Project Overview
ApnaBudget was born from recognizing the financial management challenges faced by Pakistani users, particularly students and young professionals who rely heavily on digital payments but lack proper expense tracking tools. Our team identified that most existing solutions were either too complex or not localized for the Pakistani market.
The Challenge
The main challenges included parsing unstructured SMS data with inconsistent formats across different banks and payment services, ensuring robust security while handling sensitive financial information, creating an intuitive interface for users with varying technical backgrounds, and maintaining accurate OCR performance on diverse Android devices with varying camera qualities.
Our Solution
We developed a comprehensive mobile-first platform that automatically parses SMS and push notifications from major Pakistani financial institutions. The app features intelligent categorization, OCR-based receipt scanning, budget tracking, and localized UI supporting both English and Urdu languages.
Key Features
Smart SMS Parsing
Automatically extracts transaction data from bank and wallet SMS notifications
OCR Receipt Scanning
Convert receipt images to expense entries using advanced OCR technology
Budget Management
Create and track custom budgets with category-wise spending limits
Multi-language Support
Native support for English and Urdu languages
Visual Analytics
Comprehensive charts and insights for spending patterns
Secure Data Handling
End-to-end encryption for all financial data and transactions
Technical Challenges & Solutions
SMS Format Inconsistency
Each bank and financial service uses different SMS formats and structures for transaction notifications.
Solution: Developed a robust NLP pipeline with pattern recognition that adapts to various SMS formats and continuously learns from new patterns.
Data Privacy & Security
Handling sensitive financial data requires strict security measures and compliance with local regulations.
Solution: Implemented end-to-end encryption, local data processing, and followed international security standards for financial applications.
User Experience Design
Creating an interface simple enough for non-technical users while maintaining powerful functionality.
Solution: Conducted extensive user research and iterative design testing with target demographics to optimize the user experience.
Device Performance
Ensuring consistent OCR accuracy and app performance across various Android devices with different specifications.
Solution: Optimized algorithms for mobile processing and implemented adaptive quality settings based on device capabilities.
Project Timeline
Market Research & Planning
User interviews, market analysis, and technical planning for Pakistani fintech landscape
MVP Development
Core SMS parsing, basic UI, and expense categorization functionality
OCR Integration & Testing
Receipt scanning functionality and extensive testing with local users
Beta Launch & Iteration
Beta release to FAST University community and iterative improvements
Scaling & Partnerships
Expanding user base and exploring partnerships with financial institutions
Key Results
Technologies Used
Before vs After
Client Testimonial
"Entropik Labs has been instrumental in bringing our vision for ApnaBudget to life. Their technical depth and product thinking helped us turn a complex idea into a usable, scalable solution."
