Close
Farhan Masood was a young teenager when he had his first taste of success. Today, he is currently founder and CTO of SoloInsight, Inc, a fastest growing biometric company working on advanced technologies. From a revenue of US$ 100,000 in 2012, his company grew exponentially and by 2016 it is valued at US $30 million.
With his larger than life personality, Farhan Masood instantly attracts attention. I met him while launching the GIST-ITech Competition in Pakistan, when Farhan was running Solo Tech out of Lahore.
His operation was small, but what I found noteworthy was his clear vision, great technical skills, passion and potential for growth. I spotted his lack of focus in terms of strategy and advised him to work in this area. Meanwhile, his hesitation in pitching himself to large customers and organisations was also clearly visible. He needed more confidence and experience to promote his products and services. I took him to the GIST program and we worked on these shortcomings. From that stepping stone, Farhan moved steadily and in the right direction. In six months, he entered BAP, where we coached him and set him towards achieving his business ambitions.
Farhan eventually went to the finals in Turkey and his firm was ranked amongst the top 10 at the competition. Later, in 2012 he came to participate in the MITEFP-BAP (Business Acceleration Program) and won it with distinction, against extremely tough competition. He also went to the MIT Entrepreneurship Center to attend the EDP (Entrepreneurship Development Program), and the rest is history. In just three years, the firm has gone from being worth under a million dollars, to a valuation of US$ 15 million with US$ 3 million in investment and with offices in US, Pakistan and China.
An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Farhan Masood runs one of the fastest growing Biometric and IoT (Internet of Things) companies working on advanced technologies in the world. With offices in the US, Pakistan and China, the company was set up with just US$100,000 in 2012. Today, it is valued at US$15 million, with seed investment of US$3.5 million.
Through willpower, hard work and sheer tenacity, Farhan was able to grow his company into a multi-million dollar business, demonstrating that one can achieve big dreams and ambitions, even while living in a developing country where all odds seem stacked against you.
Farhan was born in a middle-class family in Lahore, where his father owned an offset printing business. He was a cheeky and rebellious teenager, with a passion for computers. As a young boy, he bunked classes at his Urdu-medium school to spend his days at Hafeez Center, Lahore’s hub for computers. His passion and talent remained unacknowledged by his parents and teachers, while Farhan eventually dropped out of college to pursue a career in software programming.
In 1997, just short of his 20th birthday, Farhan was recognized by the Voice of America (VoA) for being the originator of the Urdu, Persian and Arabic language word processor on the internet. This confirmed the prediction of a fortuneteller, who had told his mother that one of her sons would become famous. The VoA interview propelled Farhan on to his journey as a consultant to governments worldwide and a career as a serial entrepreneur.
When he is not pursuing his high-powered tech ambitions, Farhan pursues social initiatives close to his heart. He heads a volunteer outfit called the Go Green Movement that organizes blood donations, fundraising and digital-activism campaigns.
To read more about Farhan’s dramatic rise as a dropout entrepreneur, his fall and then meteoric comeback as an entrepreneur, read Entrepreneuring Pakistan. Chapter 1.
