Latest news with #PakLaunch
Express Tribune
06-08-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Startup Myco wins big at reality show
Listen to article In a major boost to Pakistan's digital economy, homegrown streaming platform Myco has emerged as the top startup in Season 9 of Meet the Drapers, a global reality show hosted by renowned Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper. Competing against over 2,000 startups, Myco secured a combined Rs420 million ($1.5 million) deal, comprising a $500,000 investment and a $1 million SaaS business contract, the highest in the season's history. This marks the first time a Pakistani-origin startup has reached the show's finale. Myco, backed by the diaspora-driven platform PakLaunch, was voted audience favourite and became the only Pakistani startup in the grand finale recorded in California. Founded by Umair Masoom, Myco blends sports, entertainment, and blockchain technology through its "Watch & Earn" ecosystem. With over 20 million users in Pakistan and a growing global footprint, Myco aims to decentralise digital content and empower users to earn from their engagement. Draper, an early investor in Tesla and Coinbase, praised Myco as the "future of streaming." The startup plans to expand aggressively across South Asia, MENA, and North America with support from partners like Aptos Labs. This win positions Pakistan as a rising force in global tech innovation.
Business Recorder
04-08-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistani startup Myco takes highest global win of Rs420mn from Tim Draper's global startup reality show
In a historic leap for Pakistan's digital economy, Myco, the fastest-growing video streaming platform in the country, has made global headlines by winning the grand finale of Meet the Drapers, a global startup reality show in Silicon Valley that featured over 2,000 startups around the World. Myco announced that after the due diligence process that followed the finale, they have now secured an investment and a SaaS business deal of Rs42 crores ($1.5 million) which was the highest for Season 9. This was the first time a Pakistani origin startup reached the finale of Tim's venture reality show 'Meet the Drapers' and came out amongst the winners of season 9, placing Pakistan on the global startup map with renewed confidence and visibility. The outcome was amplified this week as Tim Draper assigned a significant SaaS service contract of $1 million in addition to the investment of $500,000 received recently post due diligence thus making Myco the number one startup from the finale in terms of net outcome achieved. It all stated as an initiative by Paklaunch whereby the founder of PakLaunch 'Aly Fahd' convinced Tim Draper to include an episode on Pakistani startups in October 2024 which was the first time Pakistan was included in the globally famed competition. Two Pakistani startups progressed through the televised competition all the way to the semi final and Myco was the only Pakistani startup invited to the grand finale as the most voted global startup being an audience favorite. The finale was recorded in April 2025 in California after which an extensive due diligence exercise was conducted with Myco finally receiving the investment and the SaaS business deal in July 2025. A vote of confidence from Silicon Valley's boldest visionary Tim Draper, a third-generation venture capitalist, is known for his early bets on companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, Coinbase, and Baidu. He has long advocated for decentralisation, fintech, and blockchain-powered platforms that redefine legacy industries. His investment in Myco and the underlying business deal is a global endorsement of Pakistan's emerging role in the future of digital innovation. 'Myco is one of the top Pakistani startups that PakLaunch has been enabling within our network over the past 3 years. The PakLaunch community is thrilled about this achievement as this proves the quality of Pakistani origin entrepreneurs compared to a global stage and Paklaunch is proud of our contribution towards this success story,' said Aly Fahd, Founder Paklaunch from San Francisco. 'Myco combines powerful storytelling, sports culture, and the economics of Web3. This is the future of streaming,' Draper said during Myco's pitch on the international show 'Meet the Drapers', where Myco made its global debut. 'We want our success at the globally acclaimed startup reality show and the outcome we achieved to inspire hundreds of Pakistani entrepreneurs building incredible products across the globe. I am extremely thankful to PakLaunch for laying the foundation for this achievement and am grateful to the entire team at Draper Associates for making us a part of their eco system' said Umair Masoom, Founder & MD, Myco Holdings. More than cricket: building a global sports & content platform While Myco holds rights to premium cricket events including ICC events, PCB & PSL etc but is also one of the few platforms actively investing in non-cricket sports such as: English Premier League for 3 years MMA & Karate Combat Padel, Squash, Volleyball Local tournaments & university events This inclusive content strategy, combined with a growing and South Asian content catalog, positions Myco as a sports and entertainment ecosystem — not just a streaming app. Explosive growth & future outlook 20M+ users in 18 months in Pakistan $1.5M (PKR 42 crore) investment led by Tim Draper Investments 100M+ monthly video impressions, fueling a powerful monetisation engine Active user base in 100+ countries, including Pakistan, UAE, KSA, Egypt, and North America Backed by Aptos Labs, a leading Layer 1 blockchain, to power Myco's upcoming Web3 wallet and reward token ecosystem Set to launch a decentralised content economy enabling users and creators to earn, own, and interact with content assets in real time Targeting 50M+ users by end of 2025 through aggressive regional expansion and telco/media partnerships With this new capital, Myco is scaling its operations across: North America, MENA and South Asia with a countinued focus in Pakistan Exclusive Watch & Earn reward token ecosystem Deepened content & sports partnerships and athlete