Disrupt Ventures leads USD 5.5 mn seed funding round for South Asian fashion marketplace Laam

Dubai’s Disrupt Ventures led a USD 5.5 mn seed funding round for Pakistan-based fashion marketplace Laam, which focuses on South Asian fashion and craftsmanship, according to a statement (pdf). The round also saw participation from Zayn VC, Graph Ventures, and Mentors Fund.

Where will the funds go? The funding will be used to support Laam’s expansion into the Middle East, including setting up an operational center for global order processing and ramping up ties with regional designers. The startup will expand into the UAE initially, according to the statement.

About Laam: Co-founded by Amir Iqbal (LinkedIn), Arif Iqbal (Linkedin), and Noor Us Sahar Arif (LinkedIn), Laam connects global consumers across over 100 countries to South Asian craftsmanship, through an e-commerce platform, with the goal of supporting South Asian artisans and small-to-medium-sized sellers to access international markets. The platform hosts the largest catalog of South Asian fashion globally, with over 100k items and over 1k brands. The startup additionally offers an AI-powered e-commerce infrastructure, Octane, which supports over 50 businesses globally.