A strong pitch starts with knowing how to tell a story, and WISE Lab Cohort 1 built its latest session around exactly that idea. As Cohort 1 applicants prepare for the Final Judging Round, shortlisted founders took part in a focused Pitch Deck Training session on September 25, 2026, held in a hybrid format, designed to help them sharpen their ventures and communicate their ideas with greater clarity ahead of the programme’s most consequential stage.

The session was led by Salman Ahmed, Program Manager at WISE Lab, who guided founders through how to structure, refine and present a startup pitch effectively. Rather than treating a pitch deck as a static document, the training focused on the pitch as something to be actively shaped and rehearsed, giving founders concrete steps to take before facing the judging panel in the final round.

The session also brought in expert insights from Yasir Amjad, GTM and PMF Specialist at NIC Islamabad, and Saniyah Junaid, Community Engagement Manager at NIC Islamabad, who shared practical guidance on go to market strategy, product market fit, audience engagement and effective pitch communication. Their involvement added a layer of expertise beyond pitch structure alone, helping founders connect their storytelling with the underlying business fundamentals that judges are likely to probe during questioning.

The training gave shortlisted founders practical tools and expert guidance to strengthen their pitch decks and present their ventures with greater confidence as they move toward the Final Judging Round. WISE Lab Cohort 1 continues to be supported by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Pakistan, Ignite National Technology Fund, JazzWorld, Mobilink Bank and Change Mechanics.

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