KARACHI: A venture builder company with its headquarters in the UAE and founded by Pakistani entrepreneurs, Disrupt.com, announced a $100 million commitment to build and back AI-first ventures worldwide on Thursday.
Founded initially in 2008 as “Gaditek” in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi by three entrepreneurs named Aaqib Gadit, Uzair Gadit, and Umair Gadit, venture builder and investor Disrupt.com says it partners with ambitious entrepreneurs to build, scale and invest in high-potential, globally focused technology startups.
“Today, Disrupt.com— founded by Aaqib Gadit, Uzair Gadit, and Umair Gadit— has announced a $100 million commitment to build and back AI-first technology ventures worldwide,” the company said in a statement.
Disrupt.com said that since it began operations, the company has deployed over $40 million into its portfolio, supporting a mix of startups that it “built from scratch, co-built with external founders, and invested in as strategic backers.”
“The $100 million commitment announced by Disrupt.com will focus on five key areas: artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology, and retail innovation,” it said.
Web3 is an umbrella term for technologies like blockchain that decentralize data ownership and control on the Internet.
“By targeting pre-seed to Series A stage startups with strong organic growth potential and clear paths to profitability, the venture builder aims to create sustainable businesses that will shape the future of industries worldwide,” it added.
Aaqib Gadit said now is the time to start “doubling down” on investing in the next wave of startups that will shape the future of the world.
“With Web 3.0 in its infancy and AI storming into our lives, the opportunity to problem solve and create businesses that will fit the needs of how people live and work is up for the taking,” he said in a statement shared by Disrupt.com.
Uzair Gadit said the big moves in AI and tech always come from either China or the US.
“We believe that MENA and Pakistan have a key role to play in this transformation,” he said.
Disrupt.com says its portfolio already includes ZigChain, a Web3.0 platform with 500,000+ users and hundreds of millions in managed assets, and PureSquare, a cybersecurity venture.
The company says it has also made strategic investments in AI-focused startups such as Agentnoon, an organizational transformation platform, and Ahya, a climate action scaling tool.
UAE-based company founded by Pakistanis to back AI-first ventures with $100 million investment
https://arab.news/v48yz
UAE-based company founded by Pakistanis to back AI-first ventures with $100 million investment
- Disrupt.com says $100 million commitment to focus on AI, cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology and retail innovation
- Company says it partners with ambitious entrepreneurs to build, scale and invest in high-potential, globally focused tech startups
In Pakistan, ‘Eternal Love’ has no place on YouTube
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
ISLAMABAD: YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from conservative Pakistan to a sun-soaked Istanbul villa, where the strangers mingled, flirted and searched for chemistry.
What was meant to be a glittering escape into modern-day romance sparked a storm back home, turning the rose-petal drama into a cultural, traditional and religious flashpoint.
Dating and sex outside of marriage are prohibited by law in the Muslim-majority country, where public displays of affection can draw penalties.
The show “Lazawal Ishq,” or “Eternal Love,” aired 50 episodes before it was recently taken off YouTube in Pakistan, though it is still available elsewhere.
The format, reminiscent of the British reality hit “Love Island,” pushed boundaries that Pakistani entertainment typically avoids.
“Our program might not be watchable in Pakistan due to political reasons,” the show posted on its Instagram page.
It advised Pakistani viewers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue watching.
YouTube did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on why the show was suspended.
The show’s trailer starts with the host, actress Ayesha Omer, entering the villa in a white dress, where she meets contestants who are to choose a partner of their liking and test their compatibility through 100 episodes.
Omer swiftly came under fire online for wearing a “Western dress” and hosting a show that “promotes obscene and immoral content,” an increasingly common reaction to celebrities who deviate from Pakistan’s conservative expectations.
Omer countered on Instagram that “this is not a Pakistani show... it is a Turkish production, but of course people in Pakistan can watch it.”
A LOT OF COMPLAINTS
The Urdu-language show proved popular, with the inaugural trailer getting over two million views.
The online buzz underscored a growing divide between Pakistan’s younger, digitally connected audience and traditional gatekeepers anxious about changing values.
“It was something fun to watch. A show that showed that people in Pakistan can and do date even though it is frowned upon,” said one viewer who requested anonymity to speak freely.
But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against “Pakistan’s religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together.”
The regulator acknowledged receiving “a lot of complaints” about “Eternal Love” but said it did not have jurisdiction over digital platforms.
PEMRA advised petitioning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which oversees online content. It did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time YouTube has taken down a program deemed offensive by conservative Pakistanis.
Last year, the show “Barzakh,” a family drama that touched on topics including love and spirituality, was removed on claims it promoted LGBTQ relationships.
