Aseel (platform)

Aseel
Company typePrivate
IndustryE-commerce and Humanitarian
FoundedMay 2019
FounderNasrat Khalid
HeadquartersArlington County, Virginia, USA
Area served
Europe, United states, Asia and Australia
ServicesOnline marketplace, Humanitarian aid delivery
SubsidiariesAseel Do Good
Websiteaseelapp.com

Aseel (Persian: Aseel, meaning “authentic”) is an Afghan e-commerce and humanitarian platform founded by Afghan entrepreneur Nasrat Khalid. The platform was established in 2019 to enable artisans sell their products abroad.[1] In August 2021, an emergency appeal for aid to Afghanistan was launched through the platform.[2] Since 2021, Aseel has operated as a hybrid platform that combines an online marketplace (“Buy Good”) with aid coordination initiatives (“Do Good”).[3][4] The platform also gives its technology to other international humanitarian organizations using AidOS.com (Aid Operating System).[5]

History

Aseel was founded in 2017 by Afghan entrepreneur Nasrat Khalid to create an online marketplace enabling Afghan artisans to sell handmade crafts internationally, a model Khalid described as akin to an “Etsy of Afghanistan.”[6] The platform officially launched in May 2019 at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, D.C.[7]

In August 2021, following the collapse of Afghanistan’s previous government earlier that month, Aseel broadened its scope to include emergency humanitarian response activities.[6][8] The platform introduced Aseel Do Good, a mechanism allowing individuals outside Afghanistan to contribute to aid distribution, marking a shift toward a hybrid commerce-and-aid model that combined its marketplace operations with structured humanitarian support.[9] Aseel operates key offices in Arlington (USA) , Turkey, and Afghanistan.[10]

Humanitarian activities

Aseel began humanitarian operations in August 2021, initially focusing on emergency food and shelter assistance in Kabul Province.[11] During 2022, these activities expanded to other provinces. In 2022, Aseel coordinated the distribution of emergency aid packages including food, first-aid materials, and child-focused relief items in 24 of 34 Afghan provinces.[12][13]

Aseel also participated in responses to displacement crises and natural disasters including earthquake-related relief efforts.[14] During the June 2022 earthquake in Paktika and Khost in Afghanistan, Aseel was among the responders.[15] According to its website, Aseel was also engaged in helping in 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes.[16]

Between 2019 and 2023, Aseel’s platform reportedly enabled 3,000 Afghan women to sell handicrafts and traditional products online.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ یوسفی, راحله (2020-09-30). "«اصیل»؛ شیوه‌ی جدید بازاریابی برای صنایع دستی افغانستان". روزنامه صبح کابل. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  2. ^ "In aid-starved Afghanistan, relief workers fight a forgotten hunger crisis". Dawn. 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  3. ^ "Aseel App Goes Where Others Won't, Bringing Humanitarian Aid to Afghanastan and Beyond | Knowledge Impact Network". www.knowledgeimpactnetwork.org. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  4. ^ "Why the 'Etsy of Afghanistan' expanded its focus to humanitarian aid". Devex. 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  5. ^ "Aseel Advances Its Mission to Help 1 Million People With Transparent, Verifiable Aid Delivery Platform". 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  6. ^ a b Kumar, Ruchi (2022-09-20). "He wanted his company to be the Etsy of Afghanistan. Now it has a crucial new mission". NPR. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  7. ^ "The Truly Global E-commerce: Connecting Artisans from underdeveloped countries to the Global Consumers – Awal". 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  8. ^ Peters, Diane; Canada, Reader's Digest (2023-07-05). "How an Artisan Website Became a Grassroots Disaster-Relief Organization". Reader's Digest Canada. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  9. ^ Latifi, Ali M. "How one mobile app is helping Afghans send aid". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  10. ^ Roeder, Kaela (2025-11-20). "This Arlington startup is looping Afghan and Turkish vendors into the digital economy". Technical.ly. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  11. ^ Kidangoor, Abhishyant. "How Afghan Startup Aseel Is Pivoting to Help Its Compatriots". TIME. Archived from the original on 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  12. ^ Huang, Robyn. "Afghan entrepreneur's e-commerce app pivots to help during crisis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  13. ^ Bailey, Beth (2022-03-31). "In Afghanistan, Private Aid Fills Void Left by Bureaucratic Failure". Reason.com. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  14. ^ Kumar, Ruchi. "Afghan earthquake rescue mission faces race against time". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  15. ^ "Our campaigns help people of Afghan: Aseel". International Finance. 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  16. ^ "Aseel Do Good's Impactful Distribution to Aid Turkey's Earthquake Survivors". Aseel. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  17. ^ "Empowerment: 3,000 Afghan women have access to online job opportunities". Salam Watandar. 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
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