Emrecan Kerçek, Principal at Plug and Play, shared his reflections on the recent Investor Summit held at NICAT, offering his assessment of the founders and pitches he encountered during the event. Kerçek described the summit as exceptionally well organised, noting that its streamlined format kept sessions engaging and efficient throughout the proceedings.
In his remarks, Kerçek said he found the quality of the founders and the clarity of their pitches notable, adding that the event showcased the immense potential of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. Coming from a Principal at Plug and Play, a globally recognised venture capital and innovation platform with an active presence across multiple international markets, this kind of feedback carries weight as an external, comparative assessment of the calibre of startups emerging from NICAT’s programming.
Kerçek also expressed interest in staying involved and connecting further with the startups he encountered at the summit, suggesting the event may have opened up potential follow up engagement between Plug and Play and some of the founders who presented. For early stage startups, this kind of continued interest from an international investor and innovation platform can represent a meaningful next step beyond the summit itself, potentially leading toward mentorship, further investor introductions or other forms of support.
NICAT, the National Incubation Center for Aerospace Technologies, has continued to host investor facing events aimed at connecting its incubated startups with international venture capital and innovation networks, reflecting the centre’s effort to give founders working in aerospace and related deep tech sectors exposure to investors who may not otherwise engage directly with Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. The centre operates with support from Ignite National Technology Fund, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, NETSOL Technologies, the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park, Air University and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra.
Following the summit, NICAT has indicated that it is preparing upcoming cohorts for founders looking to scale their startups, positioning events like the Investor Summit as part of a broader pipeline connecting founder recruitment, incubation support and investor engagement within its ecosystem.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
