Ignite National Technology Fund, which works under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, has invited applications from innovative Pakistani tech startups to take part in GITEX Expand North Star 2026 in Dubai. The event runs from December 8 to 10, 2026, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, and the application deadline is November 10, 2026. Ignite describes the event as one of the world’s largest gatherings of startups and investors and is urging founders to take their startups to the global stage.
The call lists four main benefits for participating startups: global exposure, investor networking, funding opportunities, and international collaborations. Founders who take part can showcase their innovation, meet investors from around the world, and explore routes to funding that are difficult to reach from Pakistan. Exhibiting at a large international event also lets young companies test their pitch with buyers and investors from many countries in a few days, which would take far longer through remote meetings.
Ignite has taken startups to the event before. It sponsored ten Pakistani startups at Expand North Star in 2024, and in 2025 the Pakistan Pavilion at the event, opened by the country’s envoy to the United Arab Emirates, featured ten startups under Ignite, with dozens more Pakistani startups exhibiting independently. The 2026 edition is also a change for the show itself, since GITEX Global and Expand North Star are moving together to Expo City Dubai, with the main GITEX Global show set for December 7 to 11.
Interested startups can apply through the Ignite application page before the deadline on November 10. With about twelve days left, founders who want a place should prepare their applications now. The announcement did not state how many startups will be selected or what support Ignite will provide beyond participation, so applicants should check the application page for the terms. For Pakistani tech startups looking for investors and customers abroad, the call offers a chance to be part of the national presence at one of the region’s largest technology events.
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