The Brave Next, a startup incubated at the Centre of Research and Entrepreneurship at Iqra University, known as IU CORE, has been named runner-up in the Davos Startup Challenge 2027 and selected for the CITADEL Cohort 3 Acceleration Program. IU CORE announced the news as a proud milestone and described the recognition as another significant step in the startup’s journey, reflecting its dedication to innovation, ambition and global growth. The company, which operates as The Brave Next Limited under the motto Innovate. Automate. Excel., is one of the startups from the university’s incubation program to reach an international competition.
The Davos Startup Challenge 2027 was run by Pathfinder CITADEL and concluded with a national ceremony in Islamabad on November 11, when 20 startups from Pakistan and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries were selected to take part in the Pakistan Pavilion at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2027. The challenge drew 617 applications. Runner-up recognition places The Brave Next among the strongest entrants in a field of that size, and its selection for the acceleration program gives it a further route to mentorship and support from the organizers.
The Brave Next builds tools powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision to improve safety in industrial workplaces, an area where automation can help companies spot hazards early. It joined the third cohort at IU CORE earlier, and it was also named runner-up in the Technology Innovation category at the 12th Tameer Awards in 2025. The new recognition adds to a record of national awards and competitions for a company that has grown out of a university incubation center in Karachi.
IU CORE said it continues to support startups from incubation to international opportunities, turning their vision into impact, and it congratulated The Brave Next on a remarkable achievement. For the startup, the combination of runner-up recognition and a place in the acceleration program offers visibility, contacts with investors and a structured path to grow beyond the local market. For the university, the result shows what a campus incubation center can achieve when its startups compete at national and global levels.
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