NIC Karachi and Orbit Ventures have announced the judging panel for Acceleration Cohort 4, bringing together an experienced group of industry leaders and experts to evaluate high potential startups ready to scale with speed and intention. The panel will assess ventures during pitching set for September 29, 2026, marking a key milestone for the cohort as it moves toward the next stage of its acceleration journey.
The judging panel includes Khushnood Aftab Shaikh, CEO of Viper Technology, Taha Kisat, CEO of Tech Exons, and Abeer Saleem, Chief Representative for Pakistan at Dubai Chambers. Also on the panel are Hussain Ali Talib, who leads Communications, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Unilever Pakistan, Nida Athar, CEO of INNOVentures Global, and Nidhal Shaikh, Marketing Advisor at TouchGrass Agency. Rounding out the panel are Mahwish Saad Khan, Chief Business Officer at Premier PayFast, and Inam ur Rahman, Founder of Irtiqa Consulting.
The panel’s mix of backgrounds spans corporate leadership, marketing, fintech, consulting and international trade representation, giving Cohort 4 startups feedback from several different vantage points rather than a single type of expertise. Having a judge from Dubai Chambers on the panel also brings a regional and cross border perspective into the evaluation, which could prove useful for startups with ambitions beyond the domestic market. Organizers say the judges’ experience, insights and industry perspectives will help assess the startups as they take the next step toward growth, scale and market impact.
Acceleration Cohort 4 continues to receive support from the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Pakistan, Tech Destination Pakistan and Ignite National Technology Fund, along with private sector collaborators LMKT, LuckyOne Mall and Orbit Ventures. With pitching now scheduled, the announcement of the judging panel sets the stage for the cohort’s founders to present their progress and be evaluated on how ready they are to move into their next phase of growth.
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