ARY Digital Plans 25% Stake in Pakistan Creator-Finance Platform Create

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani satellite television network ARY Digital has signed a term sheet to acquire a 25% stake in Create, a Pakistan-developed financial platform serving the creative economy. The move is intended to strengthen the country’s creative-industry ecosystem, according to a joint statement.

Pakistan’s creative industry is one of the country’s most visible cultural exports, but credit practices remain inconsistent and structured financing is still inaccessible to many professionals in the sector. The partnership is expected to support more organized financial services through better recordkeeping, verified work and dependable access to capital.

Under the arrangement, ARY’s production houses and affiliated talent will gain access to Create’s funding services. The platform will also serve production companies across Pakistan, influencers, digital content creators and advertising agencies, with the goal of developing a shared financial ecosystem for the wider industry.

“For more than two decades, ARY has created platforms that give Pakistan’s artists and creators a stage, and we have always believed that our people are the true strength of this industry. Yet the creative community has not received the financial support and recognition that other industries enjoy,” said Salman Iqbal, CEO of ARY Group, which owns ARY Digital.

“Our partnership with Create is a step toward changing that, giving production houses, artists and creators across the country the backing they need to grow. We see this as a long-term investment in the future of Pakistan’s creative economy.”

Create combines creative-work management, invoicing, payments and financing in a single workflow. It verifies approved projects and uses the resulting transaction history to help eligible businesses and professionals obtain financing through its licensed financing partners.

“As a creator myself, I have experienced the workflow and payment challenges that exist across this industry firsthand,” said Create founder Momina Sibtain. “Create was built to solve for exactly these realities. Our partnership with ARY is an important validation of both the problem and the need for a structured solution, while giving us a tangible way to begin addressing it at scale.”

Fatin Gondal, Create’s founding investor, said simplifying access to capital for underserved businesses has remained central to the platform’s mission.

“With Create, it felt like a natural next step to take that same ethos and extend it to the creator and entertainment industry,” Gondal said.

Jerjees Seja, CEO of ARY Digital Network, said the company continues to expand support for the artists and creators who drive the industry.

“Through Create, we are working to give production houses, talent, influencers and creators the financial support to grow their work and build better lives,” he added.

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