Lahore-Based eCommerce Startup Raises $1.7 Million in Pre-Seed Funding

Zarya, a Lahore-based B2B eCommerce platform, has secured $1.7 million in a pre-seed round led by Raed Ventures, one of MENA’s leading venture capital firms. Taager, an Egyptian social commerce firm, joined the round after raising $6.4 million in a preliminary round earlier this year. Fatima Gobi Ventures, US-based Class 5 Global, and Global Founders Capital also tendered bids in participation, reported MENAbytes. Zarya plans to funnel the newly acquired funds to expand its supply chain to accommodate more sellers in the near term. Discussing the round of investments in a statement, co-founder Zarya remarked: Subsequently, Wael Nafee, Principal Raed Ventures, highlighted: The startup currently holds an inventory of over 3,000 products for sale on its eCommerce platform and aims to warehouse more categories including abayas, shoes, home textile, and makeup. Founded earlier in 2021, Zarya allows small sellers to utilize its platform for sourcing a variety of products for sale. The business manages the entire process, from goods sourcing to delivery and payment, and transfers each seller’s profit after a deal is finished. In retrospect, it should be highlighted that India’s Meesho introduced the social selling model, which has now been adopted by a range of enterprises in emerging markets, including Pakistan’s Zarya, Brimore, and Taager in Egypt. Meesho was founded in 2015 and has raised over $1 billion in total funding to date, with its most recent round valuing the company at close to $5 billion.