Pakistani Startup SportSkot has raised £ 90,000 of seed funding from a UK-based investor, Waqas. SportSkot wants to address the gap between Pakistan’s sports industry in Sialkot and online marketing of the sporting goods. The startup is a platform for selling sports items manufactured in Sialkot to international buyers through local sports SME’s. The idea is not only helping local craftsmen to secure international clients but also flourish local sports industry.
Junaid Akhtar, Co founder of the startup while talking to TechJuice that,
“Waqas, our investor, was initially our client. He has super marts in Scotland where our products were being sold. After seeing the quality of our products, he contacted us for mass production and manufacturing of footballs and rugby balls. This is when he showed interest in playing a major role in the future of our startup and offered us investment.”
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Junaid also added that Waqas has been one of the major clients they have secured in recent months. The kind of investment, mentorship, and benefits this collaboration entails can’t be summed up in words.
Sialkot is famous for manufacturing hand-made sports equipment ranging from cricket bats, footballs, rugby balls, tennis balls and many other items. The official match ball for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazuca was made in Sialkot by a Pakistani supplier, Forward Sports. Last year, around 42 million Brazucas were exported from Sialkot globally.
SportSkot was incubated at Plan9 recent incubation cycle and is one of the many startups who have managed to gather funding along with SMAC factory, Mezaaj, and WifiGen.
