Pakistani founded sneaker company Atoms raises over $2m from customers

Pakistani founded sneaker startup Atoms raised over $2m from some 450 customers in a private round, CEO Sidra Qasim announced on social media.

“A few weeks ago we opened up a private round for customers to invest in Atoms and it has been such an incredible experience,” she said in a LinkedIn post.

She said she personally spoke to some of the customers who invested to find out how they heard about the company, where they want to see it going, and to answer questions about how her team is building the brand

“It has been the most meaningful experience of my career,” she said.

In her post, she added that “every founder with PMF should do this once—you’ll remember why you’re building.”

PMF, or product-market fit, describes the degree to which a company has aligned its product offerings to its audiences’ needs and built a business model that monetizes that relationship.

“This is such a powerful move,” remarked early-stage startup advisor Saba Kalsoom.

“If your customers are your biggest advocates that they are actually helping you raise a round, they believe in your product and brand, it shows that your product actually resonates with your customers,” she told Business Recorder.

“For startups in Pakistan where VC capital is constrained right now, this model is worth exploring and I’m excited to hear about this,” she said, adding: “Whether it’s through pre-orders, community crowdfunding or customer-lead rounds, I think there’s definitely a growth opportunity here.”

Atoms is currently based in Brooklyn. According to the company’s wefunder.com page, it has raised $250,000 or more from a venture firm, and has $36m+ in lifetime revenue. It also states that it sold over 840,000 products including face masks and accessories to over 200,000 customers.

Atom’s cash in hand is $281,498, as of March 2025, it said. Over the three months prior, revenues averaged $204,000/month, cost of goods sold averaged $90,000/month, and operational expenses averaged $200,000/month.

Wefunder.com quoted one investor, Vijay Rao, who invested $415,000 in this round and has previously invested $15,000, as saying that “I invested in Atoms because the team is building more than just a sneaker company—they’re redefining what a modern footwear brand should be.”

“Atoms isn’t just about making great shoes (which they do exceptionally well); it’s about creating a brand that people genuinely love and want to be part of. Their commitment to quality, community, and innovation is unmatched.”