Announcing our $3 million fundraise led by Indus Valley Capital, Fatima Gobi Ventures, and Zayn Capital
The way we work is continuously changing. Today’s unconventional working methods didn’t exist a few years ago. Companies are changing their working patterns to allow a more flexible environment that increases productivity and employee satisfaction. COLABS facilitates businesses by providing premium flexible and coworking spaces with value-added services through their community experience and unique ecosystem network.
The company was founded in 2019 by Omar Shah and his twin brother Ali Shah. Their expertise in private equity investments and traditional real estate has enabled them to make COLABS what it is today.
COLABS is on a journey to redefine the future of work in Pakistan, one seat at a time.
Our Round
COLABS becomes Pakistan’s only venture-backed collaborative workspace with a $3 million investment. The round was led by Indus Valley Capital, Zayn Capital, and Fatima Gobi Ventures. It is the first time these three leading Pakistan-focused VCs are investing together in a startup. The round was also joined by Shorooq Partners, Kinnow Capital, and some key angels, including Turner Novak, William Hockey, and Teddy Himler.
Aatif Awan, Founder and Managing Partner of Indus Valley Capital, said, “The first time I visited COLABS, I found the community and energy to be a microcosm of the fast-growing Pakistani tech ecosystem. We’re thrilled to partner with the COLABS team to help them build the leading platform and community that will power the growth of Pakistani tech across startups, freelancers, and global companies expanding into Pakistan.”
From the very beginning, COLABS has taken a different direction from conventional coworking spaces by creating a unique proposition in the market. Today, COLABS has a partner network of 100+ organizations involved in taking initiatives to boost the Pakistani startup ecosystem’s growth. COLABS has placed itself at the heart of the startup agenda in Pakistan through its events, networking forums, and startup facilitations. One of the many ways COLABS creates impact is by hosting 250+ startup community-relevant events annually with an aggregate attendance of over 200,000 significant visitors to date. The facility has seen community members grow, hire the right talent, raise investment, and thrive with the support provided by COLABS.
Omar Shah, co-founder, and CEO of COLABS said, “We founded COLABS to help accelerate the Pakistani startup ecosystem and we’re very proud of what we have achieved in a little over three years. Even though we’re mainly seen as coworking operators, what we have built is a solid foundation to make it easy for freelancers, startups, and even international companies entering Pakistan, to start and manage their businesses. Today anyone looking to start a company in Pakistan could use COLABS not only as a place where they work but also as a partner that manages their different back-office functions.”
“With the capital we have raised from leading investors today, we’re now looking to turn our offerings into software-based solutions and productized services that could also be extended to people and institutions outside of our network, in addition to bringing on world-class talent to our existing team of rockstars” he added.
Faisal Aftab, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Zayn Capital said, “I have closely watched COLABS grow into one of the key players in Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. We were fortunate enough to have met some of the startups we invested in, at their spaces. Omar and his team continue to do excellent work to accelerate the growth of the startup ecosystem here and we are excited to join their journey in serving tens of thousands of founders and freelancers across Pakistan.”
With this investment, COLABS aims to knit together a community of 100,000 entrepreneurs and freelancers in Pakistan, starting with 10,000 members within the next two years. This ambition will be realized through the national expansion across major cities in Pakistan like Karachi and Islamabad. The strong foundation built over the last two years will enable COLABS to reach its envisioned goal.
We are on a nationwide expansion course, so join us as we build a team of talented and dedicated professionals by applying here.
Join the Community
You can become a community member by registering here and touring the facility.
Become a Member
Join us for partnerships and affiliations by contacting: partners@colabs.pk