sponsorships Fintech partnerships across the markets About PakLaunch Paklaunch is a global platform and community founded in 2020 by Aly Fahd, focused on connecting the Pakistani diaspora with the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem back home. It aims to foster growth in the Pakistani startup scene by providing resources, training, and networking opportunities. Paklaunch hosts events like the Paklaunch Unconference and offers various programs, including a digital accelerator for women entrepreneurs. Today, it's a thriving entrepreneurial community of 350K+ across 30+ countries and multiple platforms, driving startup funding, investments opportunities, and global networking. About Myco Launched from UAE in 2021 by a Pakistani founder, Myco is more than just a video streaming app — it's a next-generation media-tech platform built at the intersection of content, technology, and financial empowerment. Myco delivers a seamless blend of live sports, live TV, entertainment, and a revolutionary Watch & Earn rewards ecosystem. The platform enables users not just to consume content — but to earn real value from their attention and engagement. What sets Myco apart: One of the first Web3-powered video platforms to scale in emerging markets Over 20 million users in Pakistan in just 18 months A curated mix of premium sports (cricket, MMA, squash, padel) and culturally relevant content A growing footprint across Pakistan, UAE, Egypt, KSA, and North America Creator and athlete-first — supporting underserved communities and local talent An ecosystem powered by smart engagement, where time spent watching translates into rewards, utility, and deeper experiences Following its record-breaking win at Meet the Drapers, Myco is now scaling toward becoming the world's leading Web3 entertainment super app — where content meets commerce, and audiences become active participants.
Business Recorder
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Startup reality TV show set to launch early next year
ARY Digital Network, in collaboration with PakLaunch, a platform for Pakistani startups and investors, has announced the launch of a reality television series called Bazaar aimed at supporting entrepreneurs. The show is set to air in early 2026 and will feature emerging entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to a panel of four investors (or 'gurus') and nine mentors. While it appears there will be one female and three male gurus, their identities have yet to be revealed. As for mentors, these include Naureen Hyatt – CEO, Zood; Dr Sara Khurram – Co-founder & CEO, Sehat Kahani, Omar Askari – Chief Business Officer, NayaPay and Zohaib Malik – Co-founder, Dastgyr. Additional mentors come from companies such as Daraz, Bookme, Moveit, and EZBike. Described by the organisers as a 'next-generation reality series,' Bazaar combines televised entertainment with a structured investment platform. The series is designed to provide early-stage and growth-stage startups with direct access to capital, mentorship, and national exposure. The show will include a live equity exchange model, where investors can make immediate funding offers. Startups will also have the opportunity to secure funding from a joint ARY–PakLaunch fund, as well as from regulated public crowdfunding options. After a deal is finalised, mentors will be offered a small equity stake (1%) in the startups they advise, creating an incentive-based support model. 'Bazaar is a great opportunity for startups in Pakistan to connect with investors and mentors on a national platform,' said Syed Azfar Hussain, Project Director at National Incubation Center Karachi, where the launch event took place. 'It brings visibility, funding, and expert support to entrepreneurs who are ready to scale,' he told Business Recorder, adding 'Pakistan needs more platforms like Bazaar that support innovation and entrepreneurship. This show will help promising startups grow by giving them the exposure and investment they truly deserve.' Deadlines for applications is July 20, 2025. Finalists will be selected mid-August, followed by a mentorship bootcamp. Startups from various sectors have been invited to apply. Details about the show's host and the full panel of investors are expected to be released closer to the premiere date. How will the show compare to Shark Tank? This news comes in the wake of criticism against a similar show called Shark Tank, an international franchise that took on a Pakistani spin last year. Many who participated said the pitches made by judges did not materialise, while others said their company's purpose and primary product were misrepresented. According to a report in The Friday Times, 'the global average for offers made on the show materialising into actual investment is 35-40%, and in Shark Tank Pakistan's case this may be in the region of 8-12%.' The report noted that 'the degree of documentation of companies and startups was very low, so much so that this proved (according to the sharks we spoke with) to be a major hindrance in many of the offers made verbally not being followed up.' The judges, or sharks, told the publication 'due diligence had to be done and that they found that a very high percentage of the companies selected did not have complete documentation which is a prerequisite before an investment can be made into any company'. The question on the minds of many will be: will Bazaar be different? According to the presentation given at the launch, 'unlike other shows, Bazaar ensures funding for selected startups.' While not mentioning Shark Tank, or any other competitor shows, Hussain told Business Recorder: , 'the producers have clearly taken market feedback seriously, and it's evident that a great deal of thought has gone into addressing the common pitfalls seen in similar formats'. 'The addition of a mentorship layer is a particularly strong step, helping founders refine their business models and ensuring alignment of expectations before they step into the spotlight,' he said, adding 'Bazaar has the potential to build trust and deliver genuine value to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It's refreshing to see a format that respects the founder's journey'.
