Savaree
Cab service that offers affordable and safe rides.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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Savaree emerged in Pakistan's nascent technology scene as a platform for peer-to-peer carpooling. The company was founded in 2014 by Madeeha Hassan and Qasim Zafar. The initial concept was born from Hassan's personal experience with the difficulties and high costs of commuting to her job as a graphic designer. This firsthand frustration with inadequate public transport led her to envision a service where car owners could share rides with passengers traveling along the same route, thereby splitting fuel costs.
The venture began at a Code for Pakistan hackathon in early 2014. It was here that Hassan pitched the idea and partnered with Zafar. Together, they built a prototype in just two days, which won the audience's favorite award at the event. Following this early validation and with encouragement from her peers, Hassan left her job to dedicate herself to the startup, with Zafar joining as CEO to handle the technology side while Hassan focused on product development. The Android application officially launched in April 2014. To foster a secure environment, the platform initially required users to register with their official ID and real names.
The business operated by providing a mobile application that acted as a marketplace for drivers and passengers. Drivers would post their intended routes and departure times, and potential passengers could search for and book a ride that matched their travel needs. This model targeted daily commuters in urban areas facing traffic congestion. Savaree was incubated at the LUMS Center of Entrepreneurship (LCE) and later participated in the Invest2Innovate (i2i) accelerator program. The company's journey culminated in its acquisition by Careem, a major ride-hailing service in the region, in March 2016 for an undisclosed sum. As part of the acquisition, the entire Savaree team, including founder Madeeha Hassan, was integrated into Careem, where she took on the role of Product Lead for Pakistan.
Keywords: Savaree, Madeeha Hassan, Qasim Zafar, Careem acquisition, Pakistan startup, ride-sharing, carpooling app, Lahore tech, LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, Invest2Innovate, P2P transportation, commuter solutions, mobile application, civic hackathon, transport tech, Pakistan e-commerce, urban mobility, fuel cost sharing, early-stage venture, tech acquisition