At the offset of COVID-19, Sri Lanka underwent one of many worst financial and social challenges. In the midst of the modifications, a locally-grown startup took it upon itself to cater for a minimum of a 100,000 Sri Lankans. The startup is PickMe, a ride-hailing and supply platform that has since offered a steady supply of earnings and mobility for tens of hundreds of Sri Lankan residents, making it a main instance for TechJuice to check and promote how a Pakistani startup ought to be.
PickMe: A Sri Lankan Success Story
Launched again in 2015 by native entrepreneur Zulfer Jiffry with backing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), PickMe has ballooned right into a full-blown “super-app” for mobility, meals, parcels, and logistics.
The core cause PickMe has not solely gained native however South Asian fame is that it thrived not simply the financial woes post-pandemic, however political upheavals and uncertainty which comes together with gasoline shortages. As of writing this text, PickMe is serving hundreds of thousands throughout city hubs and distant districts within the island nation. The experience hail firm solely not too long ago signed a recent partnership alongside LOLC Holdings and Browns EV to roll out inexpensive electrical autos for drivers.
Selected for the CFA Institute’s Research Challenge this yr, PickMe’s success story rests on its leeway: versatile hours for drivers netting as much as 5,000 rupees ($16) a day, emergency deliveries throughout crises, and tourism boosts for rebounding guests cautious of sketchy tuk-tuks. It’s the type of native tech triumph that retains the economic system shifting when every little thing else stalls.
What Makes PickMe Click?
PickMe realized early on that with a purpose to be resilient, they wanted sensible, grassroots adaptation. The app hooks into Sri Lanka’s distinctive transport combine i.e., tuk-tuks, vans, and automobiles, whereas filling public transit gaps with options like stay monitoring, SOS buttons, cashless funds, and scheduled rides.
During the pandemic, PickMe Flash zipped necessities like groceries and fuel cylinders to locked-down properties, even scoring particular passes for well being staff. Fast-forward to now, and it’s doubling down on driver loyalty with perks that really feel genuinely considerate. The app now presents household insurance coverage protection, the Nena Pahana program handing out faculty provides to prime performers’ youngsters, and that new EV rental scheme the place funds move straight by way of the app.
Expansion into company logistics and tourism-friendly providers has diversified income, making it a one-stop store that’s laborious to disregard. And with that, comes a pure animosity from the normal tuk-tuk operators: current flare-ups in locations like Ella even prompted police warnings, however PickMe navigates it by emphasizing coexistence and security, turning potential rivals into companions.
PickMe: Where it Stands Out
According to the energy analyses achieved by TechJuice, PickMe shines the brightest in its hyper-local focus and people-first ethos. Being homegrown means it will get the cultural nuances. The app additionally goes a mile forward in rewarding “high-performing” drivers with a purpose to construct retention in a gig economic system the place burnout is actual. PickMe has additionally gone on to combine Nastaliq-like native cost habits retains customers hooked. Sustainability initiatives, just like the 2026 EV push, align with international traits whereas fixing native ache factors like excessive gasoline prices.
Financially, its 2024 IPO and IFC backing offered steady capital with out over-relying on risky international VCs. This agility lets PickMe iterate quick, whereas enjoying a social position that earns goodwill from customers and regulators alike.
Flip the script to Pakistan, and the distinction is stark. Our native or working startups in ride-hailing and supply typically sputter the place PickMe soars. Take Careem: the UAE-based large pulled the plug on its Pakistan ops in July 2025, blaming financial headwinds like inflation, unemployment, and cutthroat competitors from locals like Bykea and globals like inDrive.
inDrive’s January 2026 grocery supply launch revives “super-app” desires, however fragmentation in logistics and commerce hobbles actual integration. Pakistani ventures lack PickMe’s deep native rooting. Many chase international fashions with out adapting to our driver-led market shifts, resulting in protests over sky-high commissions and paltry earnings. There are big talent gaps, mind drain, skimpy R&D funding, and creaky infrastructure, make scaling a nightmare for apps like these. Funding is a minimum of a joke: few high quality native VCs imply startups beg overseas, solely to face misunderstandings about Pakistan’s quirks, as seen in Careem’s exit.
Unlike PickMe’s welfare perks, Pakistani apps typically skimp on driver help, fueling dissatisfaction in an economic system gripped by stagnation and import dependency. No marvel innovation lags: the place PickMe builds EVs and rewards packages, we’re nonetheless battling fundamentals like dependable energy and regulatory purple tape.
Pakistan’s startups might be taught a ton from PickMe, i.e., prioritize native wants, spend money on driver ecosystems, diversify past rides, and chase sustainable funding.
