The National Science and Technology Park invited United States entrepreneur and investor David D’Angelo to help its founders understand investment readiness and venture capital funding, and he led a session with startups at the park during his visit. D’Angelo broke down what actually gets a startup funded, covering risk aversion, de-risking, the growing weight of artificial intelligence in investor decisions, and what investors really look for in credibility and positioning. The session gave founders a direct look at how funding choices are made, drawn from an investor’s own experience rather than from general advice.
The discussion centered on the way investors think about risk. Venture capital investors tend to be cautious about backing companies whose outcomes are uncertain, so much of the founder’s task lies in reducing that uncertainty and showing evidence that the business can succeed. D’Angelo explained how de-risking works in practice, and how a startup that has answered the obvious doubts about its team, product and market is better placed to win funding. He also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in investor decisions, a factor that increasingly shapes how startups are assessed and how they should present their work. On credibility and positioning, he outlined the signals investors look for when deciding whether a founder and a company deserve their trust.
During the visit, Engineer Amer Sheikh, Director of the National Science and Technology Park, received D’Angelo and briefed him on the park’s innovation ecosystem and its research and development infrastructure. D’Angelo was accompanied by United States Embassy representatives Katherine K. Smith, Saifullah and Faryal Najeeb. Dr Rizwan Riaz, Pro-Rector for Research, Innovation and Commercialization at the National University of Sciences and Technology, also joined to greet D’Angelo and thank him for visiting the park. The presence of embassy staff and university leadership reflected the wider interest in connecting Pakistan’s startup community with experienced investors from the United States.
The park described the session as practical rather than theoretical, saying it showed how funding decisions actually get made. For founders at an early stage, understanding investors’ reasoning can change how they prepare, what evidence they collect and how they present their companies when they approach funders. Sessions of this kind give founders a chance to test their assumptions against the views of someone who has worked on both sides of the table, and they add to the park’s efforts to connect its startups with international investors and expertise. With many founders still preparing for their first major fundraising round, the lessons on risk, credibility and positioning offer a framework they can apply as they build their pitches.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
