“A lot of people ask me, why I started Azauj. I smile and tell them that it makes business sense for X or Y reasons, but today I’ll tell the entire story. It all started when my traditional yet progressive parents sought the services of matchmakers for me. At that time, I had no objections and followed suit. The matchmakers made me sit through uncomfortable meetings which could have been avoided, had they taken care of my credentials and requirements. I used to wonder how base and humiliating this entire procedure was. People, who you don’t know in the least, show up at your doorstep without any real prior contact, exchange of views and JUDGE you.
When I moved to UK for higher studies, I even more profoundly realized that almost every Pakistani family was facing this issue. Some of us value higher education while some prefer financial status. For some, only looks are the standard whereas for some caste is the major issue. In short, it is a complicated matter of filtering out matches that do not share similar values or world views. The more I observed and discussed with my friends, the clearer the urgency for establishing an authentic matchmaking service became and that is when I set out to build Azauj. Azauj is the pioneer of hybrid (algorithmic + human) matchmaking in Pakistan. We are out to bring a revolution in the lives of people, in Pakistani society by carefully, slowly and meticulously reforming the process of matrimonial matchmaking. So the next time you meet me and ask me about the business, be sure there is a very long story behind the smile.” -Sadia Saleem, CEO Azauj