women financial inclusion

Pakistan’s fintech startup Oraan has secured a fresh Oraan investment from Epic Angels, the world’s largest all-female investment collective, in a move that will support the company’s expansion of digital savings products, strengthen women’s financial inclusion, and accelerate its regional growth strategy. Oraan Investment to Drive Expansion of Digital Gold Savings The investment was announced in a press statement issued on Monday. While Epic Angels did not disclose the financial size of the funding round, it confirmed that existing investors WaveMaker and i2i Ventures also participated, reaffirming their confidence in Oraan’s business model and long-term growth potential. According to the company, the newly raised funds will primarily be used to expand Oraan’s digital gold savings product, increase its gold inventory, and support the fintech’s entry into new regional markets. Founded in 2018 by former investment banker Halima Iqbal, Oraan has built its business around improving access to savings, credit, and insurance services, particularly for women who remain underserved by Pakistan’s formal financial system. Digitising Traditional Savings for Women’s Financial Inclusion The company digitises traditional women-led savings groups, commonly known in Pakistan as committees or Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs). These informal savings circles have long enabled women to pool money regularly, with each participant receiving the accumulated amount in rotation without requiring access to banks or formal credit. According to Oraan, only around 2% of women in Pakistan have access to formal credit, despite an estimated 60 million women already participating in informal savings circles that collectively move billions of rupees each year outside the traditional banking system. By transforming these community-based savings practices into a secure digital platform, Oraan enables women to continue saving and borrowing through a familiar system while gaining access to modern financial services. Users contribute fixed monthly amounts into a shared savings pool, and each participant receives a lump-sum payment during an agreed cycle. This approach allows women to access significant funds without the need for a formal banking relationship or a conventional credit history. Digital Gold Savings Product Sees Rapid Growth In November 2025, Oraan expanded its services by launching a digital gold savings product that allows customers to purchase fractional gold through fixed monthly instalments with locked-in prices. According to the company, demand for the product has grown rapidly, increasing nearly 75-fold within its first seven months of operation. The latest Oraan investment will help the company further develop this product by expanding its gold inventory and improving access to secure long-term savings options for customers. Regional Expansion Strategy Gains Momentum Beyond Pakistan, Oraan is also extending its financial technology platform into international markets. The company has already signed an agreement to license its digital savings and credit platform to a regional bank, enabling millions of additional customers to access its technology in a new market. Commenting on the funding round, Oraan Founder and Chief Executive Officer Halima Iqbal said the company’s success reflects the strength of financial practices that Pakistani women have relied on for generations. “Women in Pakistan were never waiting for financial products; they were waiting for the financial system to catch up to how they already save.” She added that the company’s digital platform has successfully built on existing trust within communities rather than attempting to replace traditional practices. “Committees gave us their trust, gold gave them ownership, and now our technology is travelling to markets far beyond Pakistan. This round lets us do more of all three.” Epic Angels Backs Oraan’s Vision for Financial Inclusion Epic Angels said its continued support reflects confidence in Oraan’s approach to solving one of the biggest barriers to women’s financial inclusion. Maaike Doyer, Founding and Managing Partner at Epic Angels, said access to credit for women in Pakistan is fundamentally a matter of trust rather than technology. She noted that Oraan succeeded by digitising a savings model already trusted by millions of women instead of introducing an entirely new financial behaviour. Epic Angels first invested in Oraan in 2021 and has continued to support the fintech as it expands its range of financial services. Doyer said the global investor collective looks forward to helping Oraan scale further by leveraging its international network of investors and business leaders.