Elaj Ghar, a startup founded by Shawal Zahid and part of Cohort 3 at the Business Incubation Center at the University of Peshawar, has been shortlisted among the Top 30 finalists of the 13th Wafi Tameer Awards 2026. The center celebrated the result as a reflection of the innovation, dedication, and entrepreneurial potential of its Cohort 3 startups. The finalists were chosen from more than 700 applications representing 56 districts across Pakistan, which makes a place in the final group a mark of strong standing in a very large national field.
The Wafi Tameer Awards are run by Wafi Energy Pakistan Limited and recognize young entrepreneurs and innovators working on solutions to real problems. The previous edition drew more than 450 applications and named 30 finalists across six categories, so this year’s field of over 700 applications points to rising interest in the awards among founders in smaller cities and districts. Reaching the Top 30 from a pool that wide places Elaj Ghar among the best ranked early stage ventures in the country this year.
The next stage is the Final Pitch Day, which will be held on November 5, 2026, at Wafi House in Karachi. At the pitch day, the finalists will present their ventures to a panel, and winners will be named in the competition’s categories. For a startup incubated at a university center in Peshawar, a trip to Karachi to pitch before a national panel offers exposure to investors, industry leaders, and fellow founders from across the country, whatever the final result.
The Business Incubation Center congratulated Shawal Zahid and the Elaj Ghar team on the milestone and wished them success in the next stage. The announcement did not say which award category Elaj Ghar entered or describe its product, so the details of its pitch remain to be seen. What the center did make clear is that it sees the result as a sign of what its cohorts can achieve, and it has put the startup forward as an example for the founders now working through its program.
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