National Incubation Center Hyderabad hosted Pitch It Better, bringing together aspiring founders and Cohort 9 applicants to refine their pitches with feedback from judges Farhan Iqbal, Muhammad Ghayas Uddin, and Imran Azeem ahead of the next stage of their startup journey.

Muhammad Umair Arif, founder of NIC Karachi Cohort 12 startup The Disrupt Labs, was featured on ARY News morning show Bakhabar Savera discussing the importance of AI education in schools and preparing students for an AI-driven future.

Ignite, the National Technology Fund under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, marked International MSME Day by highlighting how National Incubation Centers, Pakistan Startup Fund, and BridgeStart are helping technology-driven startups become the next generation of high-impact micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Ignite has extended the application deadline for Indus RAS Expo 2026 to June 28, with the event now scheduled for July 22 and 23, 2026, at the Pak China Friendship Center in Islamabad, inviting robotics and autonomous systems startups to apply.

National Incubation Center Hyderabad hosted Pitch It Better, bringing together aspiring founders and Cohort 9 applicants to refine their pitches with feedback from judges Farhan Iqbal, Muhammad Ghayas Uddin, and Imran Azeem ahead of the next stage of their startup journey.

Abdul Muqsit Abbasi has launched Cya Later, a smart networking utility designed to help entrepreneurs, executives, and investors organize, remember, and manage meaningful professional connections from events and conferences. Join the waitlist at cyalater.app.

NIC Islamabad's Founder Institute is hosting a Customer Development session on June 23, 2026, led by mentors Ali Moeen of ezBike, Moon Aamir of Innoval Technologies, and Sarfraz Arshad of ToyCycle, teaching founders how to identify customer pain points and validate hypotheses before over-investing in the wrong direction.

CITADEL is hosting Cohort 2 Orientation and The Founders Meet 2026 on June 23, 2026, in Islamabad, featuring founder panels, alumni sessions, startup speed connect, and the official onboarding of Cohort 2 founders. Register and view the agenda at the official links.

HUMRAHI, founded by Muhammad Tashkeel Pasha and incubated at Sindh Enterprise Incubation Center, is a carpool platform connecting university students and workers traveling the same routes, reducing commuting costs and offering a smarter alternative to costly solo travel.

Muhammad Umair Arif, founder of NIC Karachi Cohort 12 startup The Disrupt Labs, was featured on ARY News morning show Bakhabar Savera discussing the importance of AI education in schools and preparing students for an AI-driven future.

CEGA has spotlighted three Karachi startups, Imagine World, TuPack, and Sabz Film, ahead of FUTUREPLAY Investor Summit 2026 on July 9, showcasing ventures in gaming, technology, and animated storytelling within Pakistan's creative economy.

CEGA has spotlighted Lahore-based studios Gameworm Studio and Glitch Games Studio ahead of FUTUREPLAY Investor Summit 2026 in Karachi on July 9, with Gameworm showcasing survival horror game Marzumai inspired by Pakistani folklore and Glitch building culturally diverse gaming experiences.

Haprow, a NIC Karachi Cohort 12 startup founded by Muhammad Ali Abbas, represented Pakistan at the 2026 Acceleration Week of the Global Youth Development Program in China, showcasing TimTim, an AI-powered social assistive robot for children with diverse learning and communication needs.

WaterGenix, a NICAT Cohort 06 startup founded by Muhammad Shahwaiz Akram, has been selected for the 2nd Islands Water Congress in Jamaica in 2027, presenting its nanomaterial-based atmospheric water harvesting system that addresses water scarcity using Superhydrophilic Photothermal Nanocapsules.

Revora, formerly known as MyAlice and co-founded by Shuvo Rahman and Daniyal Baig, has raised 2 million dollars in seed funding co-led by i2i Ventures and Oraseya Capital to build an AI operating platform for e-commerce merchants, with growth focused on Saudi Arabia.

NIC Faisalabad's Investor Summit 6.0 has confirmed the participation of Fatima Gobi Ventures, Amaana Capital, New Energy Nexus, Accelerate Prosperity, and Groundup, bringing investment expertise spanning technology, agriculture, healthcare, education, and sustainable ventures to engage with Faisalabad's startups.

Nectar Social, an AI-powered social engagement platform co-founded by sisters Misbah Uraizee and Farah U, has raised a USD 30 million Series A led by Menlo Ventures and Anthology Fund, with the founders based at Daftarkhwan Downtown in Lahore.

Respond.io, the AI-powered customer conversation platform co-founded by a Pakistani entrepreneur from Peshawar, has raised USD 62.5 million in a Series B round led by Camber Partners, reaching USD 35 million in annual recurring revenue with 169 percent year-on-year growth.

CEGA has opened an investor call for the FUTUREPLAY Investor Summit, inviting investors to connect directly with high-potential startups building in gaming, animation, and creative technology, from early-stage ideas to scalable ventures ready for growth capital.

TiE Islamabad hosted a fireside chat with Muhammad Bilal Abbasi, CEO of Ignite, led by Faisal Aftab of Zayn VC, exploring Pakistan's innovation journey and the opportunities emerging in the age of artificial intelligence for founders, investors, and policymakers.

NIC Islamabad hosted Simon Andrews, IFC Director for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, and Sahar Etezaz, IFC Country Officer, for a dialogue on connecting Pakistani startups with global capital, investment, and strategic partnerships to accelerate ecosystem growth.

