In response to the growing funding challenges faced by startups in Pakistan, Telenor, in collaboration with Invest2Innovate (i2i), Special Technology Zones Authority – STZA, Visa, and Telenor Velocity, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in a strategic roundtable held in late 2024. This initiative aimed to identify the structural barriers to startup investment and develop practical recommendations for addressing them. Representatives from the State Bank, SECP, Ignite, telecom sector, investors—both local and international—alongside startups and ecosystem enablers actively participated in the sessions.
The roundtable served as a foundation for the Pakistan Startup Policy Brief titled Closing the Funding Gap for Startups in Pakistan, which is set to be officially launched on June 19, 2025, at Telenor Headquarters in Islamabad. The brief compiles the collective insights of industry leaders, regulators, investors, and entrepreneurs, emphasizing targeted reforms and ecosystem development. It proposes a roadmap to enhance access to capital, reduce bureaucratic friction, and support sustainable startup growth in the country.
The collaborative nature of this initiative reflects a growing consensus on the urgent need to reform the startup investment landscape. Stakeholders across the board recognize that without accessible financing options and investor-friendly policies, the full potential of Pakistan’s digital economy cannot be realized. The policy brief highlights key areas such as tax incentives, regulatory simplification, public-private collaboration, and investor protections as crucial levers for encouraging long-term capital inflows into the startup ecosystem.
The event and the resulting brief were made possible through the commitment of individuals and organizations passionate about building a more enabling environment for innovation. Contributors included professionals from Telenor, STZA, Visa, and i2i, as well as dedicated ecosystem actors like Saira Faisal, Syed Zeeshan Salahuddin, Hiba Fatima, Kamil Aziz, Muhammad Bilal Abbasi, Zeeshan Shahid, Mohammad Ali Ibrahim, Eisha Zeb, Zain Tariq, Shayan Yar Merai, Syed Fatima Wahla, Ahad Wazir, Ali Aamir, Saad Hasan, Omar C. Mohtashim, Ahmad Siddiqi, Khalique Zaman, Nayab Babar, Fahad Hasan, Navera Waheed, Wajiha Habib, Jehangir Ashraf, Raza Afzal, Noshad Minhas, Khushba Hayat, Vaqar Ahmed, Rafay Khan, Niazi Ahmed Qadir, Cynia Ejaz, Sarah Munir, Usamah Naveed, Hamza Saeed Orakzai, Aleena Khan, and Asim Ishaq Khan.
The launch of the policy brief is intended to be more than just a publication—it marks the beginning of a concerted effort to bridge the capital gap and lay the groundwork for a more robust and inclusive entrepreneurial landscape in Pakistan. The upcoming event will provide a platform for open dialogue and foster alignment among regulators, investors, and founders, reinforcing the collective drive to support innovation-led growth.
