Pakistan's freelancing industry is entering a new phase after Telenor Pakistan secured fresh funding, executives and investors told WritePures this week.
The service will initially be available in Sialkot, Hyderabad and Islamabad, with a nationwide launch planned for later in 2028.
The broader picture is one of steady growth. Internet penetration now exceeds 18% of the population, and mobile broadband subscriptions have more than doubled since 2021.
The road ahead
The move comes as regulators tighten oversight. NADRA issued new guidelines in February requiring companies to store customer data locally and to report security incidents within 72 hours.
"Every startup founder in Peshawar is asking the same question: how do we compete with global platforms on a fraction of the budget?"
Fahad Iqbal, managing partner at Airlift
Universities are responding too. NUST has added new courses in healthtech, and enrolment in computer science programmes rose 8% this year.
The regulatory angle
The numbers tell part of the story. Freelancers in Pakistan brought in $250 million in Q3 2026, and the country remains one of the largest suppliers of online talent in the world.
Key points
- Funding round values the company at about $20 million
- New features will support Urdu alongside English
- Pricing to remain unchanged until at least June
- Roughly 25 jobs expected over the next two years
Industry observers say the timing is significant. Pakistan's freelancing sector grew 42% last year, according to the Pakistan Freelancers Association, even as venture funding across South Asia slowed sharply.
Behind the scenes, the deal took nearly 20 months to negotiate, according to two people involved in the talks who asked not to be named because the discussions were private.
Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.
6 Comments
Join the conversation
Replying to