organised by021DISRUPT

DISRUPTION AT A GLANCE

EVOLV3VOL 3

Foreword

The lessons we learned

The conversations we had

The deals we struck

The history we made

All thanks to you

For being there offline & on

Our Sponsors

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forewordby Jehan Ara

Every year, the entrepreneurial community reconvenes.

Lessons are learned, conversations are had, deals are struck, history is made.

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely pursuit. The odds are o�en stacked against you, the finish line is never in sight, and you watch the world walk on smoothly paved paths, as you struggle to pave your own.

In 2015, a group of dreamers got together and decided to build a community, which unbeknownst to them, would one day be home to hundreds of startups. The Nest I/O, built in partnership with organisations such as Google for Startups, is an incubator and accelerator that may be based in Karachi, but creates an impact which echoes around the world.

But why stop there? In 2017, we decided to bring the entire ecosystem together under one roof, for the very first time. 021Disrupt, over the course of the last three years, has welcomed thousands of people, ranging from students to some of the biggest venture capitalists in the world, to come and experience Pakistani entrepreneurship at its finest.

Through the years and across all of our e�orts to help entrepreneurs, we have found ourselves surrounded by a community, which now feels like a family. Willing to be there in times of trouble, willing to lend a hand in times of need and willing to prove that entrepreneurship can be a lonely pursuit. But it doesn’t have to be. Not anymore.

.

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01 | FOREWORD

we learnedlearnedTHE LESSONS

05 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Isfa

ndiy

ar S

hahe

en /

Net

Equi

ty N

etw

orks

Sa

ba Z

aidi

/ G

oogl

e H

Q

Today half the world is not online, but by

following electrical grids to deploy fiber high,

speed internet access can be made affordable

for every human by 2028.

A survey conducted with 100 failed startups found

that the number one reason for failure was that

teams were busy building something cool rather

than solving for something that had a market need.

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Ali

Hus

ain

/ A

nalo

g D

evic

esTa

nia

Aid

rus

/ G

oogl

eInvestors are only one piece of a startup’s

stakeholder puzzle. If you focus on your

customers and treat your employees well,

ultimately your investors will be happy.

We shouldn’t be asking ourselves whether a

digital Pakistan is possible, but how soon we can

start, because the power of technology, if applied

properly, can have the ability to liﬞ people,

provinces and nations.

07 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Phi V

an N

guye

n /

Viet

nam

Ang

el N

et.

Mud

assi

r Sh

eikh

a /

Car

eem

Startup ecosystems in emerging markets are

very fragmented. Everybody’s doing

something, incubating startups, running

hackathons and holding startup competitions,

but we don’t talk to each other.

Life in our cities isn’t easy. It is full of challenges

and we’re so caught up in these day-to-day

hurdles that we never find time to see the bigger

picture, and solve bigger problems.

09 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Bea

u Se

il /

Pata

mar

Cap

ital

Usm

an R

iaz

/ M

ano

Stud

iosIn the short term, your ideas may not prove to

quick-hit business opportunities, but in the

long term they may be involved in

nation-building by unlocking economic

opportunities for more people.

So much of what we do, and what we are able to

do, is because of the internet. Connectivity allows

us to explore and be exposed to things which

may not be happening where we live.

11 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Chri

s Ro

gers

/ Lu

mia

Cap

ital

Ali

Naw

ab /

Sen

tianc

e

You’ll come across Pakistanis entrepreneurs all

over the world. In the United States and

Singapore, at conferences in London, running

companies in the Middle East. The pool of talent is

rich, diverse, and present all across the globe.

Figure out what your customers love about the

solutions and products that they use. Figure out

what they dislike about the ones that they don’t.

Figure out that one thing that maּמers to your

customers, and give it to them.

13 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Mel

issa

Sas

si /

IBM

Sam

i Kiz

ilbas

h /

Goo

gle

Imposter Syndrome isn’t limited to the you or me.

Some of the most prominent, influential people in the

world sometimes feel like imposters. But this wasn’t a

mistake, and nobody slipped in under the radar. We

are where we are because we belong there.

Within large enterprises, communication is the

key to making ideas work. Learning how to pitch,

how to handle objections and how to tweak your

message to target different audiences, are all

invaluable skills for intrapreneurs.

14 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Shan

e Sh

in /

Shor

ooq

Part

ners

Sheb

a N

ajm

i /

Lin

kdIn

Lead investors make companies investable and define

the terms of any company which is why startups need

to find an investor who can and is willing to fight for

them in front of other investors.

As technologists, we’re all humanists first. The

companies that we’re building and the problems

which we are solving for, are all centered around

human beings, they aren’t about technology.

16 | TALKS

18 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Ram

eez

Ans

ari

/ H

ighl

and

Cree

kIm

ran

Aﬞ

ab /

10

Pea

rls

Growing and scaling is a universal similarity.

Considering some of the most successful businesses

within the technology space, those companies look

nothing like they did on day one.