Iqra University Vice Chancellor Dr Nassar Ikram met with Sindh Enterprise Development Fund CEO Khizar Pervaiz to discuss collaboration on entrepreneurship, skill-based training programs, and strengthening the startup ecosystem in Hyderabad and Tharparkar.

CITADEL participated in the SSBC Management Committee Meeting at COMSATS University Islamabad, with Bibi Maryeum serving as judge while students from Batch 13 and Batch 14 presented business ideas for evaluation, seed funding consideration, and induction into the SSBC incubation program.

NIC Karachi hosted Dr Javaid Laghari, Convenor of the HEC Task Force on ORICs and Incubators, alongside senior faculty from NED University of Engineering and Technology, for discussions on strengthening Pakistan's innovation ecosystem and university-based incubation centres.

NICAT and Jazz Business have signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which startup ideas and proofs-of-concept will be evaluated by Jazz Enterprise for potential commercialisation, creating stronger pathways from idea to market-ready solution for Pakistani innovators.

Ignite, the National Technology Fund under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, marked International MSME Day by highlighting how National Incubation Centers, Pakistan Startup Fund, and BridgeStart are helping technology-driven startups become the next generation of high-impact micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan is inviting inventors to apply for the WIPO Inventor Assistance Program, offering free legal support to file patents in Pakistan and internationally for those who lack the resources to protect their inventions. Apply at iap.wipo.int.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has approved Khudmukhtar Khatoon, the country's first digital financing product exclusively for women-led MSMEs, developed by Walee Financial Services, offering Shariah-compliant asset financing between PKR 100,000 and PKR 1.5 million through the Hakeem app.

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan participated in the first Entrepreneurship Day organized by CENTIN at University of Management and Technology Lahore, where Director General Rafia Syed emphasized integrating AI across export-oriented sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics to strengthen Pakistan's export competitiveness.

Ignite, the National Technology Fund under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, has extended the application deadline for the Prime Minister Cloud Program for Startups Batch 2 to July 10, 2026, offering selected startups up to 60 percent reimbursement on approved cloud costs and access to leading Cloud Service Providers.

Pakistan's Finance Bill 2026 has introduced two key reforms for the startup and venture capital ecosystem, including pass-through tax treatment for venture capital funds and the removal of withholding tax barriers on startup payments, reducing friction and encouraging domestic and international investment.

Shark Tank Producer Usman on the two-year Sony negotiation, the casting calculus, the off-camera valuation coaching, and the production mechanics that turned a skeptical market into the site of the biggest deal in the franchise's global history.

NICAT, in partnership with DEMO Pakistan (SPIN-IDG), hosted a session on data-driven decision-making, exploring how digitization, analytics, and innovation are shaping Pakistan’s economic and enterprise future.

Industry leaders discuss how fintech, agritech, and edtech are enabling women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan, while startups leverage technology, partnerships, and community engagement to scale solutions.

NIC Karachi hosted a session on Saudi Arabia’s PDPL, led by data protection expert Bilal Ghafoor, guiding startups on compliance, risks, and strategies for expanding into the Kingdom.

OPEN Exchange is hosting Reimagining Finance in the Age of AI on June 27, 2026, at Computer History Museum in Mountain View, bringing together leaders from Wells Fargo, Visa, Stripe, Payactiv, and Securiti AI to explore banking, payments, blockchain, and financial inclusion in the AI era.

OPEN Circle is hosting an exclusive Mentorship Breakfast on June 28, 2026, in Silicon Valley with Dr Maheen Mausoof Adamson, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford School of Medicine, covering the journey from academic science to healthcare entrepreneurship for researchers and founders.

An online information session on June 26, 2026, hosted with Silkroad Innovation Hub, introduces founders to two opportunities including Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 and the Alchemist Silkroad Silicon Valley Residency, offering investment, mentorship, and US market access.

Starline Accelerator has opened admissions for a free 12-week program supporting IT startups and innovative teams across Central Asia, offering mentoring, MVP development resources, investment pitch deck preparation, and direct investment opportunities from AP Tajikistan and AP Astana investment fund.

Pakistani startups are invited to join the Pakistan Startup Delegation at GITEX AI Turkiye 2026, taking place September 9 to 10 in Istanbul, with an early bird startup pod offer of 576 dollars available until July 10, 2026, organised by Dubai World Trade Centre.

Accelerate Prosperity brought together teams from Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Syria, Afghanistan, and Portugal in Istanbul from June 2 to 5 for a four-day strategic workshop focused on data strategy, climate-conscious impact measurement, AI-native founder support, and geographic expansion.

Pakistan’s startup ecosystem in 2025 entered a new phase shaped by selective funding, hybrid financing, debt-backed growth, AI innovation and institutional maturity, as startups adapted to tighter capital markets and evolving investor priorities.

Exactly two years ago, on 24th April 2024, the United Nations Development Programme’s State of Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Pakistan presented a comprehensive assessment of the country’s youth entrepreneurship landscape.

Circa early 2024, as Pakistan’s startup story was beginning to fray at the edges of what had only recently been framed as a breakout moment, the stepped in with a short but pointed intervention. Published on January 26, 2024, “Monumental Shifts in Pakistan’s Startup Landscape: For the Better or Worse?” was written at a time when the exuberance of 2021–22 had already given way to funding slowdowns, startup shutdowns, and a growing unease around valuations that had once been celebrated.