FindMyAdventure, which is a Karachi-based travel platform has raised $600,000 from a local Pakistani and expatriate consortium in a pre-Series A round.
Founded in 2016 by four young Pakistanis who were passionate about travel, FindMyAdventure began as an online platform that allowed users to book travel experiences around Pakistan (from various travel operators), but has since grown into rentals, luxury tourism, and digital experiences.
During the pandemic, FindMyAdventure also failed, like most travel startups around the world. As the government enforced lockdowns across the nation and individuals confined themselves to their homes, the business of FindMyAdventure took a big hit.
“The team worked to build contingency plans around the clock and became one of the first companies to grow into digital tourism and experiences in Pakistan,” the startup said in a statement adding that it was able to recover its relevant market.
FindMyAdventure resumed its operations when the domestic travel reopened after months and claims to be one of the only travel aggregators in the country to concentrate on the safety of travelers by supplying them with safety kits and ensuring that relevant SOPs are implemented by all of its partners.
FindMyAdventure currently has more than 300 offline travel operators on its site online and claims to represent more than 30,000 clients nationally. The business, which was founded by four people nearly four years ago, now employs over 40 people.
Komail Naqvi, FindMyAdventure’s founder and CEO, commenting on the occasion said, “What has brought FMA here is the faith that expatriate angels have shown in Pakistani tourism and us. Without their support, and our team’s determination, the organization would not have survived this hit.”
Panache Stays, an online service that allows people to book luxury homes in the northern regions of the country (the region that is very popular among tourists), has recently been launched by FindMyAdventure. The luxurious homes come with breathtaking views and top-of-the-line facilities, FindMyAdventure says.
The startup said the new investment marks a turning point for it, “FMA is now aiming to digitise Pakistan’s tourism landscape, inform, motivate and incorporate thousands of underutilised service providers into the mainstream tourism ecosystem with an appetite for creativity and a newfound trust in the team that has stuck around through challenging times.”
It also said that by 2022, it plans to create more than 100,000 jobs in the region.
