Startups are heading to the small screen vying for big money. Pakistan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem will soon be shaped by two competing television shows. Season 2 of Shark Tank Pakistan is reportedly in development, with only one judge from the original panel confirmed so far, prominent investor Faisal Aftab. At the same time, ARY Digital has launched Bazaar on ARY, a hybrid of accelerator and primetime television. The channel has announced that it has shortlisted startups from its first round of registrations, signalling that the contest for investor attention has already begun.
Bazaar is not about pitches
Conceived over five years by Aly Fahd and Jerjees Seja with support from ARY CEO Salman Iqbal, the show represents a strategic attempt to address Pakistan’s systemic gaps through startup grooming, financing, and mentorship.
When Shark Tank Pakistan debuted on Myco in late 2024, expectations ran high. Its panel of “sharks” including Faisal Aftab of Zayn.VC (who had been able to fulfil his solo commitments), Rabeel Warraich of Sarmayacar, Aleena Nadeem of EduFi, Junaid Iqbal, Karim Teli, Romanna Dada, and Usman Bashir all brought prestige and promise to the international franchise.
But cracks began to appear. Founders frequently entered the spotlight unprepared, needing to distill complex businesses into three short minutes. Off-screen, more troubling issues surfaced: founders reported that on-air deals often dissolved in the silence that followed. One entrepreneur recounted being ghosted after initial discussions, leaving their startup stranded in limbo. Others echoed frustrations over mismanagement, legal friction, and mismatched expectations. One particularly breaking story centered on a record-breaking PKR 1.5 billion deal, later revealed never to have converted into actual funding. With only about eleven percent of deals coming to fruition, critics argued the show often offered spectacle more than substance.
Mentorship Before Pitching
Bazaar on ARY hopes to avoid repeating those errors. Rather than thrusting founders onto the stage, the show begins with a three-month accelerator-style bootcamp. Mentors guide entrepreneurs in refining strategy, developing their brand narrative, strengthening financial models, and practicing pitches. The goal is to ensure founders arrive presentation-ready.
A Massive Mentor Network
The mentoring panel features A-listers from diverse sectors including: Ehsan Saya of Daraz, Maha Shehzad of BusCaro, Zohaib Ali of Dastgyr, Dr. Sara Khurram of Sehat Kahani, Faizan Aslam of Bookme, and Asad Gabol of Moveit. This deep bench of ecosystem veterans ensures nuanced guidance, long beyond the television spotlight.
A Live Equity Exchange Model
What truly sets Bazaar apart is its real-time equity exchange design. Investors can make live investment offers on stage, and mentors receive a one-percent stake in the startups they coach—concretely aligning mentor incentives with founder success. Funding does not rely solely on flashy pitches; it can also flow through a joint ARY–PakLaunch fund and regulated public crowdfunding. Moreover, Bazaar is produced in collaboration with PakLaunch, bridging founder-investor connections with a credible global network.
Capital & Credibility at Scale
With PKR 100 crore in committed capital, the show opens funding pipelines for both idea-stage and revenue-generating ventures across sectors—from agritech to media. Critically, with its structured approach and accountability built into mentor equity, Bazaar aims to avoid the follow-through failures that plagued its predecessor.
