Pakistan’s entrepreneurial talent has quietly left its mark on the global business landscape. While the country is often associated with its manufacturing, agriculture and growing technology sector, a number of Pakistani entrepreneurs have built companies that now operate across continents, serve millions of customers and influence industries ranging from artificial intelligence to healthcare and enterprise software. Their success demonstrates that innovation from Pakistan is increasingly finding a place on the world stage.
Careem — Founded by Mudassir Sheikha
Careem was co-founded in 2012 by Pakistani entrepreneur Mudassir Sheikha, alongside Magnus Olsson and Abdulla Elyas. What began as a Dubai-based ride-hailing service rapidly expanded across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, transforming urban mobility for millions of people. In 2019, Uber announced its acquisition of Careem for $3.1 billion. A deal that closed in 2020 and remains the largest technology acquisition in the region’s history, and a landmark achievement for Pakistani entrepreneurship. Careem continues to operate as an independent brand under Uber, and in 2023 spun out its “everything app” business with a $400 million investment from UAE-based e&.
Afiniti — Co-founded by Zia Chishti
Afiniti applies artificial intelligence to optimise customer interactions for large enterprises, helping businesses improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. Co-founded by Pakistani-American entrepreneur Zia Chishti, the company reached unicorn status and has worked with major global corporations, establishing itself as one of the most prominent AI firms to come out of Pakistan’s founder ecosystem.
Align Technology (Invisalign) — Co-founded by Zia Chishti
Before Afiniti, Zia Chishti co-founded Align Technology in 1997, the company behind Invisalign, the clear aligner system that transformed orthodontic treatment worldwide. Chishti served as founding CEO until 2003. Today, Invisalign has been used to treat more than 20 million patients in over 100 countries, making it one of the most widely used medical devices to emerge from a Pakistani-founded company.
Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) — Founded by Shoaib Makani
Motive was co-founded in 2013 by Shoaib Makani, along with Ryan Johns and Obaid Khan. The company builds AI-powered fleet management, driver safety and spend management software used by more than 120,000 businesses across North America. Motive was valued at roughly $2.85 billion in its most recent funding round and has grown into one of the most valuable technology companies founded by a Pakistani entrepreneur.
Securiti — Founded by Rehan Jalil
Securiti, founded in 2018 by Rehan Jalil, built the “Data Command Center,” a platform helping enterprises manage data security, privacy and governance in the age of AI. Jalil is a serial entrepreneur whose earlier ventures — WiChorus and Elastica — were acquired by Tellabs and Symantec respectively. In October 2025, Securiti was acquired by Seattle-based Veeam Software for approximately $1.7 billion, one of the largest exits ever for a Pakistani-founded startup. Jalil has since joined Veeam as President of Security and AI.
International Success Beyond Global Brands
Zameen.com, founded by brothers Zeeshan Ali Khan and Imran Ali Khan, became Pakistan’s leading real estate portal before joining the wider Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG), which operates property platforms across multiple countries. Systems Limited, founded in Lahore in 1977 by Aezaz Hussain, is widely regarded as Pakistan’s first software house. It now serves clients across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and remains the country’s largest IT exporter. Techlogix has built an international reputation in enterprise technology consulting, with offices and clients across several regions, further extending Pakistan’s footprint in global enterprise software.
A Growing Global Footprint
These success stories highlight a broader transformation in Pakistan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to healthcare, logistics and digital marketplaces, Pakistani founders have demonstrated that innovation developed by Pakistanis can compete on a global scale. Their achievements have generated billions of dollars in enterprise value, created thousands of jobs and inspired a new generation of entrepreneurs.
As Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem continues to mature and access to global investment expands, the list of internationally successful Pakistani-founded companies is likely to grow. These pioneers have already shown that with vision, perseverance and innovation, businesses founded by Pakistanis can compete with the world’s best and leave a lasting impact far beyond the country’s borders.
