The workspace platform that rents you a market, not just a desk - now open in Riyadh.
Above: the COLABS wordmark. A company that began in a single Lahore building in 2019 and, six years later, cut the ribbon on a 4,000-square-meter campus in northern Riyadh.
Most coworking operators sell square footage. COLABS sells something closer to a runway. Founded in Lahore in 2019 by twin brothers Omar and Ali Shah, the company built fully serviced, move-in-ready offices and coworking floors - then wrapped them in the back-office work that usually slows a growing company down: recruitment, payroll, and compliance.
That bundle is the point. For a startup scaling in Pakistan, or a foreign company trying to enter a new market, the office is the easy part. Everything around it - hiring legally, paying people, staying compliant - is where momentum dies. COLABS positions itself as the soft landing for exactly that problem.
In April 2026 the company carried the model into Saudi Arabia, opening a 4,000-square-meter flagship campus in the Al-Narjis district of northern Riyadh. Named COLABS Narjis, it was built for more than 500 members, from early-stage founders to enterprise teams, with 10+ meeting rooms, event space for 200-plus, a rooftop terrace, a podcast studio, a daycare, and an on-site cafe.
Underneath the amenities is a thesis about corridors. COLABS wants to connect the Pakistani and Saudi business ecosystems - two markets with deep talent and capital ties that have lacked shared infrastructure. The Riyadh campus is the first physical bridge.
Fully serviced, move-in-ready private offices, dedicated desks, and coworking seats for individuals, startups, and enterprise teams.
A soft landing for companies entering emerging markets - recruitment, payroll, and compliance handled so teams can operate from day one.
Programs blending entrepreneurship, innovation, arts, and music to build a real community around the desks.
Networking and partner programming for creators and founders - 500+ events hosted and a network of 250+ partners.
The 4,000 sqm flagship campus in northern Riyadh: 10+ meeting rooms, a 200-person event space, rooftop terrace, podcast studio, daycare, and cafe.
Monthly and annual contracts scale from a single seat to full private floors, with business support layered on top.
“Saudi Arabia represents a significant long-term market for us. Our focus is on building environments where ambitious companies can work more effectively.”
Partner and member brands include Spotify, EY, Endeavor, Google Cloud, and Rocket Internet.
| Round | Amount | Date | Selected Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $3M | 2021 | Indus Valley Capital, Zayn Capital, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Shorooq Partners, Kinnow Capital; angels Turner Novak & William Hockey |
| Total raised to date | $8M+ | 2026 | Shorooq Partners, Waseel Partners, Zayn VC, Indus Valley Capital, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Capital Valley, Waad VC |
Early support came via SABCON and was initially funded by Bangerhead, a Swedish e-commerce company. COLABS became Pakistan's first venture-backed collaborative workspace.
Twin brothers Omar and Ali Shah launch COLABS as a flexible coworking space and business accelerator.
A $3M seed led by Indus Valley Capital, Zayn Capital, and Fatima Gobi Ventures makes COLABS Pakistan's first venture-backed collaborative workspace.
COLABS expands to 10+ locations across Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, passing 5,000 members.
COLABS reveals its move into Saudi Arabia, backed by Waseel Investments, Shorooq Partners, and Waad VC.
A 4,000 sqm flagship campus opens in Al-Narjis, marking the company's entry into the Saudi market.
COLABS is a flexible workspace and community platform offering fully serviced offices, coworking space, and back-office business support for startups, scaling companies, and enterprise teams.
COLABS operates 10+ locations across Pakistan (Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad) and opened a flagship campus in the Al-Narjis district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April 2026.
COLABS was founded in 2019 by twin brothers Omar Shah (Co-Founder & CEO) and Ali Shah.
COLABS has raised more than $8 million from investors including Shorooq Partners, Waseel Partners, Zayn VC, Indus Valley Capital, and Fatima Gobi Ventures.
Beyond desks, COLABS bundles business solutions such as recruitment, payroll, and compliance to give companies a soft landing in new markets, and builds a community ecosystem blending entrepreneurship, arts, and music.