Abhi (YC S21)

Pakistan has no growth equity market. Founders raise seed and Series A. Then the money stops. The lucky ones who are operating in a foreign market, get to raise capital abroad. Abhi (YC S21) has raised almost every kind of capital available here. Venture capital. A sukuk. DFI money. Now it is taking ABHI Microfinance Bank, Ltd. public on PSX. I sat down with Omair Ansari and Ali Ladhubhai, Abhi’s co-founders, to understand the nature of different forms of capital and how it has helped them in different ways. They told me they took a haircut on valuation to go public. The point is not the price, it is to prove that Pakistan’s own capital markets can fund its own companies. Startups in India, Brazil, China and Indonesia have done this. I am glad we are starting now. We also covered: - What makes their cofounder relationship work - Why they bought a microfinance bank most people considered a bad asset - Why Omair thinks unsecured lending does not work in Pakistan - Why corporate deposits matter more than the digital bank license - Why institutional investors are a harder sell than retail investors The full conversation is in the first comment.

What does it take to be the first? And what can that first step make possible for everyone who follows? In 2021, Abhi started with eight people and a simple idea: making earned salaries accessible before payday. Five years later, that journey has led to something bigger, the listing of ABHI Microfinance Bank, Ltd. on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, opening a new chapter for fintech and financial services in Pakistan. In “The IPO Pakistan Has Not Seen Yet,” our Co-Founders, Omair Ansari and Ali Ladhubhai, reflect on the journey so far, the lessons behind building and turning around a bank, and what this milestone could mean for the wider fintech ecosystem. From Nubank in Brazil to Kaspi in Kazakhstan, history shows how one company's progress can help open doors for an entire industry. We hope this milestone does the same for Pakistan, creating new possibilities for the next generation of fintechs and businesses ready to build something different. This isn't the end of our story. It's the next chapter. The best is yet to come. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dW4Zh_Nu Visit our IPO Page: https://lnkd.in/dpPvnv_T #ABHI #ABHIMicrofinanceBank #PakistanStockExchange #Fintech #Pakistan

Abhi lets employees access a portion of their earned wages instantly through a secure app, removing the need for ad-hoc advances and manual approvals. You cut admin time, reduce financial stress, and maintain a happier, more focused workforce. Learn more at: abhi.ae

If your HR and finance teams are bogged down with salary advance requests, Abhi UAE EWA is for you. Our platform lets employees access a portion of their earned wages instantly through a secure app, removing the need for ad-hoc advances and manual approvals. You cut admin time, reduce financial stress, and maintain a happier, more focused workforce. Learn more at: abhi.ae

With ABHI Earned Wage Access, your employees can access their earned salary anytime, no cash flow impact for you, only higher loyalty, productivity, and engagement 🚀 ⬇ Sign up below, and we will reach out to you. Get started with ABHI now!

For fast-scaling logistics businesses like Net Express, access to timely financing is critical to keep operations moving, fleets running, and demand met without compromise. Through our partnership with Net Express, Abhi is enabling seamless access to working capital, empowering them to scale operations, optimize delivery capacity, and stay ahead of growing e-commerce demand. But beyond the numbers, the real impact is felt on the ground. The team at Net Express has shared how ABHI’s financing solutions are supporting their day-to-day operations and unlocking new levels of efficiency and growth. #ABHI #SMEFinancing #WorkingCapital #Ecommerce #UAE