Betatron Venture Group Backs 24Seven in Pakistan to Digitize Mom-and-Pop Shops

CEO Jarrar Shah (standing left of the van) and his team in front of a newly-rebranded convenience store. Photo credit: 24Seven

Betatron Venture Group announces today a US $1 million investment into 24Seven, a Lahore-based wholesale distributor of perishable and non-perishable goods serving the country’s 2 million mom-and-pop shops (called Kiranas). It is the first investment by Betatron’s newly-launched fourth fund, BVG IV. 

“Jarrar Shah and his team at 24Seven exemplify the types of startups we look to invest in,” says Betatron Managing Partner Arshad Chowdhury. “They’re digitizing a large, traditional industry with a business model that is growing fast, and can adapt to the stresses of climate change.”

24Seven’s service is particularly relevant as recent heat waves have severely reduced crop yields in Pakistan.

Originally a direct-to-consumer grocery store, 24Seven developed its B2B channel during Pakistan’s Covid lockdowns. 24Seven’s team - comprised of software developers, logistics, FMCG and agriculture experts - saw their local kiranas struggle to keep shelves stocked. The company started aggregating orders from kiranas in Lahore to negotiate bulk prices for perishable goods from a more diverse set of suppliers than any individual kirana owner could manage on their own.

24Seven’s store-specific data helps simplify the ordering process for up to 80% of each shop’s inventory. Shop owners enjoy lower costs and can better manage their cash flow with financing. The company’s B2B business has been growing over 40% each month, approaching US$50 million in annualized revenue. 

“With support from Betatron, we’ll expand to new cities as well as introduce ApniDukan, where we physically redesign and rebrand separate kiranas into a single brand and experience,” says 24Seven Cofounder and CEO Jarrar Shah.

Betatron Venture Group  is an early-stage tech investor based in Hong Kong and Singapore. The latest fund, BVG IV, typically invests between US$500k - US$2million at the Seed to Series A stages.

Betatron Venture Group is a licensed and regulated entity for Type 9 activities, asset management, under the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong.