Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai, Founder of YPay, a Cohort 5 startup at National Incubation Center Karachi, and Co-Founder of Plouton AI, has been honoured with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme’s Youth Excellence Award, presented by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on International Youth Day. The recognition was given in acknowledgement of Kidwai’s contributions to innovation, leadership, and social impact, with his journey reflecting the broader impact of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem and the role Ignite National Technology Fund has played through the National Incubation Center initiative in supporting young entrepreneurs.
Kidwai’s entrepreneurial path began after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Habib University and completing intensive data science studies at Stanford University, with his career starting at Deloitte as a financial analyst working on IFRS 9 modeling. He went on to found YPay Financial Services, a wealth management startup offering a digital mutual funds investment application, before later co-founding Plouton AI alongside fellow Habib University graduate Sarfraz Shahid Hussain.
Plouton AI, backed by Antler Singapore, operates as an agentic automation platform designed to help midmarket companies automate finance related workflows, using auditable browser based AI agents to manage tasks including invoicing, payroll processing, and month end reconciliation within existing tools such as Xero, QuickBooks, and Excel. Kidwai built the platform after observing how finance teams across many emerging markets continue to rely heavily on spreadsheets and manual processes, positioning Plouton AI as a solution that reduces the need for companies to purchase costly enterprise software.
Earlier this year, Kidwai and Hussain were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 list in the Finance and Venture Capital category, one of seven Pakistanis recognised across the list’s ten categories this year. Kidwai was also selected among forty companies globally to pitch at The Deel Pitch Singapore Regional Finals, presented by J.P. Morgan, adding to a string of international recognitions he has received over the course of 2026 for his work in fintech and finance automation.
National Incubation Center Karachi acknowledged Kidwai’s Youth Excellence Award as part of the continued visibility Pakistani entrepreneurs have gained on international platforms, with the recognition coming from Tech Destination Pakistan, Ministry Of IT and Telecommunication, Ignite National Technology Fund, LMKT, LuckyOne Mall, and Orbit Ventures. Kidwai’s trajectory, from an early fintech venture in Pakistan to a Singapore backed automation platform recognised by Forbes and selected for international pitch competitions, reflects a broader pattern of young Pakistani founders building ventures that extend beyond the domestic market into global technology and finance ecosystems.
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