Day 2 of National Incubation Center Karachi’s Action Hour Pitching for Cohort 16 brought another strong lineup of industry leaders and ecosystem experts who evaluated startup pitches, challenged founders with thoughtful questions, and shared insights aimed at shaping stronger and more scalable ventures. Running the pitching process across multiple days with rotating judge panels gives founders exposure to a wider range of evaluative perspectives than a single-day format would allow, while also reducing the risk that any one panel’s particular biases or blind spots disproportionately shape which startups advance.
The Day 2 panel included Imran Saeed, chief executive officer of Encore Pay, and Haris Ahmed, managing partner at FAMCO Associates, bringing fintech and financial advisory perspectives directly into the evaluation process. Dr. Majida Kazmi, associate professor at NED University of Engineering and Technology, added an academic and technical lens to the panel, while Muhammad Arshi Wasique, executive vice president for growth at Transvare Corporation, contributed a growth-focused commercial perspective distinct from the more technical or financial viewpoints represented elsewhere on the panel.
Arif Lakhani, chief executive officer of Qist Bazaar, and Jamshid Dastur, chief executive officer of Smartronix, brought operating experience from founders who have built and scaled their own companies within Pakistan’s technology and fintech landscape, giving pitching founders direct feedback from people who have navigated comparable early-stage challenges themselves. Muhammad Fahad Khan, head of acquiring products at Meezan Bank, added banking sector insight relevant to fintech and payments-focused startups pitching that day, while Waqar Ahmed, chief executive officer of Securitanium, brought cybersecurity expertise informed by his own startup’s prior experience showcasing at international events including GISEC in Dubai.
Ahsan Jabbar, chief executive officer of A&J Ventures and global.pk, rounded out the Day 2 panel, adding an investment and venture-building perspective to the mix of operators, academics, and financial sector professionals evaluating Cohort 16’s pitches. Assembling judges across such a wide spread of sectors, from fintech and cybersecurity to academia and corporate growth strategy, reflects the breadth of startups typically represented within a single NIC Karachi cohort, and ensures founders pitching in any given sector face at least some panelists with direct, relevant domain expertise. The event was supported by Tech Destination Pakistan, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ignite National Technology Fund, LMKT, LuckyOne Mall, and Orbit Ventures.
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