The Pakistani startup secured the largest investment and business deal of the season with support from Paklaunch
myco, a fast-growing video streaming platform from Pakistan, has gained international attention after winning the grand finale of Meet the Drapers, a global startup competition held in Silicon Valley. The show featured over 2,000 startups from around the world.
Following the finale, myco completed a due diligence process and has now secured a combined investment and software-as-a-service (SaaS) business agreement worth Rs42 crore (approximately $1.5 million). This is the highest amount awarded in the ninth season of the show.
This marks the first time a startup from Pakistan reached the finale of Meet the Drapers and emerged as one of the season’s winners, bringing greater visibility to the country’s startup ecosystem.
The result was confirmed this week when Tim Draper signed a SaaS service contract with myco worth $1 million. This is in addition to an earlier investment of $500,000, finalised after the due diligence process. With this outcome, myco became the leading startup from the Season 9 finale in terms of total value received.
The journey began through an initiative by Paklaunch. Its founder, Aly Fahd, persuaded Tim Draper to include a dedicated episode on Pakistani startups in October 2024. This was the first time the country was featured in the competition. Two Pakistani startups advanced to the semi-finals and myco was the only one invited to the grand finale after receiving the highest number of audience votes globally.
The finale was recorded in California in April 2025. After a thorough review process, myco secured both the investment and the SaaS agreement in July.
A vote of confidence from Silicon Valley investor
Tim Draper, a third-generation venture capitalist, is known for his early investments in companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, Coinbase and Baidu. A long-time supporter of decentralised technologies, fintech and blockchain-based platforms, he has consistently backed innovations that challenge traditional industries. His recent investment in Myco, along with the accompanying business agreement, serves as a strong endorsement of Pakistan’s growing presence in global digital innovation.
“Myco is one of the top Pakistani startups that PakLaunch has been enabling within our network over the past three years. The PakLaunch community is thrilled about this achievement as this proves the quality of Pakistani origin entrepreneurs compared to a global stage and Paklaunch is proud of our contribution towards this success story,” said Aly Fahd, the founder of Paklaunch from San Francisco.
“Myco combines powerful storytelling, sports culture, and the economics of Web3. This is the future of streaming,” Draper continued during Myco’s pitch on the international show.
“We want our success at the globally acclaimed startup reality show and the outcome we achieved to inspire hundreds of Pakistani entrepreneurs building incredible products across the globe. I am extremely thankful to PakLaunch for laying the foundation for this achievement and am grateful to the entire team at Draper Associates for making us a part of their eco system” said Umair Masoom, the founder and managing director of myco Holdings.
Beyond cricket: Developing a global sports and content platform
While myco holds streaming rights to major cricket events including ICC tournaments, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Super League, it is also one of the few platforms investing in a wider range of sports. These include:
• The English Premier League (for three years)
• MMA and Karate Combat
• Padel, squash and volleyball
• Local tournaments and university sports
This broader content strategy, combined with an expanding catalogue of South Asian entertainment, positions Myco as a wider sports and entertainment platform rather than only a streaming service.
Strong growth and future plans
• Over 20 million users in Pakistan within 18 months
• Investment of $1.5 million (Rs42 crore) led by Tim Draper Investments
• More than 100 million video impressions per month, supporting monetisation
• Active users in over 100 countries, including Pakistan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and North America
• Supported by Aptos Labs, a leading Layer 1 blockchain provider, to develop myco’s upcoming Web3 wallet and digital rewards system
• Plans to launch a decentralised content model where users and creators can earn, own and engage with digital content in real time
• Aiming to reach over 50 million users by the end of 2025 through regional expansion and partnerships with telecom and media companies
With this recent investment, myco is expanding its operations across:
• North America, the Middle East and South Asia, with continued focus on Pakistan
• Its Watch and Earn rewards programme
• New content and sports partnerships including athlete sponsorships
• Fintech collaborations across key markets
About Paklaunch
Paklaunch is a global platform and community founded in 2020 by Fahd. Its goal is to connect the Pakistani diaspora with the country’s entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem. By offering access to resources, training and networking opportunities, Paklaunch supports the growth of startups in Pakistan.
The platform hosts events such as the Paklaunch Unconference and runs programmes including a digital accelerator for women entrepreneurs. Today, it is a growing community of more than 350,000 members across over 30 countries, helping drive startup funding, investment opportunities and global collaboration.
About myco
Founded in 2021 in the UAE by a Pakistani entrepreneur, myco is a media technology platform designed at the intersection of content, technology and financial inclusion. While often seen as a video streaming app, myco offers a broader experience that combines live sports, live television and a Watch and Earn rewards system.
The platform allows users not only to view content but also to receive value from their engagement through a reward mechanism.
Key features include:
• One of the first Web3-enabled video platforms to scale in emerging markets
• Over 20 million users in Pakistan within 18 months
• A curated selection of sports including cricket, MMA, squash and padel
• Expanding user base across Pakistan, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and North America
• A focus on creators and athletes, especially from underrepresented communities
• A user experience built around meaningful engagement and rewards
Following its success on Meet the Drapers, myco is now working to scale globally with the aim of becoming a leading Web3-based entertainment platform where audiences play an active role in the content economy.
This content is an advertisement by myco and is not associated with or necessarily reflective of the views of Dawn.com or its editorial staff.