National Incubation Center Karachi signed four Memorandums of Understanding at the 13th Pakistan Investor Summit 2026, formalizing partnerships aimed at expanding startups’ access to mentorship, industry networks, technical resources, and entrepreneurial learning opportunities. The agreements were signed with the Saleh Kamel Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Organization, Karachi Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Korangi, UK Pakistan Tech Forum, and Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Forum, giving NIC Karachi’s startup ecosystem four distinct new channels spanning sustainable enterprise development, women-led business networks, and international tech and entrepreneurship communities.
The summit ran as a two-day initiative bringing together startups, investors, venture capitalists, business leaders, and ecosystem experts to promote investment and strategic collaboration. Day one featured pitching sessions from NIC Karachi’s Cohort 14 and Cohort 15 startups presenting their business ideas and scalable solutions to a panel of investors, alongside one-on-one investor office hours that let entrepreneurs hold more detailed conversations, explore potential deals, and receive tailored guidance beyond what a formal pitch session typically allows.
Day two moved to ITCN Asia, drawing a broader national and international audience of investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem stakeholders for an Investor Fireside Chat examining Pakistan’s investment landscape, followed by a Startup Showcase featuring six startups presenting their business models and growth potential. Speakers included World Business Angels Investment Forum Chairman Baybars Altuntas, Finserv Experts Managing Director Areiel Wolanow, Dr Wael Eldesouki Bedda of SKSEED, Cisco Pakistan Country Head Kashif Ul Haque, and Faysal Ghauri, bringing both national and international perspectives into discussions on investment, technology, and business growth. The summit closed with remarks from Secretary IT Gilgit-Baltistan Zameer Abbas, who highlighted the importance of collaboration among government, industry, investors, academia and entrepreneurs in unlocking Pakistan’s technology potential.
NIC Karachi Project Director Syed Azfar Hussain said the summit reflects the center’s continued commitment to building a connected investment ecosystem in Pakistan, adding that creating structured engagement between startups and investors facilitates capital access alongside knowledge exchange and mentorship. Established in 2018 at NED University Karachi and operated by LMKT and Lucky Landmark under Ignite funding in partnership with Orbit Ventures, NIC Karachi has incubated more than 440 startups whose combined portfolio has generated over Rs13 billion in revenue and raised more than Rs13 billion in investment, giving this year’s four new MoUs a track record of tangible outcomes to build on going forward.
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