Paklaunch brought together founders, global investors and industry leaders at the Yale Club of New York City last month for UNConference 26.2, a two-day gathering held on October 19 and 20, 2026. The event was powered by Abhi, a fintech company that took part in the Y Combinator Summer 2021 batch, which served as title sponsor. Paklaunch was founded by Aly Fahd in San Francisco in 2020 to connect Pakistani founders with global capital, mentorship and networks, and it has since held UNConferences in cities from London to Riyadh before arriving in New York. This edition was designed as a curated room of conversations, strategic insights and connections for people working across the global startup and investment community.
Day one, on October 19, opened in the evening with welcome remarks, followed by conversations on global technology infrastructure, fintech innovation, scaling billion-dollar businesses and unlocking opportunities in Pakistan, and then dinner and networking. US Mobile hosted the dinner. Ahmed Khattak, Founder of US Mobile, delivered a welcome note in which he reflected on his entrepreneurial journey and the potential of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem, saying that Pakistanis can build for the world and create globally competitive businesses. He also urged the Pakistani entrepreneurial diaspora to move beyond individual achievements and build stronger institutions, networks and opportunities for the next generation, noting that collective influence creates lasting impact. Muneeb Ali, Founder of Stacks, gave a second welcome note drawing on his own journey and on his work in the Bitcoin and blockchain ecosystem, and Muhammad Bilal Lakhani, Host of Pehchaan, also opened proceedings with welcome remarks.
Day two, on October 20, was a full day of discussions covering artificial intelligence, global brand building, digital payments, venture capital, emerging-market investments, the Pakistani diaspora and wealth management. It also included focused Expert Circles meant to spark deeper conversations and actionable insights. The program drew 37 speakers and moderators, including Ahmed Khattak, Muneeb Ali, Samar Abbas, Farid Virani, Yawar Shah, Kabeer Naqvi, Allen Taylor, Dr. Mohammed Badi, Uzair Gadit, Ammar Hanafi, Aatif Awan, Adnan Durrani, Jerjees Seja, Jabran Niaz, Dr. Zeelaf Munir, Faisal Aftab, Baber Abbas, Osman Rashid, Haziq Fazal, Omair Ansari, Hassan Ahmed, Danish Munir, Zain Shamim, Teddy Himler, Ayesha Kiani, Asser Malik, Ali Asghar Moiz, Ali Afridi, Kalsoom Lakhani, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Aleem Velji, William Bao Bean, Shareef Nassim, Ahsan Jamil, Kirill Kozhevnikov, Shumaisa Rehman and Aadil Zaman. HAAF Group supported the event as Strategic Sponsor.
A long list of sponsors and supporters backed the gathering, including HAAF Group, viaPhoton, Liberty City Ventures, Wallstreet Alliance Group, Emaago, Pocket Money, Disrupt.com, Fulcrix Limited, StormFiber, VisionX, Qist Bazaar, Quartus Capital Partners, Utopia Pakistan, FYNNEXA, Taptap Send, Plexor, PoliKey, StrikeReady, tab, JS Global Capital Limited, Movement, Arif Habib Limited, ARY PLUS and Startup Pakistan. Paani Project supported the installation of five water wells, which extended the impact of the event beyond the business community. Organizers said the value of such a gathering lies in the relationships built, ideas exchanged and introductions made long after the two days end, and they announced that the next edition, UNConference 27, will be held in Karachi.
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