Karandaaz Pakistan, a leading impact investment platform dedicated to driving sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion in Pakistan, has forged a strategic partnership with Vizpro, a fintech platform aimed at transforming the “Middle Mile” of Pakistan’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) retail sector. This collaboration is designed to address long-standing inefficiencies in the country’s retail ecosystem, particularly in the way small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) handle transactions and access financial services.
By reducing the heavy reliance on cash-based transactions and offering small retailers the tools to access formal financial services, the partnership seeks to build digital financial identities for unbanked merchants. The integration of payment and credit solutions within this ecosystem will foster greater resilience, transparency, and growth across Pakistan’s retail value chain.
Waqas ul Hasan, CEO of Karandaaz, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “This is a bold step toward formalizing Pakistan’s vast informal retail sector by enabling small retailers to build digital financial identities. By adopting an all-digital approach, the project aims to demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of servicing micro and small enterprises, setting a precedent for ecosystem-wide innovation in inclusive finance.”
Vizpro, which operates through its digital platform Vizlink, has already onboarded over 13,000 merchants in Lahore, successfully digitized PKR 5 billion in merchant-to-distributor (M2D) payments, and developed a strong network of branchless banking agents. The platform collaborates with leading financial service providers such as Easypaisa and JazzCash. Recently, Vizpro entered into a financing partnership with CreditBook, further expanding its suite of services. FMCG giants like Pakistan Tobacco Company have also turned to Vizpro to streamline and digitize their trade and sales operations.
With Karandaaz’s backing, Vizpro is now set to scale its efforts to reach an additional 16,000 FMCG retailers across Tier 2 cities in Punjab and Karachi. Through its Vizlink platform, retailers will be able to place orders, make digital payments to distributors, and access short-term working capital — all within one integrated ecosystem.
One of the standout features of this initiative is the integration of Raast QR codes, which will allow retailers to accept instant digital payments from customers. This development is expected to accelerate Pakistan’s transition to a cash-lite economy, reducing the friction involved in informal cash handling and improving financial inclusion at the last mile.
Akbar Ayub Khan, CEO and Co-Founder of Vizpro, shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying, “We started by solving the cash management problem between retailers and distributors, and ended up creating a complete supply chain solution with digital payments, merchant finance, and a robust communications platform. Our partnership with Karandaaz has been transformative and will inspire wider adoption of digital tools and attract further investment into the sector.”
Sharjeel Murtaza, Chief Digital Officer at Karandaaz, added, “With this partnership, we are scaling a successful pilot to digitize M2D payments across major cities. More importantly, we’re demonstrating how fintech innovation can address the working capital gap for small merchants, bringing order management, payments, and financing onto a single platform.”
This collaboration represents more than just a technological upgrade for Pakistan’s retail sector; it exemplifies locally driven, scalable fintech innovation that is helping formalize economic activity and catalyzing grassroots-level transformation in the country’s retail ecosystem. Through this initiative, Karandaaz and Vizpro are not just digitizing payments—they are paving the way for a more inclusive, transparent, and resilient retail market in Pakistan.
