13 Young Pakistanis Make it to the Forbes 30 Under 30

Thirteen young Pakistanis have made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list this year. Most of these talented individuals belong to different walks of life and have been making incredible contributions as business and industry figures in Pakistan.

The list includes startup founders and young innovators like Bazaar Co-founders Hamza Jawaid and Saad Jangda, Dastgyr Co-founders Muhammad Owais Qureshi and Zohaib Ali, CreditBook Co-founders Iman Jamall and Hasib Malik, ModulusTech Co-founders Yaseen Khalid, M. Saquib Malik and Nabeel Siddiqui, Visual artist and designer Misha Japanwala, Producer Abdullah Siddiqui, Eikon7 Managing Partner Shayan Mahmud, and Digital Pakistan Co-founder Hannia Zia.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, this year has been one of the toughest for this generation. However, despite lockdown restrictions and growing uncertainty, these young entrepreneurs have continued to persevere and grow their businesses by being adaptive and innovative.

Co-founders of Bazaar Technologies, which raised $6.5 million in one of the largest seed rounds in the Middle East and North Africa region are also part of this list. Both Hamza Jawaid and Saad Jangda hope to digitise traditional retail in Pakistan, and have enabled Bazaar to become one of the best funded startups in Pakistan with its total raise accumulating to $7.8 million.

In addition to this, Muhammad Owais Qureshi and Zohaib Ali from Dastgyr were also part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list. These co-founders launched this startup during strict lockdown conditions in 2020 with a total investment of $300,000 and the aim of resolving inventory procurement challenges for more than 2 million retailers across Pakistan. Previously, the duo were also part of the the Airlift team, which launched a mass transit startup, raising a record $12 million in Series A in November 2019.

Moreover, this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 also included many social entrepreneurs from Pakistan, who have been working tirelessly in tackling social issues in the country through their innovative thinking and entrepreneurial drive. This also includes the husband-and-wife duo, who founded CreditBook in June to empower small businesses in Pakistan. Iman Jamall and Hasib Malik launched an app that enables small business owners to manage their finances in a better manner. The startup has raised $175,000 in pre-seed funding and has already registered 250,000 users within six months.

Yaseen Khalid, M. Saquib Malik and Nabeel Siddiqui are also part of this list. As co-founders of ModulusTech, the trio offer an innovative and environment-friendly flat-packed house that can be set up within a day by three people using simple hand tools. ModulusTech has also been recognised by the UN, Global Cleantech Award and others for its efforts for providing housing solutions for poor, displaced and homeless people.

Visual artist and designer, Misha Japanwala, is also part of Forbes 30 Under 30 'The Arts' category for her incredible work on addressing domestic violence and honor killings issues in Pakistan. Moreover, Abdullah Siddiqui was also featured under the 'Entertainment & Sports' category for his talent for producing English-language electronic music at the age of 11. Siddique started releasing his music as an independent artist at the age of 16 and has also appeared on the Nescafé Basement.

Others who made it to the list include Shayan Mahmud, who is the managing partner at Eikon7. Mahmud has not only helped the agency grow to more than 100 employees in Pakistan, but also overseas Eikon7 subsidiary Trademor, which helps small businesses with sales and marketing on e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.

Last but not the least, Hannia Zia was also recognised for her efforts for founding the Prime Minister's Office initiative Digital Pakistan and being the Pakistani Government's sole product manager of its pandemic tech response. The Prime Minister Imran Khan has also recognised her for her contributions with a WHENTK award.

These young individuals and their achievements are a testament to how Pakistan is brimming with young talent and especially entrepreneurs, who are committed to bring change through innovation.