Yet another newsletter Zahid? No and Yes. BTW, you can never read too many newsletters.
But don’t worry, I am not starting another newsletter. At least not anytime soon.
However, there are two recently launched newsletters that I think you should subscribe to.
On the Verge:A newsletter that explores the Pakistani startup scene.
It’s written by Ozair Ali, co-founder and V.C. at Alter Global in his previous life and now a founder of a stealth FinTech startup.
Through Alter, he has invested in Bazaar and Maqsad.
His first issue is data-heavy and rich with insights.
Sell the promise, but accept the reality.
That’s the gist of his first issue. Give it a read. And subscribe.
Notes on Pakistan:A newsletter that explores the tech and venture in Pakistan.
It’s written by Rabii Malik, a former startup founder, V.C. analyst, and McKinsey consultant who recently relocated to Pakistan and is looking for his next venture.
He plans on curating news from the ecosystem and sharing long-form insights.
His first issue is a deep dive into three factors driving V.C.s to Pakistan. It goes beyond the typical 220+ million population, youth bulge, etc., vanity metrics.
It’s a banger first issue. Give it a read. And subscribe.
P.S. he is also my virtual best friend. I don’t think anyone else has ever given Techshaw this many shout-outs in any piece of written content.
💰 Funding (disclosed)
Oladoc, a Lahore-based healthcare marketplace, raised $1.8 million in pre-Series A funding from Sarmayacar and Doha Tech Angels.
Taro, a Lahore-based fintech startup, raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding from undisclosed investors.
Retailo, a B2B marketplace for small businesses (Kiryana stores), raised $36 million in series A funding from Graphene Ventures, 500 Global, Agility, Aujan, Tech Invest Com, Mentor’s Fund, Shorooq Partners, Abercross Holdings, Arzan VC, and AgFunder.
Truck It In, a Karachi-based freight marketplace startup, raised $13 million in seed funding from Global Founders Capital, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Picus Capital, Millville, Zayn Capital, i2i Ventures, ADB Ventures, Cianna Capital, Reflect Ventures, and K3 Ventures.
JOMO, a Lahore-based fashion e-commerce startup, raised $850,000 in pre-seed funding from Systems Ventures.
💰 Funding (undisclosed)
Bryt, a Karachi-based e-learning startup, has raised an undisclosed amount in a seed round from MAGM Holdings.
ezWifi, an Islamabad-based internet sharing startup, has raised an undisclosed amount in pre-seed funding from E42 Ventures and Naeem Zamindar, an angel investor.
Find My Doctor, a Karachi-based healthcare marketplace startup, raised an undisclosed amount in pre-series A funding from TPL e-Venture.
Inventhub, the collaborative hardware design tool startup, raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed round from Fatima Gobi Ventures, Venture.d, Deosai Ventures, Arbisoft, ConradLabs, Walled City Co, Draper University Ventures, Redis Labs, and UBS Hong Kong.
📰 Learn
Social media censorship in Pakistan. Yet another grocery delivery startup. Egyptian EdTech startup Orcas prepares for Pakistan launch. NADRA wants to convert CNICs to digital wallets. Dismal learning in Math and Science. FIA wants to talk to Binance about the $100 million crypto scam. Improving agri-supply chain in Karachi. Sorry startups, there’s no Rs. 1 billion fund. QisstPay launches 1-click checkout in the U.S. after SECP grants it a BNPL license in Pakistan.
🧠 Read
It’s time to invest in tech infrastructure. Pakistan’s unreliable banking apps. Business collab is the need of the hour. Everything you wanted to know about Cryptocurrency.
