# Babar Ahmed

> Babar Ahmed is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindstorm Studios, Pakistan's pioneering independent mobile game studio behind 1 billion+ downloads and global chart-toppers like Hexa Sort. A Stanford-trained electrical engineer who quit a Silicon Valley circuit engineering career to return to Pakistan and build a gaming company from the ground up, he has transformed a startup funded by his father into a 150-person studio with 2 million daily active users, while also co-founding M-Labs (a game development accelerator) and serving as head of strategy at AppLovin's Lion Studios.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Mindstorm Studios
- **Organizations:** Mindstorm Studios, M-Labs, Lion Studios (AppLovin), FlashRead, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
- **Nationality:** Pakistani
- **Education:** MS, Electrical Engineering & Management Science (Wireless Communication), Stanford University, BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
- **Known for:** Built Mindstorm Studios from a father-funded startup to 1 billion+ total downloads across 100+ titles, Whacksy Taxi topped Apple's App Store in 25+ countries, Developed the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 game

## Career timeline

- **2000-2004** — Studied Electrical Engineering at University of Texas at Austin
- **2004-2006** — Completed MS at Stanford University in Electrical Engineering & Management Science
- **2006** — Left circuit engineering job in Austin and returned to Pakistan; co-founded Mindstorm Studios in Lahore with brother Faraz Ahmed, funded by their father
- **2009** — Launched Cricket Revolution - a major 3D cricket video game with online multiplayer; explored distribution via Valve's Steam platform
- **2011** — Developed the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 game, gaining international recognition
- **2012** — Whacksy Taxi topped Apple's App Store in 25+ countries; Mafia Farm achieved commercial success
- **2015-2016** — Expanded studio operations internationally; served as Adjunct Faculty at LUMS; spoke at major Pakistan tech events
- **2018-2019** — Co-founded FlashRead as an additional venture
- **2019-ongoing** — Served as Head of Strategy & Technology at Lion Studios (AppLovin), a top-5 global games publisher
- **2020-ongoing** — Co-founded and seeded M-Labs, a game development accelerator targeting $1B Pakistan gaming industry valuation
- **2024** — Mindstorm Studios' Hexa Sort topped global App Store charts, competing directly against Monopoly Go! and other billion-dollar franchises
- **2025** — Mindstorm Studios surpasses 1 billion total downloads with 2M+ daily active users and 100+ game titles

## Achievements

- Built Mindstorm Studios from a father-funded startup to 1 billion+ total downloads across 100+ titles
- Whacksy Taxi topped Apple's App Store in 25+ countries
- Developed the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 game
- Hexa Sort reached #1 globally in 2024, competing against multi-billion-dollar franchises
- Grew Mindstorm Studios to 150 employees and 2 million+ daily active users
- Co-founded M-Labs game development accelerator to build Pakistan's gaming ecosystem
- Served as Head of Strategy & Technology at Lion Studios, a top-5 global games publisher
- Established one of Pakistan's first professional motion capture studios
- Adjunct Faculty at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
- Pioneer of the Pakistani game development industry - widely credited with establishing the sector

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Mindstorm Studios team shared CEO Babar Ahmed's New Year resolutions for 2025, reinforcing culture of open leadership
- **2024-12** — Hexa Sort reached #1 on global App Store charts, marking Mindstorm's most significant commercial milestone
- **2024** — Mindstorm Studios surpassed 1 billion total downloads with 2M+ daily active users across 100+ titles
- **2023** — Babar Ahmed gave an insightful talk on product design and studio culture shared widely via Mindstorm Studios LinkedIn

## Links

- Website: https://mindstormstudios.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/babarahmed
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mindstormgames
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOSifjwtcII
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindstormstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindstormstudios

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/babar-ahmed
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-07