UAE-Based Paquik Bags US$85,000 Pre-Seed To Expand Its Cross-Border Crowdshipping Platform

Dubai-based cross-border crowdshipping startup Paquik has raised US$85,000 in a pre-seed funding round from angel investors to support the development and growth of its logistics platform. 

Established by brothers George Elian Antaki and Roger Antaki in the UAE in June 2022, Paquik operates as a mobile application that connects individuals who need to send items internationally with travelers already heading to the same destination. By using available luggage space, the platform enables peer-to-peer cross-border deliveries, supported by identity verification through know your customer (KYC) procedures, secure escrow payments, rating systems, and dispute resolution mechanisms. 

Explaining the origins of the platform, George, co-founder and CEO of Paquik, told Inc. Arabia that the startup originated from repeated logistical challenges faced in both business and personal contexts. “Through our family business, we often needed to send samples and small items across borders," he shared. "We also faced the same issue when sending gifts or personal items to family and friends abroad. The process was usually expensive, slow, and more complicated than it needed to be. At the same time, we saw thousands of people traveling daily between those same countries, often with unused luggage space. The problem wasn’t movement. It was trust and coordination. That's how Paquik was born.” 

According to George, the Paquik team first focused on building and refining the platform gradually before pursuing rapid expansion. “We bootstrapped the company from day one," he said. "Instead of rushing to scale, we focused on building, testing, and improving the platform. We wanted to understand real user behavior and make sure people were actually willing to send items with travelers as long as the right safety systems were in place. In principle, Paquik connects people who need to send items internationally with verified travelers already heading to the same destination. We don’t own planes, fleets, or warehouses, and we are not replacing the traditional logistics companies, but we add a significant advantage to their activity, as we are building a new layer of fast and affordable logistics by using means of transport and movement that already exist, and build trust around it.” 

Because the model relies on individuals transporting items across borders, George highlighted that Paquik has placed particular attention on building safeguards that support transparency and reliability across the platform. “The biggest risks are trust, safety, and compliance," he explained. "When people send items across borders through other travelers, questions naturally arise about identity, prohibited goods, customs rules, and delivery reliability. That’s why we built safeguards from day one. Every user goes through identity verification. Payments are protected through escrow. Both sides rate and review each other. Deliveries are tracked inside the platform. We also have a clear prohibited-items list aligned with customs and aviation regulations. All items must be handed over to travelers unpacked and unsealed. This protects both parties and creates transparency. Interestingly, we currently see about three times more trips posted than shipments. That tells us travelers trust the platform and feel safe using it.” 

George shared that Paquik launched by operating with a corridor between the UAE and Egypt, a travel route characterized by significant diaspora movement and steady demand for small shipments. Within this corridor, the company has recorded repeat user activity, generated more than $10,000 in early revenue, and grown its platform to more than 17,000 registered users. Building on this early traction, the company plans to kick off additional GCC corridors in 2026, while continuing to refine the platform and strengthen its trust infrastructure as it prepares for the next stage of growth. 

George noted that concentrating on a single route with regular traffic flows has allowed Paquik to develop the marketplace dynamics required for peer-to-peer logistics to function effectively. “Marketplace models need density," he pointed out. "Without enough supply and demand in one place, they don’t work properly. The UAE–Egypt route made sense for several reasons. There are around 3.5 million travelers moving between the two countries every year. That level of movement creates the liquidity needed for a peer-to-peer model. There is also strong family, social, and business connection between the two markets. Many residents in the UAE regularly send items to Egypt. Price sensitivity is also real. For small shipments, traditional courier costs can be high. That created a clear use case for a more flexible option. While UAE–Egypt remains our main validation corridor, the model has already proven adaptable. We've faciliated shipments from China to Egypt, within Germany, from Europe to the UAE, and between KSA, UAE, and Egypt. Still, our strategy remains corridor-first. Each route must prove itself before expansion.” 

Its early traction and operational discipline has thus played a key role in attracting Paquik's first external investors. Reflecting on the fundraising process, George said, “We had already spent more than two years building and testing the model ourselves—we didn’t go to investors with just an idea! We went with a proven concept. There were a few important milestones. First, we showed real activity on the UAE–Egypt corridor. Not just registrations, but actual transactions. Second, we proved that trust could be structured. Identity verification, escrow payments, and clear platform rules were not features, they were the foundation. Third, we demonstrated capital efficiency. Because we operate an asset-light model, we were able to validate demand without heavy infrastructure or large marketing budgets. The pre-seed round helped us strengthen the product, improve operations, and grow the team. Based on this early validation, we have opened our seed round to expand the platform across new GCC corridors while strengthening our trust infrastructure.” 

Looking ahead, George believes peer-powered logistics will increasingly complement traditional delivery networks. “Globally, crowdshipping is growing around 17 percent annually," he noted. "When global logistics company UPS acquired the American crowdsourced delivery startup Roadie, it showed that peer-powered logistics can work alongside traditional courier companies, not replace them. We believe the future of cross-border delivery will be hybrid. Large commercial shipments will continue to rely on traditional infrastructure. At the same time, structured peer-to-peer models will unlock unused capacity in high-travel corridors. Our goal is to build responsibly and integrate into the broader logistics ecosystem.” 

Reflecting on the broader opportunity for peer-to-peer logistics models, George shared advice for other founders considering entering this space. “Marketplace businesses look simple, but they are very difficult to build," he said. "First, focus on density before expansion. It’s better to dominate one strong corridor than launch across multiple weak ones. Second, build trust into the product from the beginning. In peer-to-peer logistics, safety systems are not optional, they are the foundation. Third, be patient. Liquidity and repeat behavior take time. Finally, stay capital-efficient early. We bootstrapped for more than two years before raising. That forced us to refine the model carefully and validate real user behavior before bringing in external capital. If you’re entering peer-to-peer logistics today, focus on structure, compliance, and long-term thinking. When built responsibly, these models can unlock real value by using movement that already exists.” 

Pictured in the lead image is Paquik co-founder and CEO George Elian Antaki. Image courtesy Paquik.