Vceela

Company

Vceela is a digital ecosystem for Pakistani artisans that connects them directly to local and international markets.

Problem

The artisan sector comprises 15% of the total workforce in Pakistan, making this sector the second largest employer in the country. More than 85% of artisans are not connected digitally, which makes them more vulnerable to exploitation from intermediaries.

Solution

Vceela empowers artists and artisans by connecting them to local and international markets and helping them build sustainable businesses through skill development, design consultation, viable partnerships and market access. Through Vceela’s mobile solution, artisans can source raw materials, market and sell their products, collect payments and receive microfinance more easily. The GSMA provided funding Vceela in March 2021 to scale their existing solution to reach more artisans and train them to use mobile services. The project has a particular focus on disadvantaged groups, including women and persons with disabilities.

Impact

Since partnering with the GSMA, Vceela has:

– Onboarded more than 97,000 users, including more than 78,000 artisans selling their products on Vceela’s web and app platforms. This includes nearly 64,000 female artisans.

– Increased the number of unique buyers on their platforms to nearly 23,000.

– Increased the average income of the artisans on their platforms by 41%.

A message from the founder

“Millions of digitally unconnected artisans don’t get the fair share of their creations as they are stuck in a centuries old exploitative system run by middlemen. Vceela creates an ecosystem which connects these unconnected artisans directly to the global market.”

– Akeel Khalid, Founder and CEO, Vceela