ISLAMABAD: Pakistani entrepreneur Hassan Ahmed has achieved a major milestone after helping Respond.io secure a $62.5 million Series B funding round. Ahmed, who hails from Peshawar, serves as the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the Malaysia-based customer conversation platform.
The investment round was led by New York-based growth equity firm Camber Partners. The firm is known for backing successful technology companies, including Dropbox and Pipedrive. Existing investors also joined the funding round, including Endeavor Catalyst, whose board is chaired by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
Founded in 2017, Respond.io develops AI-powered software that enables businesses to manage customer conversations across multiple messaging platforms. These platforms include WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram, and WeChat. As a result, companies can streamline customer engagement through a single communication hub.
Today, Respond.io serves more than 10,000 businesses across over 180 countries. Furthermore, the platform processes more than two billion customer messages every quarter, highlighting its growing global presence and expanding customer base.
The latest investment also underscores the funding gap between startups operating in Pakistan and those based in more mature technology ecosystems. According to Data Darbar, Pakistan-based startups raised approximately $36.6 million through 10 disclosed equity funding rounds in 2025. Meanwhile, Invest2Innovate reported total startup funding of $74.23 million after including hybrid financing across 11 disclosed deals.
Even using the higher estimate, Respond.io’s $62.5 million funding round nearly matches the amount raised by Pakistan’s entire startup ecosystem in recent years. The comparison illustrates the greater access to international capital available to founders building businesses abroad.
Despite recent improvements, Pakistan’s startup investment remains significantly below the record funding levels of $347 million in 2021 and $331 million in 2022. Industry experts believe stronger investor confidence and policy support will be essential to revive the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and attract larger investments.
