National Incubation Center Lahore has said that five minutes could change the game for a startup, and it is building The Deal Room: Lahore around that idea. The event, scheduled for 26 October, will bring international venture capital firms, institutional investors and ecosystem leaders to the incubator for live pitches and rapid-fire questions from investors. Founders who want to take part can register by scanning the QR code on the official poster or through the registration link.
The format has three parts. Founders get direct access to international venture capital firms, they give live elevator pitches followed by rapid fire questions from the investors, and the event ends with networking among founders, investors and ecosystem leaders in one room. A five minute pitch followed by hard questions tests how clearly a founder can explain the business and respond under pressure, which is much like the first meeting with an investor in real life. The names that appear on the flyer include Tridorian, Gobi Partners, Aspire and 11 Ventures.
Gobi Partners is a pan-Asian venture capital firm that has been active in Pakistan for several years, through its Techxila funds and its joint venture with Fatima Group, and it has backed Pakistani startups in fintech, e-commerce and other sectors. The presence of such firms at the event gives the founders a chance to meet investors who already know the local market, as well as those who look at Pakistan from an Asian and global view. The announcement does not say how many startups will pitch or how they will be chosen, and it follows the incubator’s call for one more founder to join its Investment Summit.
National Incubation Center Lahore is one of the national incubation centres set up by Ignite National Technology Fund under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The centre is supported by NetSol Technologies Limited and Habib Bank Limited, together with Plug and Play Tech Center, Daftarkhwan, Beaconhouse National University, the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore and the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event adds to a busy month at the incubator that also includes a session on entering the US market and the closing of applications for its Cohort 5.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
