Shaheer Ahmed
2021 has been an amazing year for Pakistani Startups. We have seen many lows, yet there have been moments of hope and many achievements. The young blood has been trying to prove hard by giving their input in different fields. Startups are risky, but all it needs is determination. Pakistan has been lucky enough to raise a historic $375m in 2021 by upping the ante and making a mark on the international league. This is a great achievement. In 2020, they had been able to raise just $66.44m. There has been an increase of 450 percent. Isn’t this amazing?
Investment of $375 Million raised by Pakistani Startups in 2021
This investment is
• More than double the amount raised in last 6 years combined
• 5 times higher than 2020Valuation of these Startups = $1.5B pic.twitter.com/CgEl9aqxEm
— Musa Virk (@MusaNV18) January 2, 2022
This year investors showed more interest in the logistics sector as it raised 32% of total funding in 2021. It was followed by e-commerce by 27% and fintech by 25%. The health tech-related startups and Education Tech shared 4%. Airlift had a deal of $8 million. Bazaar (B2B Marketplace) helped to raise $30 million and TAG (E-money) with $17.5 million. Tajir also played a part by raising $17 million along with Qisstpay who raised $15 million. Other startups including Cheetay, Creditbook, Abhi, Truck It In, PostEx, Taazah, and BridgeLinx also did well.
Foreign investors
Some of the foreign investors such as Tiger Global, Kleiner Perkins, Global Founders Capital, and Stripe, have invested in these startups. This has helped in raising the deals and out of 49, 27 were led by international firms. A welcome sign for foreign investors to invest in Pakistan.
MoU between Sweden and Punjab IT Board
An MoU has been signed between Punjab IT Board and Sweden-based technology investment company, Nutty Ventures. Nutty Ventures will help Pakistani startups gain access to Sweden. The goal is to provide training to Pakistani businesses. It will allow international investors to explore and invest in Pakistani startups.
It just goes to show that if you have an idea and are willing to work tirelessly towards it, nothing is possible. Best of luck to all the upcoming future leaders!
Also read:Â https://neemopani.com/7-promising-start-ups-of-2021/