Growth should never be seen as a linear process

with a set series of events. The end product of

some of the most famous companies in the world,

wasn’t what the entrepreneurs originally

intended.

20 | TALKS

THE

LESS

ON

S W

E LE

AR

NED

Juna

id Iq

bal

/ Ca

reem

Pay

Kris

tin A

nder

ssen

/ O

IW

If you look around yourself, you’ll find so many

processes which are broken. But every process which

is broken, is a process that is just waiting to be fixed.

In many countries it is easier to set up a company

than it is to procure a work visa as a startup or

investor which is why governments need to take

steps in an effort to make opportunities more

accessible for foreign entrepreneurs.

Using Storytelling & Virality to Build Beּמer Marketing Campaigns

/ Muzamil Hasan

Muzamil Hasan, a veteran digital media

consultant, taught us how today’s digital

marketing industry works and told us what it

takes to reach over one billion online users.

Mindfulness for Innovators / Noorulain Masood

Noorulain Masood, Founder of be.,

demonstrated what a mindfulness practice

feels like and why entrepreneurs everywhere

should make it a part of their routines.

A Googler’s Guide to Community Building

/ Saad Hamid

Saad Hamid, Community Manager at Google,

discussed the art and science of community

building and Google’s approach towards

growing them.

22 | WORKSHOPS

24 | WORKSHOPS

Ask the Investors: An Interactive Workshop

/ Ali Samir, Kalsoom Lakhani, Khurram Zafar

& Jonas Eichhorst

Four of the biggest names in venture capital

came together to answer the burning

questions on everyone’s minds.

Empathy Playground/ Sahar & Hassaan

Sahar Habib Ghazi, a journalist, strategist,

community-builder and trainer along with

Hassaan Bin Shaheen, a writer, lawyer, performer

and trainer, gave participants a crash-course on

how to use design thinking and improv to

become more empathetic individuals and

overcome entrepreneurial challenges.

Pitch Beּמer Have my Money

/ Saba Khalid

Saba Khalid, Founder of Aurat Raaj, taught

startups how to pitch themselves and their

businesses and build compelling narratives

through their presentations.

THE CONVERSATIONS

we hadhad

THE

CON

VER

SATI

ON

WE

HA

D

28 | PANELS

Cash

to

Scal

e /

Inve

stor

Pan

el Scaling is impossible without cash, and growth is

impossible unless we scale. This panel brought

together venture capitalists from across the world to

discuss how companies can raise funds and the role

that they play in growing these companies.Kristie Neo / Thomas Tsao / Bernhard Klemen / Misbah Naqvi

Jonas Eichhorst / Meenah Tariq / Faisal A�ab

THE

CON

VER

SATI

ON

WE

HA

D

30 | PANELS

Mov

ing

Mill

ions

/ M

obili

ty P

anel

Mobility is a basic human need. This panel discussed

the recent boom within the mobility industry and by

bringing together the region’s biggest players under

one roof, aּמempted to figure out what it really takes

to get from point A to point B. Sidra Iqbal/ Gia Farooqi / Mostafa Kandil

Muneeb Mayr / Zeeshan Baig / Usman Gul

THE

CON

VER

SATI

ON

WE

HA

D

32 | PANELS

Prom

otin

g Pa

kist

an o

n th

e G

loba

l Sta

ge /

So�

Pow

er P

anel

Sometimes when people speak, the world listens, and

with digital media always at our fingertips, it’s easy to be

under the influence. This panel brought some of the

country’s most familiar faces together to discuss how

influence can be used to make a positive impact. Shehryar Taseer / Wasim Akram / Shaniera Akram

Hina Bayat / Aamina Sheikh / Shehzad Roy

THE

CON

VER

SATI

ON

WE

HA

D

34 | PANELS

Ban

king

on

Fint

ech

/ Fi

ntec

h Pa

nel

With the steady growth of Fintech solutions in the market,

many are leﬞ questioning whether Fintech and banks are

competitors or partners. For this panel, we brought

together representatives from both to discuss the growing

opportunities that exist within this sector.Abrar Mir / Owais Zaidi / Naureen Hyat

Halima Iqbal / Javaid Iqbal

THE DEALS

we struckstruck

striking up conversations with all the right people

pu�ing your product out there

Aﬞer siﬞing through hundreds of

applications we matched some of

Pakistan’s most promising startups

with the biggest names in venture

capital from all over the world.

