Pakistan

Oct 7, 2026

•

16 min read

After Careem’s exit, Pakistan’s ride-hailing market is confronting the price of trust

Careem helped make private mobility viable for a generation of Pakistani women. When the company suspended its Pakistan ride-hailing service in July 2025, CEO Mudassir Sheikha said the economics had become increasingly difficult to justify, exposing a harder question over whether the market can reproduce the service women came to trust at a price most can afford.

Anmol Irfan

Public Markets

Inside Abhi’s IPO: the bank, the gold book and the logic behind its listing

Sep 9, 2026

•

14 min read

Inside Abhi’s IPO: the bank, the gold book and the logic behind its listing

Abhi is preparing to list the Pakistani microfinance bank that now accounts for roughly four-fifths of its lending, with gold-backed loans at the heart of the business. We dug into the numbers and spoke with founder Omair Ansari about why it’s going public now and what investors are actually buying.

Jamie Lane

SaaS

Usman Gul’s Metal raises $4.5M seed backed by a16z, YC and Phaze Ventures

Sep 2, 2026

•

1 min read

Usman Gul’s Metal raises $4.5M seed backed by a16z, YC and Phaze Ventures

Round follows an earlier investment from Oman’s Phaze Ventures, with the fundraising software startup saying paying customers have raised more than $500M through its platform this year.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

Dubai-based Fasset raises $68M Series C at $1B valuation, only 3 months after previous round

Aug 24, 2026

•

1 min read

Dubai-based Fasset raises $68M Series C at $1B valuation, only 3 months after previous round

Annualised transaction volume has passed $40 billion across 125 countries, according to Fasset, up from $32 billion when it announced its Series B in May.

Jamie Lane

Public Markets

Abhi Microfinance Bank plans $11M Karachi listing, offering 14% in new shares

Jul 31, 2026

•

2 min read

Abhi Microfinance Bank plans $11M Karachi listing, offering 14% in new shares

The lender, formerly FINCA Microfinance Bank, was acquired by Pakistani fintech group Abhi 18 months ago and swung from a Rs1.75 billion ($6.3 million) annual loss to its most profitable year on record.

Jamie Lane

Morocco

inDrive acquires Pakistan's Krave Mart as the ride-hailing app pushes deeper into quick commerce

Mar 13, 2026

•

3 min read

inDrive acquires Pakistan's Krave Mart as the ride-hailing app pushes deeper into quick commerce

The all-stock deal, first agreed last year, has been approved by Pakistan's Competition Commission. inDrive is already the most downloaded ride-hailing app in Pakistan, Egypt, and Morocco, and has been scaling grocery delivery in the country since January through a partnership with Krave Mart.

Jamie Lane