limbs. The startup has provided over 700 prosthetics, transforming lives through cutting-edge assistive technology.

A Global Win for Pakistan

The Zero Project Award 2025, an internationally recognized honor, selected BIONIKS as one of 77 winners from 522 nominations worldwide. Acknowledged at a United Nations event, the company’s work in assistive technology reinforces Pakistan’s growing presence in health-tech innovation.

The company shared its achievement on social media:

“Pakistan may have missed the Champions Trophy 2025, but there’s still a victory to celebrate! Bioniks Pakistan is among 77 winners from 522 global nominations for the Zero Project Award 2025, recognized at a UN event for its AI-powered prosthetics.”
— @Bioniksorg, March 11, 2025

Innovation Beyond Borders

Earlier this year, BIONIKS launched an AI-powered mobile limb factory in Gaza, offering custom prosthetic arms and legs to war-affected amputees. The company previously made headlines in 2021 when it designed a multi-grip bionic arm for four-year-old Mohammed Sideeq, the youngest recipient of such a prosthetic.

Breaking Barriers with Technology

“Our mission is to revolutionize the way technology serves the disabled community,” said Anas Niaz, CEO of BIONIKS. “Through our devices, we aim to break barriers and empower individuals with independent and dignified lives.”

This United Nations-backed recognition not only highlights Pakistan’s tech-driven social impact but also sets the stage for future advancements in assistive technology worldwide.

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Tazah Technologies, founded in 2021 by former Careem executives Abrar Bajwa and Mohsin Zaka, initially set out to digitize Pakistan’s agricultural supply chain. Recognizing inefficiencies such as fragmented supply chains leading to inflated prices and significant food wastage, Tazah developed a Pakistani B2B marketplace to connect farmers directly with retailers, aiming to streamline operations and ensure fair compensation for producers. ​

In its pursuit of innovation and adaptability, Tazah has undergone strategic pivots. One notable shift was the introduction of Tazah Global, a platform designed to simplify cross-border agri-trade, connecting international buyers with Pakistani produce. This initiative leveraged Tazah’s logistical expertise to facilitate global trade in the agricultural sector.​

Building upon this foundation, Tazah has recently ventured into the global e-commerce arena with the launch of Zambeel. Zambeel offers a comprehensive suite of services, including dropshipping, warehousing, and fulfillment, enabling brands, sellers, and entrepreneurs worldwide to establish and grow their e-commerce businesses in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. This platform not only provides access to a wide range of trending products but also offers infrastructure support such as sourcing, logistics, inventory management, and payment solutions. ​

To equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, Zambeel has introduced an E-Commerce Masterclass. This comprehensive program covers essential topics like product research, digital marketing strategies, and scaling online businesses, tailored specifically for the UAE and KSA markets. ​

Tazah’s evolution from an agritech startup to a cross-border e-commerce facilitator exemplifies its commitment to adaptability and innovation. By leveraging its expertise in supply chain management and technology, Tazah is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of international e-commerce and drive growth in new markets.​

For a visual overview of Zambeel’s dropshipping model, you might find the following video informative:

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Pakistani startup PostEx, known for providing financial and logistics services to online merchants, is set to expand into new markets, starting with Saudi Arabia this year. The move marks a significant step for the company as it aims to disrupt regional markets.

“We see a gap in these markets and intend to disrupt them,” said Muhammad Omer Khan, founder and CEO of PostEx, in an interview.

E-commerce in Pakistan, currently accounting for around 1.5% of the total retail market, has seen a 50% growth in the last year, with PostEx playing a crucial role in this expansion.

Online merchants in Pakistan face significant challenges in sustaining and growing their businesses, primarily due to the widespread use of cash on delivery (COD), which accounts for 95% of transactions. Courier companies often take 10 to 15 days to settle these payments, leading to cash flow problems for merchants.

In response, Khan founded PostEx in 2020 to address these issues by offering merchants upfront payments against COD orders, coupled with logistics services. The startup, now regulated as a non-bank financial institution in Pakistan, has also launched a growth capital offering for online merchants. To minimize risks, PostEx ties credit offerings to its logistics services, helping maintain non-performing loans at below 0.03% since its inception.

“We control the flow of funds by handling both the credit and the deliveries, ensuring we collect the cash directly from consumers,” Khan explained.

PostEx’s model has attracted a strong merchant base, with over 15,000 active merchants. Over 80% of these merchants use both upfront payments and logistics services, while the remainder rely solely on logistics.

Initially funded through equity due to the challenges of raising debt in Pakistan, PostEx has since secured traditional bank partnerships to provide loans directly from their balance sheets. The company expanded its logistics network by acquiring Call Courier in August 2022, extending its reach to over 650 cities across Pakistan. This acquisition allowed PostEx to onboard smaller businesses and enterprise customers alike, establishing it as a key player in Pakistan’s e-commerce logistics sector.

