NIC Karachi will host an online session with Saadia Kazmi of WATSUN Engineering and Solutions on navigating industrial regulations, covering ISO, NEQS and IEC compliance standards for founders.

A Mitsubishi Corporation delegation visited NUST's National Science and Technology Park to explore the university's startup ecosystem, incubation programs and potential areas of technology collaboration.

CEGA Lahore hosted Indie Gaming Eve in collaboration with IGDA Pakistan, bringing together indie game developers, studios and industry professionals for playtesting, networking and incubation program insights.

NIC Karachi will host an online session with Jahangir Ansari of Nettax on legal and compliance considerations for startups, covering company registration, founders agreements and clearly defined roles.

WISE Lab Cohort 1 women founders took part in a Pitch Deck Training Session at NIC Islamabad, led by Yasir Amjad, Saniyah Junaid, and Salman Ahmed.

WISE Lab has completed Induction Interviews for Cohort 1, with shortlisted women founders now advancing to the Final Pitching Round on September 28, 2026.

CEGA has extended applications for its Pixels to Powerhouse Cohort 3, giving gaming and animation startups until September 30 to apply for the six-month program.

NIC Islamabad has extended its Cohort 6 application deadline to 24 September 2026, giving founders in AI, HealthTech, FinTech, and other sectors one more chance to apply.

Pakistan Startup Fund is offering non-equity grants of up to 30% of a startup's investment round, ranging from $50,000 to $1 million, on a rolling application basis.

AIDE AI, an incubated Pakistani startup, has been accepted into Antler MENAP's Riyadh residency, building on connections made at LEAP to expand into the Saudi education market.

Overjet, the AI-powered dental care platform founded by Pakistani entrepreneur Wardah Inam, has been named to TIME's World's Top HealthTech Companies of 2026.

Forbes Asia's sixth annual 100 to Watch list highlights 100 startups across 16 countries, including Pakistan's LAAM Technologies and MedIQ, with AI-driven innovation dominating the field.

NIC Hyderabad startup Core Cognitive took its AI companion MINA to LEAP 2026, securing second place at the AWS Agentic AI Hackathon in Riyadh.

Innovative Pixels Art, an IU CORE-incubated startup, has been selected to represent Pakistan at Tokyo Game Show 2026 as part of the Pakistan Pavilion in Chiba, Japan.

NIC Islamabad hosted a World Bank Group and IFC delegation to discuss financing gaps, investor readiness, and bottlenecks in Pakistan's venture capital ecosystem.

The 13th edition of the Pakistan Investor Summit will bring investors, VCs, and startups together at ITCN Asia in Karachi on September 22 for pitches and 1:1 meetings.

LSE Capital Limited has entered a Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed disposal of its shareholding in Digital Custodian Company Limited to an unlisted financial services company.

NICAT startup Rein n Raus has secured SGD 200,000 in investment through the Innovation Challenge Futuremakers programme, marking a key funding milestone for the Cohort 05 venture.

Saudi digital payments company barq has closed a $329.5 million Series A at a valuation of $1.85 billion. Noon Investments, Sohar International Bank and M20 Fund took part in the round. barq plans to spend the money on new products, on running its operations more efficiently, and on moving into markets outside Saudi Arabia. Farooq now runs barq PK, the group's Pakistani arm, as Managing Director.

A Mitsubishi Corporation delegation visited NUST's National Science and Technology Park to explore the university's startup ecosystem, incubation programs and potential areas of technology collaboration.

NIC Lahore and the British High Commission hosted a networking reception exploring UK Punjab technology opportunities, led by Ben Warrington and NICL President Ayub Ghauri.

NIC Karachi signed four MoUs with SKSEED, KWCCI Korangi, UK Pakistan Tech Forum, and Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Forum at the 13th Pakistan Investor Summit.

Accelerate Prosperity and Karakoram International University Gilgit have inaugurated the EU-funded Centre for Green Innovation to support entrepreneurs in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Jazz Business has partnered with LCE LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship, with LCE shortlisting startup ideas for potential integration into Jazz Business's technology foundation.

IBA CEDIR leadership met with Ignite National Technology Fund CEO Muhammad Bilal Abbasi to explore research commercialization and university-industry collaboration.

OICCI has called on Pakistan to use recent macroeconomic stabilization to accelerate private investment, exports, energy security and structural reforms following a meeting with a visiting IMF delegation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met delegations of Pakistani-origin entrepreneurs in New York, urging investment and citing FBR reforms and agricultural innovation plans.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed SMEDA to formulate a comprehensive strategy for financial assistance to SMEs, focusing on capacity building and global market access.

Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh outlined steps to simplify business regulations, attract investment, and promote value-added exports through a new Business Facilitation Centre.

SECP registered 4,761 new companies in August 2026, pushing the national total past 311,000, with IT leading sectoral growth and Punjab topping regional registrations.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a committee reviewing Pakistan's National Private Equity Policy Framework to attract long-term 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.

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.

Actor Saagar Shaikh, known for Deli Boys and Ms. Marvel, will speak at OPEN Forum 2026 about building a career and staying authentic in an industry quick to typecast.

Nectar co-founders Misbah Uraizee and Farah U. will speak at OPEN Silicon Valley Forum 2026 on building an AI startup, backed by Google Ventures and Anthropic's Anthology fund.

Girls Into VC has opened Fall 2026 applications for its Mentorship, Fellowship, and Venture Research programs, closing September 28 for women exploring careers in VC.

Ignite is inviting Pakistani startups to apply for Pak-US Tech Connect 2026, a market access mission to Silicon Valley, Dallas, Washington DC, and Chicago in October.

Paklaunch has revealed the attendee lineup for UNConference'26.2, bringing over 120 founders, investors, and technology leaders including Faisal Aftab and Aatif Awan to New York.

Paklaunch is hosting its first Boston Meetup, bringing founders, builders, and professionals together as the community expands its US city footprint.

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.