In 2022, Meenah Tariq and Omar Parvez Khan established Metric, an app designed to simplify accounting and finance for startups. Within six months of its launch, the app gained widespread success, attracting 800 businesses from six different countries to its waiting list, all without any formal marketing efforts.

During an exclusive interview with Business Recorder, Tariq shared their journey, stating, 

“We sublet a small room in a friend’s office and started working there. Six months in, we had about 800 businesses signed up on our waiting list from six different countries without any marketing whatsoever.”

With over a decade of combined experience in the finance sector, Khan, a financial consultant, identified a common issue among small businesses: a lack of understanding of their financial numbers. This gap in financial knowledge inspired the creation of Metric, aiming to empower businesses to make data-driven decisions.

Metric achieved rapid global adoption, organically spanning 30 countries within its first month and expanding to 174 countries in its initial ten months. The app secured $900,000 in pre-seed funding in an oversubscribed round in March last year, handling a transaction volume exceeding $3.3 billion.

The decision to relocate to Dubai earlier this year was data-driven, with the UAE’s Gross Transaction Value (GTV) surpassing metrics from all other countries, including Pakistan. Additionally, the favorable business ecosystem and the UAE’s openness to tech adoption and new players made it an attractive destination.

Since the move, Metric has experienced significant growth and traction in the UAE, envisioning it as a gateway to the broader MENA region. Tariq stated, 

“We’re not just stopping at the UAE. The UAE is the first market that we’re going deeper into and betting our money on, and then we’re going to expand to other markets.”

The ease of doing business in Dubai exceeded the couple’s expectations. Khan advised potential entrepreneurs not to use agents, as setting up their business was remarkably straightforward, emphasizing potential cost savings of up to 40%. He praised the government offices, describing them as “customer happiness centers.”

Metric is also registered in Singapore, where the process, though smooth, requires an agent and incurs higher costs. Tariq highlighted the exceptional hospitality of government offices in Dubai compared to those in Canada, the US, and other developed countries.

The mature ecosystem in the UAE, coupled with its diverse population, makes it an ideal location for networking. Tariq noted the presence of experienced founders from around the world, offering valuable insights and growth strategies, a resource she believes is lacking in Pakistan.

The couple emphasized that companies considering a move to Dubai should align it with their objectives and operations. For Metric, a company with no physical operations, the move proved seamless. They also addressed the ease of opening a bank account online in Dubai, contrasting it with the

Metric recently launched an AI-driven micro advisory companion named Max, providing actionable insights for business owners. Tariq described Max as a tool that connects to a company’s data, including Metric’s proprietary data, to offer insights on business growth, aiming to alleviate the loneliness of entrepreneurship and democratize business growth.