Sindh Acceleration Program participants received a masterclass on the twenty second of August in what it really takes to build a startup in Pakistan, hearing directly from Muneeb Maayr, Chief Executive Officer of Bykea, and Maha Shahzad, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BusCaro. The session brought together two founders with direct experience building transportation and mobility startups within Pakistan’s specific market conditions.
Maayr walked participants through the story of launching Pakistan’s first ever bike ride hailing service, from identifying an underserved market need to staying scrappy enough to survive in a market that does not make growth easy. His central takeaway centred on the idea that building for local context is not optional but essential, reflecting lessons drawn from years of navigating Pakistan’s specific infrastructure, regulatory, and consumer behaviour challenges while scaling Bykea.
Following Maayr’s session, Shahzad shifted the discussion into a more hands on format, walking founders through funding avenues, what makes a pitch deck actually land with investors, and the mindset shift that separates founders who successfully raise funding from those who do not. Her focus on practical fundraising mechanics gave participants a complementary perspective to Maayr’s broader lessons on market building, moving from the conceptual challenges of launching a startup toward the more tactical requirements of securing capital.
Together, the two sessions gave Sindh Acceleration Program founders a more complete picture spanning both ends of the startup journey, from the initial challenges of launching and validating a business within Pakistan’s market to the funding conversations that follow once a venture has gained traction. This combination reflects a deliberate programming choice, pairing a founder who has scaled a company from initial launch with one focused specifically on the fundraising process.
The session was organised through IBA’s Center for Entrepreneurial Development, continuing the institution’s pattern of bringing established Pakistani founders directly into contact with early stage entrepreneurs participating in the Sindh Acceleration Program. Maayr and Shahzad’s combined insights add to the programme’s growing roster of practical, founder led sessions aimed at preparing participants for the specific realities of building and funding startups within Pakistan’s market.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