Just over a year after acquiring Call Courier, PostEx became profitable in November last year and recently surpassed an annual recurring revenue rate of $21 million. The company processes 4 million monthly transactions and aims to reach $25 million by year-end.

To fuel its expansion, PostEx recently secured $7.3 million in an all-equity funding round led by Dubai-based Conjunction Capital. The startup plans to enter Saudi Arabia within the next three months and is in talks to raise an additional $15 million to strengthen its position in this new market.

PostEx is also testing its platform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it already holds a financing license. The company plans to launch in the UAE after establishing its presence in Saudi Arabia. For its Saudi expansion, PostEx will apply for a financing license with the Saudi Central Bank and has begun a pilot program with local online merchants.

In parallel, PostEx is expanding its footprint in Pakistan, aiming to increase its workforce from 6,500 to 9,000 across 600 cities by the end of the year. The company is also testing a digital payments service to help merchants in Pakistan digitize payments at checkout or delivery. Additionally, PostEx offers an expense management system that allows merchants to manage salaries, supplier payments, and other expenses through a single platform.

The latest funding round also saw participation from Dash Ventures, Sanabil 500, and existing investors VSQ, FJ Labs, and Zayn VC. Prior to this, PostEx had raised $8.6 million.

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Maqsad, a Karachi-based edtech startup, has raised $2.8 million in a seed round, it announced today. Speedinvest, one of the largest seed funds in Europe, is leading this generation, and includes contributions from Indus Valley Capital, Stellar Capital, Alter Global, Johann Jenson (SVP Product at GoStudent) and others other angels. The startup said it raised a round and brought its total capital to date to $4.9 million. Maqsad has raised $2.1 million in seed funding in late 2021.

Founded in 2021 by Rooshan Aziz and Taha Ahmed, Maqsad aims to make education accessible to 100 million Pakistani students through an end-to-end mobile learning platform that provides tutorials, tests and quiz solutions for students in classes 9 to 12. month, Maqsad’s mobile application was downloaded over 1 million times, answered 4 million questions from students and continues to be ranked as the #1 teaching application in Pakistan on the Google Play Store, the source said and declaration.

The edtech platform seeks to disrupt the learning ecosystem by providing exceptional learning experiences for students at a low cost. The agency has collected feedback from 20,000 students and teachers across Pakistan to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved. Maqsad’s question-solving technology (“DoubtSolve”) and interactive research solve major problems for students who do not have access to good teachers.

With only one teacher for every 44 students, Pakistan has one of the highest student-teacher ratios in the world, a statement from the Karachi-based startup said. The edtech ecosystem can play an important role in solving various problems facing the country’s education sector, including the problem of student-teacher ratio.

“We recently improved our assessment plan, which allows students to confidently assess themselves, and have seen a consistent improvement of more than 150% month-on-month in the questions asked,” said the company’s official, Rooshan, in a statement.

Maqsad competes directly with local startups like Edkasa and Middle Eastern edtech platforms Noon and Abwaab, which have expanded in Pakistan in recent years. With its latest investment, Maqsad has become the highest-grossing community startup in Pakistan. It plans to use these funds to expand the theme offering and to improve the technology behind the platform. In addition, Maqsad’s long-term vision is to enter the education system, where the company has already received interest from private and public companies for partnerships.

Pakistan is an untapped edtech market, with annual spending expected to reach $37 billion by 2032. A quarter of that is spent on after-school education. , which is often expensive and difficult to obtain. The incoming investor Speedinvest is an experienced edtech investor, with Vienna-based GoStudent, an edtech unicorn, already in its portfolio. This investment in Maqsad demonstrates its potential to touch the lives of millions of students and transform the educational environment.

Philip Specht, Partner at Speedinvest, said in a statement,

“We like Rooshan and Taha as team builders and believe that Maqsad is on its way to becoming one of Pakistan’s most successful businesses.”

Indus Valley Capital, a venture capital investor, managed to double its funding, reflecting Rooshan and Taha’s vision for education in Pakistan. Indus Valley Capital founder Aatif Awan explained, “Investing in Maqsad again is a no-brainer as we have seen them bring together one of the best startup teams in Pakistan to create an original product that has helped over a million students.”

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Lahore-based fashion e-commerce startup, Clicky.pk, closed USD 700,000 in a Pre-Series A round of funding. Former executives from Amazon MENA region as well as Xiaomi along with few other angel investors participated in the round.

Founded in 2016 by Muhammad Khalid & Syed Shahzad, Clicky.pk is Pakistan’s top fashion-focused marketplace and retail startup. Having known each other for 15 years, the founders go back to the Manchester Business School, with extensive working experience in the Middle East.

