Smartphone app: Three startups, three stories

LAHORE:

Sitting in a panchayat in his hometown of Okara, Waqas Ali couldn’t have predicted that he would stumble upon the idea for an online business that would change the lives of many local craftsmen.

Similarly, Adnan Ali did not know that a serious road accident would give birth to a lifesaving smartphone app that he, and his teammates, would go on to develop. And 22-year-old Moazzam Ali didn’t foresee that his craze for online shopping would generate a free app and an enviable business plan.

These young men are part of three Pakistani teams selected to participate in the 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit in MalaysiaPlan9 that will take place from October 11 to 12. Consequently, the excitement in – the first tech incubator in Pakistan, and the one from which these startups have emerged – is palpable. Sitting on the 9th floor of the Arfa Software Technology Park, these dynamic entrepreneurs feel ready to conquer the world … Malaysia, they say, is simply the first stop.

Harnessing local potential

According to Waqas, the name of his company, Hometown, aptly reflects the true inspiration behind the project which connects local craftsmen of handmade leather accessories with customers. It has now evolved into an intricate online business that offers the world access to local handmade leather accessories.

“What started off in my hometown needed to be named as such,” he says. “Similarly, Pakistan is the hometown of millions of craftsmen, and our local craft is often not credited to them or to our country.”

It started off small-scale. In 2010, Ali set out to create a Facebook page for one leather craftsman in his village to aid him in reaching a larger market. Putting basic tech tools led to the genesis of a model that connects customers to products.



Ali and co-founder Sidra Qasim, 26, wanted to create a network of local craftsmen who after being identified for their expertise in handmade leather goods, would be offered product designs crafted according to the market’s demands.

Hometown claims quality is something they do not compromise on. Offering leather, product design along with advance payments to craftsmen and training material, they closely work with the craftsmen.

“It’s not just about one startup, it’s about helping several other startups in the process,” explains Waqas. Over the past year, the business has collaborated with as many as 46 craftsmen from rural areas of Punjab.

“Kuala Lumpur is the place to be if you want to learn about entrepreneurship,” he adds, his excitement evident. “Hopefully, one day, Pakistan will be hosting a similar summit.”

Safety first, always

“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when one is in a road crash? Calling for help,” says Omer Shafiq, one of the three members who run the company EpicSol. “This is what we have tried to make fairly simple through our app, Drive Pal.”

The idea was conceived after member Adnan Ali’s serious car accident during his 6th semester at college. “The first thought that came to my mind was, how to inform my family?’ recalls Adnan.

According to Omer, the app springs to life when it detects speed that relates to that of a car and impact through the difference in acceleration. Once the app detects impact it immediately sends out an automated SMS to selected numbers, notifying them that the person has been in an accident and needs immediate help.

The team states unanimously that the Smartphone app is truly a ‘lifesaver’.

Agam Saran, the third team member, explains that the app was modified after several car crash simulations to generate a product that could operate effectively and efficiently.

“Currently, it is priced at $1.99, and initial consumer surveys indicate that the app is highly sought after,” says Adnan.

He, indeed, has reason to smile. He will be representing his team for Pakistan, and their startup has also landed in the top 12 projects in the Pakistan StartUp competition, conducted last month.

Shop and share!

Discover, shop and recommend. This is how Moazzam Ali, founder of startup Technolabz, sums up his free mobile app, Shopanova.

Hailing from Karachi, Moazzam, a young student of software engineering at the Bahria University, came to Lahore in June as part of the Plan9’s June incubation after making his way through the Karachi launch pad in April this year.

“People like to shop and people like to talk about what they bought,” he says. “The app, called Shopanova, gives a personalised experience to shopping. Users can take pictures of a product they bought or intend to buy, and the app traces the location of the user and updates location. It also allows users to go through shopping opinions of a specific product. Basically, it’s all about discovering new products in new areas and sharing views.”

The idea was drawn by the greater number of people now opting to buy products using their mobile phones internationally, a trend Moazzam hopes will catch on in Pakistan soon.

In his opinion, the most interesting feature of the app is the opinion pool.

“People like to comment on almost everything,” he says. “And when they have spent money on something, they want to do it even more’.

As for the trip to Malaysia, Ali has planned to network, pitch his idea and have fun. “My family back home in Karachi is even more excited than I am…I just can’t wait!”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.