InLights Solutions, founded by Mohammad Ahmad, won the PKR 1 million prize in Episode 3 of Perfect Pitch, titled “Shaping the Future of Learning and the Planet,” a competition series from the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, HEC, and HUM TV Network. Host Ahfar Rehman introduced a jury of Dr. Shoab A. Khan, Chancellor at CASE and CEO of C.A.R.E., Darakshan Sheikh Bohra, Chief Legal and Company Secretary at Rakami Islamic Digital Bank, and Yusuf Hussain, a tech innovation and venture capital expert, who opened by discussing how Pakistan’s startup ecosystem has matured over the past decade and the traits founders need to succeed. InLights pitched Pakistan’s first smart-city AI technology, a system that dynamically optimizes traffic light timings based on real-time vehicle density and prioritizes emergency vehicles, already tested as a proof of concept with the CDA on Islamabad’s 9th Avenue. Judges questioned the camera and computer vision logic’s handling of weather and darkness, gross and net margins, and plans to scale beyond traffic management into smart parking.
The episode opened with Chiragh Education Technologies, founded by Maira Siddiqui, pitching an EdTech platform and offline app called Chiragh Kids TV that delivers gamified primary school curriculum in local languages including Urdu and Sindhi to bridge educational gaps. Discussion covered its corporate sponsorship model called Chiragh Bardar, a team of six members, partnerships with foundations reaching more than 10,000 children, and plans to scale the curriculum further. Camsol Tech, founded by Dr. Sadia Naz and Dr. Maleeha Uroos, followed with a green-chemistry deep-tech pitch using agricultural crop waste such as stubble and straw to manufacture cellulose and green chemicals, aiming to prevent smog and reduce chemical imports. Judges examined the startup’s US-patented product, its commercialization model, a royalty agreement with Punjab University, and its potential for industrial-scale production.
Banana Leather, founded by Prof. Zeeshan Khatri and Farooq Ahmad, pitched an eco-friendly, vegan-certified leather alternative made entirely from banana plant waste stems, having already secured PETA UK vegan certification and generated 2.5 million PKR in revenue on 5,000 square feet sold. The panel raised questions about the startup’s need for dedicated marketing and sales execution to scale that traction further. Adversify, founded by Saad Siddiqui, pitched an EdTech and skill-learning platform offering industry-tailored developer courses in AI, blockchain, and IoT, connecting students with more than 250 placement partners. Judges probed curriculum speed, the platform’s approach to training FSC students toward job readiness without requiring a four-year degree, and expansion plans into Saudi Arabia. Adversify took the runner-up position.
The episode also featured a success story segment on Markaz Technologies, an e-commerce platform empowering micro-entrepreneurs across Pakistan, along with an audience contest asking viewers to define the term IPO. In the finale, jury members discussed their impressions of a lineup spanning EdTech, environmental deep-tech, and smart city technology, before Project Director of the PM National Innovation Award, Abdullah Soomro, took the stage to explain the deliberation process and the programme’s mission to empower young innovators. Soomro formally announced InLights Solutions as the winner of Episode 3, awarding the PKR 1 million prize for its AI-powered smart traffic signal technology. With startups spanning education, environmental chemistry, sustainable materials, and urban infrastructure, Episode 3 continued Perfect Pitch’s pattern of surfacing ventures tackling systemic, public-facing problems rather than narrower commercial niches.
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