Asif Keshodia, former MENA Executive of Souq.com and one of the key investors in this round said,

“I am thrilled to be a part of this startup in Pakistan – Clicky.pk is going to take customer experience to new heights and address the growing demand for online fashion retail in the region. We see a massive opportunity here, looking at successful online fashion destinations launched in other markets like ASOS in the UK, Zalando in Germany, and NET-A-PORTER in France. With local investors being stakeholders, it’s a testament to the confidence that exists in the huge market potential for e-commerce in the country”.

Now the larger focus for Clicky.pk is to work directly with manufacturers and build private labels across diverse fashion categories. The new funds will be used to grow a team of fashion designers for home-grown labels. The fashion marketplace will also invest in logistics and supply chain in four major cities of Pakistan, focusing on improving the customer experience. Two fulfilment centres will be based out of Lahore and Islamabad.

Earlier investors of Clicky.pk include Souq.com and Fatima Ventures. Representing the local investor on the Board of Clicky.pk, Ali Mukhtar from Fatima Ventures said,

“Khalid and Shahzad have been building a focused e-commerce business and we are excited to see how this investment will bring opportunities for local brands and private labels to grow and provide a high-quality fashion retail experience to Pakistani consumers.”

Pakistan’s e-commerce market value has crossed USD 1 billion, with an average pre-paid order value of USD 27.8 in 2019. Fashion & apparel remains one of the top three categories of e-commerce in the country. Search insights from Google also tell the popularity of women’s wear, with 89% of Pakistani consumers researching fashion products online before purchasing.

The fashion industry in the country is projected to grow its revenue by USD 5 billion in the next three years. Currently, 12% of the total market revenue in the fashion segment is generated through online sales. By 2023, e-commerce fashion sales are expected to grow by 18% across apparel, footwear, and fashion accessories.

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SheKab has made it to 12 top startups that are selected for the Katapult Accelerator.

Katapult Accelerator has its roots in Norway. It aims to help and train startups and also the economical funding. It is determined to provide the financial support of up to USD 100, 000.

From about 1000 applicants the best 12 were selected for the program. SheKab is the only startup to represent Pakistan.

Hira Rizvi introduced SheKab. SheKab was launched to solve the issues of mobility in Pakistan. Being a woman she recognized the problems for women traveling . Thus to provide a solution to challenges of mobility in Pakistan Shekab was introduced.

According to the report that was published after the research about 50% women travelers reported harassment. and 40% of their salaries are used in traveling.

SheKab is determined to provide power to women. It won’t be wrong to say that SheKab is women empowering startup.

Since its launch it has managed to get 900 female riders and has reported the total funding if $45,000.

It is a web based startup that connects riders and drivers online. These drivers include male and female drivers. They have a total of 90 drivers for 900 rides a month.

Uber and Careem can get a good competition because SheKab provides monthly subscription. That means that the availability of the driver will be made possible 24/7.

The stats show that SheKab has 1,020 subscribers and every month 90 people are being served on average.

After being part of the Katapult the startup aims to extend its root in more cities of Pakistan.

Some of the other startups selected for Katapult this year include SenseWaves from France, OTTAA from Argentina, Needslist and ImpactMapper from the USA, and CodersTrust from Bangladesh.

On 31st July, 2017, the teams gathered at the venue and the Accelerator welcomed them. These startups will be trained fir three months and all the problems and their solutions will be discussed. Besides funding the accelerator also provides additional investors that include Entrepreneurs Round-table Accelerator (ERA) in New York City.

Each start-up will also receive USD 100,000 as start-up capital.

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Owais Zaidi is the guy who initiated this. The act that moved him to this decision of helping hundreds of people was that once a Taxi driver asked him to lend him some money for the repairing of the taxi tyres. The driver said that the loan would cost him Rs. 50 a day as a interest. Owais at the support gave the money as charity but decided to help many.

Owais said,

“The guy looked genuine so I gave him the money, but it really bothered me how the poor are exploited. Based on my experience consulting with banks, I know how straight-jacketed they are in their policies as well as thoughts.”

Owais introduces CreditFix in 2016, ad his aim was to introduce an alternative banking among unbanked customers. The company will launch a pilot programme in August with 50,000 potential customers.

According to the strategies the program of CreditFix intends to use use borrowers’ work histories, mobile top-up records, and utility payments to generate credit scores that will then be visible to lenders who use the marketplace.

Mr. Zaidi said,

“The core goal of CreditFix is to facilitate the underserved and unserved segments of the population in getting access to fair credit, primarily for revenue generating assets.”

