Stripe expanded its developer programme to Pakistan on Friday, the latest sign that global technology companies are paying closer attention to South Asian markets.
Security experts have urged users to enable two-factor authentication and to update their apps promptly, noting that attackers increasingly target mobile-first markets.
Analysts at SadaPay estimate that the addressable market could be worth $150 million by 2030, driven by a young population and rising smartphone ownership.
Why it matters
Employees will be offered training through a partnership with Habib University, the company said, with a focus on cloud engineering, data analysis and product management.
"We built this for the next hundred million users, not the first ten."
Maryam Sheikh, head of product at JazzCash
Investors remain cautiously optimistic. Total venture funding into Pakistani startups reached $80 million in Q2 2025, the strongest quarter since 2021.
The road ahead
Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the cloud infrastructure business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2021.
Key points
- Pricing to remain unchanged until at least December
- Partnership with NED University to train local engineers
- Competitors including KTrade are expected to respond within months
- New features will support Urdu alongside English
The numbers tell part of the story. Freelancers in Pakistan brought in $75 million in Q4 2025, and the country remains one of the largest suppliers of online talent in the world.
Industry observers say the timing is significant. Pakistan's software exports sector grew 15% last year, according to NADRA, even as venture funding across South Asia slowed sharply.
Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.
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