38 | OFFICE HOURS

THE

DEA

LS W

E ST

RU

CK

200+ O�ce Hours23 Investors

SOSV

Navin Danapal

Shorooq Partners

Shane Shin

Patamar Capital

Beau Seil

Informa Ventures

Tahir Mansoori, Atikah Mansoor, Sadia Shahid

Habib Bank Limited

Hamza Farooqui,Ghulam Habibuddin Khan

Tharros

Jonas Eichhorst

10 Pearls

Zeeshan A�ab, Imran A�ab

MEVP

Syed Farhan Zaidi

i2i Ventures

Kalsoom Lakhani, Misbah Naqvi, Asad Jafri

Careem

Rayan Dawud

Lumia Capital

Chris Rogers

Disrupt Ventures Pakistan

Abdul Rafay Gadit

Magnus Communications

Ashraf Kalim Ahmed

Lakson Investments

Faisal A�ab, Usman Mirza &Omar Pervez Khan

TPL e-Ventures

Ali Samir, Taimour Ali khan & Sabiha Sultan

Elahi Group of Companies

Danish Elahi

Virtual Force Inc

Jamil Goheer

Sarmayacar

Rabeel Warraich, Bernhard Klemens & Salman Cha�ha

Oman Tech Fund

Charlie Ill

Karavan

Meenah Tariq

Fatima Gobi Ventures

Ali Mukhtar, Tom G Tsao, Taraec Hussein, Jamal

40 | OFFICE HOURS

With a little help from the biggest names in venture capital

THE HISTORY

we mademade

Airli� secured a $12M Series A funding round to build a decentralized global mass transit system.

Swvl announced that it would invest $25 million in Pakistan in the next two years with plans of mobilizing half a million Pakistanis by 2023 and creating 10,000 jobs a year.

HBL announced an Investment Fund for FinTech Startups set to launch in January 2020 and the initiation of their Open Banking initiative.

VCAP (The Venture Capital Association of Pakistan) was launched by Rabeel Warraich of Sarmayacar, in an e�ort to facilitate the startup ecosystem of Pakistan..

44 | ANNOUNCEMENTS AT O21DISRUPT

TelloTalk Pakistan’s first messenger app, closed a $1.2 million Seed funding round with Spark Labs & various other global investors.

PriceOye closed a seed funding round of $450,000 led by Fatima Ventures, Artistic Ventures, and Kinetico.

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Indus ValleyCapitallaunched by Aatif Awan, brought aּמention to the potential of Pakistani startups to be the next big thing in the world of entrepreneurship.

Find My Adventure

announced its acquisition of K-Town Rooms and the launch

of 100 FMA Rooms with

a�ordable rents across Pakistan.

OTFOman Technology Fund

announced its next Seed funding round of $100,000 in

Ed-Tech startup Queno.

It was an excellent networking opportunity between local and international techpreneurs, innovators and venture capitalists, all under one roof and with the sole purpose of transforming Pakistan's technological ecosystem.

46 | ANNOUNCEMENTS AT O21DISRUPT

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all thanks to you

Each year we put out a call, and the ecosystem answers.

This year we welcomed more people than ever before, showing us that entrepreneurship in this country has come a long way and isn’t stopping any time soon.

48 | STATS

from various backgrounds and age groups

from a diverse range of verticals

from today’s largest organisations

from all across the globe

50 | SOCIAL MEDIA

for being thereo�ine & on

Social media was abuzz not only during the conference but also during the month leading up to it.

There was immense online engagement with startup founders, professionals and influencers from our ecosystem and beyond with numerous discussions being initiated on the potential of Pakistani startups.

76 Million+Total Digital Reach

10,000+ Tweets#021Disrupt19

One takeaway from #021Disrupt19 was the term 'wapistani' for the diaspora that invests in it's country of origin. @usmanriaz1990 validates it by quoting ' bloom where you were planted' .. that is why he is investing in his home country . @TheNestiO @jehan_ara

Super impressed with @ShehzadRoy and the work he’s doing. Result oriented, impactful work that could really create the awareness this country needs. So many celebrities use their platform but don’t actually do anything with it! #021Disrupt19

Hearing @MudassirSheikha's talk is reminding me of all that was said: 1) Understanding that the opportunity is meaningful and needed within the society.2) Involving users and the entire community within the product for it to properly progress.3) Have Grit.#021Disrupt19

-- Top Trend in Pakistan

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Each year, 021Disrupt aims to provide an immersive experience to the Pakistani startup community with an opportunity to engage, partner, co-create, and invest in the future of technology and innovation.

our sponsors

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Chrome Sponsor Chrome Sponsor Tech Partner Supporting Partner

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Partner

54 | SPONSORS

And with everyone from banks to multinational companies interested in the future of

entrepreneurship, there’s no telling how bright that future is bound to be.

021Disrupt had a massive success of discussions and dialogue on improving the entrepreneurship scenario and developing the startup ecosystem of the country.

Make a move, get in touch,

We’ve set the bar pre�y high,

but we’re ready to take it up a notch.

Jehan AraFounder, The Nest I/O Email: president@pasha.org.pk

Akash ShaikhHead of Strategy & PartnershipsEmail: akash@pasha.org.pk

Sabika Abbas Community and Outreach ManagerEmail: sabika@pasha.org.pk

Munib PuriMonitoring and Evaluation Manager Email: munib@pasha.org.pk

The conference was not only an opportunity to exchange innovative ideas and insights, but also provided investment and partnership opportunities.

©The Nest I/O 2019. All rights reserved

For complete videos of all the talks and panels held at 021Disrupt '19, visit h�ps://bit.ly/2Qps40b