Mr. Ziadi was of the view,

“They bring out their experience working in multiple markets, which has helped us redefine our approach to addressing the problem. The initial grant they provided was key to [achieving] sustainability and taking it to the level that it becomes attractive to investors.”

Fintech challenge has given an amount of $100,00 as the fund to CreditFix. More funding will be followed after the beta launch of the program.

Zaidi said,

“The Pakistani market is “a big enough challenge for the time being.” But he hopes that once CreditFix’s platform reaches critical mass there, they’ll be able to expand into other countries.”

This article originally appeared on Forbes

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This Pakistani startup help you to buy and sell pets online

With the world where technology is ruling our life, it has become really easy to shop online. There are thousands of websites that sell almost everything with the best possible deals.

With the introduction of Paaltu.pk, it has become very convenient to buy pets online, If you love pets this pets online portal is just made for you. It was officially launched on 24th of May 2017. The startup was supported by Plan9 Technology Incubator.

CEO of Pantera Energy and former General Manager at Ittefaq Group, Qaiser F. Ansari was the one to inaugurate the amazing portal. According to him, society was in need if such online portal where pets could be bought and sold. He said that is was a really new idea to contribute to online market.

Paaltu.pk is designed such to revolutionize the pet industry in Pakistan. This is not allowing one to only buy a pet, it allows one to sell a pet and even adopt a pet.

The motto of the pets online store Paaltu.pk is  “Buy a Paaltu, Sell a Paaltu, Adopt a Paaltu!”

The site is designed such that if anyone is interested in  dealing in animals, they can put an ad on the site and deal. This way it will be convenient for buyers and sellers and they can get the desired pet by sitting at home.

It is a user friendly site with an easy navigation for all the users. The page comes with a search bar, where one can find the desired pet. It also has many useful filters, to become more specific like  city, livestock, breed, and price.

The major aim of the site is to associate the people of pet industry to the society for the ease of the both. This is the reason  they have included a button that it designed to upload ads by users so thy can communicate with people of choice all across Pakistan.

The customers can sign up through mobile or Facebook. It is really easy to deal in pets via Paaltu.pk as once someone buys a pet, they can contact the seller and deal is done.

The event of inauguration was attended by Mr. Zaeem Yaqoob Khan, the Director Student Affairs and External Relations at BNU and other people belonging to pet industry family.

Umair Jaliawala recently uploaded a video explaining the aims of the startup. Umair is from School of Leadership.

According to the CEO of Paaltu.pk, Umer Baig,

“The startup would be launching a digital system on their portal which would ensure that the breed and health of the animal are up to the mark as stated by the seller, giving the buyer the confidence to go ahead with the purchase without a worry. Through this development, Paaltu.pk hopes to put an end to any kind of fraud in the pet market.”

Team Paaltu.pk

He added, “Paaltu.pk’s core strength lies in its keen and dedicated team.

Congratulating and  wishing the owners, Dr. Umar Saif,  the Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board said:

“Startups like Paaltu.pk prove that there’s no limitation to integrating technology with issues we face in our daily lives. We all know of various online sites where buying and selling of pets take place, but most of the times it is the hassle of verification of the breed of the pet that keeps us from buying it. But Paaltu.pk has made pet verification along with the buying and selling of it, just a matter of click. I wish the co- founders all the best for their future endeavors.”

If you want to have a look at the portal click here and give your precious ratings to the online pet dealing portal.

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Markhor is shifting back to Kickstarter roots. The announcement was made just today. Markhor has been recognized as one of the startups that could bring the required change of art in the country. Markhor is basically an artisanal-shoe startup.

The startup is led by the couple Waqas Ali and Sidra Qasim. It is now planning to move to the accessories of Apple Macbook. It is planning to introduce hand crafted sleeves and pads. The campaign has a modest goal of US$5,000, with early bird prices of its leather Macbook sleeves set at US$65.

The startup was established when the couple met local craftsman and were impressed by the designs. Those designs could easily fit into western society. They decided to get them to a larger and recognized platform..

They were into the Kickstarter campaigns. They also have been the part of  Y Combinator, and moved its HQ to California.

Answering to a question about the major change of aim, Waqas said,

“We closely looked at the lifestyle of our existing customers – men, under the age of 35, who appreciate quality and modern design. We learned one brand they loved most was Apple, so we set out to make something that will enhance their experience with Apple products”.

Moreover he added to his statement,

“The overall vision for Markhor has always been to build an “experience brand,” and that there will be more products in the coming months.”

According to Waqas,

“Craftsmanship is our bread and butter. It’s our way of doing things. Our belief in it gets stronger each day as we continue to meet new craftsmen and work with them.”

YC graduate Markhor raised over 30% of its Kickstarter funding in just one day and now their handcrafted leather cases for Macbook and other Apple products are gonna revolutionized the concept of sleeves and pads.

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