Healthwire, a health-tech startup in Pakistan, has closed $3.3 million in funding, attracting both local and international investors.

The funding round drew participation from 47 Ventures, Habib Bank Limited, Dilsons Private Limited and angel investors from Silicon Valley, informed the company.

Healthwire, operator of one of the largest horizontally integrated healthcare service providers in the country, was founded by Hamza Iqbal, with a vision to make access to quality healthcare accessible and affordable across Pakistan.

The startup intends to use the funding to further fuel its growth and become the healthcare super app of Pakistan.In a statement, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Healthwire, Muhammad Nabeel said, “The patient-doctor interaction is the point where the whole healthcare ecosystem converges. By having this interaction on our health-tech platform, we can ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to patients in the remotest areas of the country. The economies of scale of the tech platform allow us to ensure that this access is affordable and inclusive."

Khurram Zafar, Managing Director of 47 Ventures, and a seed investor in Healthwire said, "We are excited to be doubling down on one of the stars in our portfolio. The growth and momentum that Healthwire has built even during the tough COVID period is a testament to the strength and resilience of the team."

Commenting on the occasion Sagheer Mufti, COO at HBL said, “HBL is excited to invest in Healthwire, as it is an integrated healthcare digital platform. It will ease the customer journey and improve quality of healthcare, particularly multiple healthcare providers.”

“Dilsons strategy to invest in Digital Healthcare fits well with integrated solution provider Healthwire. This gives us an opportunity to be part of Digital Health ecosystem which will shape the future of health tech,” Hassan Sheikh, Director at Dilsons Private Limited said.

Startup space 2021

Year 2021 has witnessed a funding frenzy in the startup space in Pakistan with record funding coming in during the year. Overall, 2021 was an inflection point for Pakistani startup space where funding and investment into businesses went through the roof. Total funding in the startups was well above $300 million, which is six times higher than 2020 funding – the previous good year for startups.

Last week, Tazah Technologies, a Lahore-based agriculture B2B startup, announced that it has raised $4.5 million in fresh funding, taking its pre-seed round to $6.5 million.

This article first appeared in Business Recorder on Dec. 30. 2021