Uplift AI, a Pakistani voice AI startup, has secured $3.5 million in funding led by Y Combinator, the accelerator behind companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, and GitLab, alongside Indus Valley Capital, Pakistan’s leading early-stage venture fund. The funding round also included participation from Pioneer Fund, Conjunction, Moment Ventures, and angel investors from Silicon Valley. The investment will enable the startup to further develop its voice AI models for regional languages and expand adoption among developers and businesses.
Founded by former Apple and Amazon engineers Zaid Qureshi and Hammad Malik, Uplift AI focuses on creating voice-first technology for regional languages including Urdu, Punjabi, and Balochi. Its flagship model, Orator, delivers Urdu speech with human-like realism, allowing users to interact with technology entirely through their native language. The company has seen significant adoption, with over 1,000 developers already building applications using Uplift AI’s APIs. These applications range from FIR registration bots to health intake systems for rural clinics, highlighting the versatility of voice-first solutions in addressing local needs.
Uplift AI’s founders emphasize that voice technology is particularly relevant for Pakistan, where approximately 42 percent of adults are illiterate, limiting access to economic opportunities. By enabling people to use technology through spoken language, the startup aims to increase accessibility and support economic growth. Hammad Malik, CEO of Uplift AI, noted that the startup was founded with the goal of unlocking knowledge and opportunity across the country through voice-first technology. Indus Valley Capital, which backed the startup, sees voice as a gateway to the digital economy in emerging markets, offering access to services in sectors such as banking, healthcare, agriculture, and government.
The company has built its models entirely in-house, handling data gathering, labeling, and training internally to ensure high-quality performance for regional languages. CTO Zaid Qureshi shared that customer feedback has indicated that Uplift AI’s model quality is considered superior to existing solutions from global providers for local languages. With the new funding, around $1 million will be invested in expanding data gathering and labeling operations, expected to create thousands of jobs in Pakistan, while the remainder will support R&D to develop advanced speech understanding and generation models for five major Pakistani languages.
Uplift AI is currently focused on supporting startups and small businesses, making its platform accessible via API. Over 1,000 developers are already using the service, allowing entrepreneurs to quickly integrate voice solutions into their applications. While the company is not yet working with government departments, it plans to continue expanding adoption in the private sector while aiming for long-term growth in regional and global markets. The startup envisions voice-first technology as a transformative tool to bridge communication gaps, improve accessibility, and drive innovation across industries in Pakistan.
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