The DEFTECH Incubation Program has received more than 400 applications from across Pakistan, marking a significant response ahead of its Selection Board scheduled for September 28 and 29 at the National Science and Technology Park. During the two day evaluation, shortlisted startups and small and medium enterprises will present their Defence and Dual Use technology ventures to a panel of experts drawn from industry, academia and NSTP itself, marking the next major step in narrowing the applicant pool toward the program’s incoming cohort.
The evaluation process will center on each venture’s underlying technology, market potential, business model and overall readiness to scale, giving the panel a structured basis for comparing ventures across a wide range of technical domains. Submitted solutions span artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, aerospace, cybersecurity and drones, reflecting the breadth of Pakistan’s emerging defence and dual use technology sector and the range of applications founders are pursuing within it.
The strong applicant turnout signals growing interest among Pakistani founders and technical teams in building solutions for defence and dual use applications, an area that has historically received less startup attention compared to more consumer facing technology sectors. The scale of response suggests that NSTP’s positioning of DEFTECH as a dedicated pathway for this segment has resonated with a wide range of technical talent across the country, from established SMEs to newer ventures still refining their technology.
The program is being delivered by NSTP in collaboration with THE AKD GROUP, a UK based organization, bringing together technology expertise, industry connections and investment opportunities specifically tailored for emerging Defence and Dual Use startups. This collaboration reflects a broader effort to connect Pakistani ventures in sensitive and specialized technology sectors with international expertise and capital, positioning DEFTECH as a program built not only to identify promising domestic ventures but also to link them with the resources needed to scale within a highly specialized industry.
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