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.

Startups presented business models and growth plans at pitching sessions under SEDF’s Sindh Start-Up Acceleration Program as part of grant evaluation.

Khazra.ai, a NIC Lahore Cohort 3 startup, has signed a two year engagement with an Abu Dhabi government entity for AI carbon accounting, ESG reporting and decarbonization.

Arooba Tayyab, founder of Chainlytix and winner of SheXcelerate Pitch 2025, is building an AI powered supply chain platform that brings women owned suppliers into B2B trade.

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.

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 Hyderabad has opened applications for its tenth cohort, inviting aspiring founders and early stage entrepreneurs under the theme Made in Sindh, Ready for the World.

The Business Incubation Center at the University of Peshawar has introduced Cohort 3, bringing together 36 startups across innovation, technology, social impact and enterprise.

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.

HAS Handicrafts, a startup incubated at National Incubation Center Faisalabad, has won one million rupees in the Circular Economy category at the 13th Wafi Tameer Awards.

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.

Irverde-Gogreen has won the Leadership and Commitment Award at the 2026 UN Women Pakistan WEPs Awards for creating opportunities for women in Pakistan’s circular economy.

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.

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.

Accelerate Prosperity is growing its investment in Pakistani green enterprises that turn environmental challenges in waste, recycling, and renewable energy into viable businesses.

United States based private equity firm AshreiTech has made its first Pakistan investment, backing cybersecurity company Digit Labs. Terms were not disclosed.

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.

Khazra.ai, a NIC Lahore Cohort 3 startup, has signed a two year engagement with an Abu Dhabi government entity for AI carbon accounting, ESG reporting and decarbonization.

IU CORE incubated startup Innovative Pixels Art represented Pakistan at Tokyo Game Show 2026 in Chiba, Japan, as part of the Pakistan Pavilion.

Ecobricks, a resident startup at the National Science and Technology Park, showcased bricks, pots and furniture made from plastic waste and used beverage cartons at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute expo.

EcoMuhafiz, a Hatch 8 Cohort 6 startup, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aman Innovatia to deploy solar-powered devices that detect illegal logging and wildlife sounds.

A 60-member delegation from the Pakistan Navy War College, including officers from friendly countries, visited the National Science and Technology Park at NUST to learn about its innovation ecosystem.

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.

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.

At the AI and Digital Bridge Forum in Astana, accelerators including Alchemist, StartX, and Draper University discussed how Central Asian AI startups are reaching US customers and investors.

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.

KPMG Venture Pulse Q2 2026 reveals shifting global VC dynamics as AI-led investments dominate funding, while Pakistan startups adapt to tighter capital conditions and focus on efficiency.