Profile: These LUMS grads want to disrupt Pakistan’s Rs300-a-year “toss” market

For generations, cricket captains across Pakistan have relied on a simple, decentralised system to decide who bats first: a coin.

But according to three recent graduates of the Lahore University of Management Sciences, that system is “deeply inefficient,” “largely unmonetised,” and “no longer fit for a mobile-first Pakistan.”

Their startup, Tossr, is a smartphone application designed to replace the traditional coin toss with what the founders describe as a “secure, scalable, and data-driven decision-making experience.”

“We’re not saying coins don’t work,” said co-founder Ahmed R., speaking from a co-working space in Gulberg. “We’re saying they don’t scale.”

The app, currently in beta, allows users to digitally flip a virtual coin before cricket matches. According to the founders, Tossr solves several long-standing problems in the toss ecosystem, including disputes over fairness, allegations of biased coins, and what they call “legacy randomness.”

“At its core, this is a trust issue,” said another co-founder, Usman K. “When two captains walk out to the middle, there’s already tension. Why add an unverified physical object into the mix?”

Tossr uses what the team describes as a “lightweight AI layer” to ensure fairness, though they declined to explain exactly how the algorithm differs from conventional randomness. The app also stores toss results on a secure server, allowing teams to “refer back to historical toss data” if required.

Early traction has been “encouraging,” the founders said, citing several friendly matches and one taped-ball game in DHA Phase 6 where the app was briefly tested before a player produced an actual coin.

The team estimates Pakistan’s total addressable toss market at approximately Rs300 per year, a figure they insist is conservative and “does not account for future verticals.”

“When you zoom out, you realise tosses aren’t just about cricket,” said Ahmed. “They’re about decision-making. Weddings. Office disputes. Who pays for chai.”

Tossr plans to monetise through optional premium features, including branded toss animations, post-toss analytics, and a subscription tier for tournaments requiring “enterprise-grade fairness.”

The startup recently presented at a university demo day and is currently in talks with multiple potential investors, including one angel who requested anonymity because “he thought it was a joke at first.”

Despite skepticism, the founders remain confident.

“People laughed at ride-hailing. They laughed at food delivery,” said Usman. “Every major disruption looks silly at the start.”

Asked whether they had considered the possibility that the problem they were solving did not exist, the founders said they were “focused on execution.”

The team says a pivot is already under discussion, with future versions of the app expected to expand into “decision-making more broadly,” starting with an upcoming feature that helps teams decide who brings the ball, who brings the bats, and whether the match should be followed by chai or doodh-patti.

Until then, coins remain widely available.