Betting on Commitment to Decentralized Aid in Afghanistan; Fuels $4.7 Million Seed Round for Aseel

Washington DC, 10th May 2023] Aseel, a US-based startup that made global headlines announcing its pivot to start humanitarian work in addition to its artisan work in Afghanistan in August 2021 when all international organizations evacuated, has officially begun its seed investment round.

The startup announced that through its decentralized aid platform, it has officially crossed the line of support to over half a million people. The startup now aims to raise funds and support another 9.5 million people; its new target is to help 10 million people transparently through its uber-eats-like decentralized distribution model. The founder, Nasrat Khalid, added, 'While nobody has come up with good news or solutions in the Afghan crisis, Aseel on Bootstrap has proved times and times again that a new technology-based approach which supports the people to help themselves is the only solution that will work.' In addition, He mentioned that their new mission is to get the Afghan crisis from deep red to yellow by assisting 10 million people in 16 months.

Aseel began its operations in Afghanistan in 2017 to support local artists selling their products worldwide. It has been pitched mostly as an Etsy-like platform; in August 2021, the company shifted its focus to support the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan after the UN and other major humanitarian groups halted operations. Aseel has helped with every major disaster that has hit Afghanistan, including earthquakes, floods, bomb blasts, malnutrition, ultra-poor support, etc. In addition, the technology has been extended for both the humanitarian and artisan side to Turkey as its second country of operations.

The Aseel team comprises mainly youth and a decentralized network of heroes (called "Atalan"); Aseel has already provided emergency food and humanitarian relief to half a million people while identifying each beneficiary with an Omid (Hope) ID, proving its commitment to serving the Afghan people. The upcoming investment will enable Aseel to scale its operations and turn the crisis's needle from deep red to yellow in less than 16 months.

Aseel's innovative platform allows donors to securely transfer funds to needy families, bypassing traditional channels plagued by overheads and corruption. The Atalan Network ensures that aid delivery happens at the local level, from a local shop to a family that needs support, right to their doorstep. The same approach is used to onboard handmade vendors and deliver their items to the US and Australian Markets.

Aseel has grown 1000% sustainably for the last three years; it's the beginning of a different company that will change the humanitarian and developing world. Contributing to Aseel's seed funding round is an opportunity for anyone to join in the effort to alleviate the economic hardships faced by people in conflict and underdeveloped zones. To learn more about Aseel and its seed round, please visit: aseelapp.com/seed.