GSMA has opened applications for grants of £100,000 to £250,000 for artificial intelligence solutions that improve financial health. Applications close 17 December 2026.

The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a masterclass led by Shahid Khan at National Incubation Center Sialkot on how to innovate to increase profits.

OPEN Lahore and Devsinc host Beyond Borders on November 15 in Lahore with Usman Asif, Malik Danish, Faysal Sohail and Assad Koshul, moderated by Zeshan Qureshi.

Cohort 3 founders at the University of Peshawar’s Business Incubation Center will build brand stories and a 30 day content plan in a session led by Dr. Muhammad Hashim Khan.

GSMA has opened applications for grants of £100,000 to £250,000 for artificial intelligence solutions that improve financial health. Applications close 17 December 2026.

Hamdard University’s Business Incubation Centre has extended applications for Cohort 1.0 to November 12, offering mentorship, workspace, seed funding support and intellectual property commercialization.

SZABIST University’s ORIC is accepting ideas for ZEN Cohort 4, offering up to PKR 200,000, incubation space, training and legal support. Apply by 17 December 2026.

National Incubation Center Islamabad has announced its Cohort 6, selecting 36 startups from more than 800 applications for a six-month program of mentorship, investor access and business support.

ASPIRE Pakistan has opened applications for National Idea Bank V, a nationwide hackathon for early stage startups with a 16-week pre-incubation program and cash prizes up to Rs 100,000.

National Incubation Center Peshawar startup VM Nebula won the Technology Innovation Award at the 13th Tameer Awards 2026, hosted by Wafi Energy Pakistan.

RLabs, a startup incubated at NICAT, has won the Best Startup Award at Plug and Play in Silicon Valley, with congratulations from NICAT and Minister Shaza Khawaja.

Eila Foods, a startup from National Incubation Center Faisalabad, secured second position in the Startup Pitch Competition at the Pakistan International Agro Show at Expo Centre Lahore.

Zarai Baramdaat, a startup from National Incubation Center Faisalabad, has won Zarzaraat 2026, the Bank of Punjab sponsored agriculture startup competition, topping 25 participating AgriTech startups.

Nerdflow has announced it has been selected for Plug and Play Silicon Valley, giving the startup a place on one of the world’s leading innovation platforms.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has reportedly raised questions on Khaadi’s draft prospectus, including a Rs3,318 million revaluation gain and share pricing.

ABHI Microfinance Bank has priced its initial public offering at Rs 15.50 per share after book building oversubscribed by about 59 percent, with retail investors to subscribe on November 12 and 13.

Robotronics.ai, a Cohort 3 startup at National Incubation Center Lahore, has secured a six-figure dollar strategic investment after training more than 268,000 students across over 500 schools.

The Centre of Excellence in Gaming and Animation will host the invitation-only Vantage 2026 Investment Summit in Lahore on November 11, bringing investors, industry leaders and ventures together.

Pakistan’s stock market investor base has reached 656,218 unique identification numbers, up about 48 percent in a year, as Generation Z and millennials open accounts through digital platforms.

Paklaunch UNConference 26.2 gathered founders, investors and industry leaders at the Yale Club in New York on October 19 and 20, with the next edition set for Karachi.

A German Government and KfW Development Bank delegation visited Accelerate Prosperity in Islamabad, where Agrilift, Bioniks and Humanetek shared growth plans.

Punjab invites expressions of interest to establish six incubation centres with technology sandboxes across six cities. Submissions close on 10 December 2026.

TiE Islamabad hosted UN Women Pakistan for a quarterly review of the D4WEE programme, which aims to reach more than 6,000 women in Mardan, Swat and Peshawar.

A Japan International Cooperation Agency delegation and KPMG Japan visited National Incubation Center Faisalabad for a study on university startup ecosystems.

CEGA’s Karachi Frames 2026 gathered 500 plus attendees and 30 plus studio founders, with 120 plus submissions and PKR 125,000 awarded in two competitions.

Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani says exporters can borrow for machinery at 2 percent for two years and 5 percent for eight more, as the government eases SME finance.

The State Bank of Pakistan has introduced a wholesale and agency financing framework letting banks reach small enterprises and small farmers through microfinance institutions under the Risk Coverage Facility.

At a seminar at the Institute of Business Administration Karachi, experts said Pakistan must simplify overlapping rules and move regulators from controlling markets to facilitating them.

The State Bank of Pakistan has launched SMEConnect, a centralized portal where small and medium enterprises can apply for bank and development finance institution financing from November 1.

Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik announced a planned $10 million fund for clean-air startups, to be set up from the government’s own resources, at the Pakistan National Clean Air Conference 2026.

The Committee on the National Private Equity Framework, chaired by Muhammad Aurangzeb, reviewed bank limits and proposals to treat private equity funds as pass-through vehicles.

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.

Pakistan’s venture capital ecosystem needs stronger domestic institutional capital, better funding pipelines, and improved exit pathways to support startups scaling from early stages to global markets.

Regional instability, macroeconomic shifts and changing investor strategies are reshaping venture finance across MENAP as startups adapt to a more selective capital environment.

Discover how Sialkot's world-renowned sports manufacturing industry can evolve into sports-tech innovation, using smart equipment, AI, sensors, and connected technology to shape the future of global sports.

Pakistan Super League offers startups more than sponsorship. Discover how PSL can drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, and long-term growth.

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.

Payments provider enza raised $6 million in a Seed Plus round led by 4DX Ventures, with British International Investment joining, to expand across Africa.

The National Science and Technology Park at NUST has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Brazil’s Instituto Caldeira to expand collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship and startup development.

Five accelerator and incubation programmes across Qatar, Egypt and the UAE are accepting applications from startups, with deadlines ranging from October 2026 to February 2027.

Pakistan-US Tech Connect on October 23 and the OPEN Chicago Annual Conference on October 24 will bring founders, enterprise leaders and innovators together in Chicago.

OPEN Global has opened registration for its virtual Annual Women’s Conference on 19 November, focused on the well-being and resilience of women entrepreneurs and open to all communities.

OPEN Global has announced the PAK-US Tech Connect 2026 roadshow, bringing Pakistani technology leaders to Silicon Valley, Dallas, Washington D.C. and Chicago between 16 and 23 October.

Explore how Pakistan can transform its startup ecosystem and financial markets through capital market reforms, digital onboarding, venture capital development, fintech innovation, and stronger domestic investment structures.

Pakistan’s tech and startup ecosystem is evolving through AI, fintech, and global expansion opportunities, with investors highlighting challenges and pathways for founders to build scalable technology companies.

Dealroom data highlights Pakistan’s $4.2 billion technology sector valuation, startup funding landscape, venture capital challenges, and the role of diaspora-led global companies.