Entrepreneurs
The Top Five Startup Incubators & Accelerators of Pakistan Transforming Startups
1. Plan 9 : Plan 9 from Punjab Information technology Board is the biggest Government owned Incubators which is doing wonders ever since its official launch . They are providing mentoring , Office space , Consultancy to improve Ideas , Help in regulation matters and seed funding for the startup . Plan9 has the privilege of being the biggest Startup incubator in Public Sector . Some of the Start Startups incubatees are : Magision , Mavenzo , Capital Stake , Club Internet ,Appography and Tourplanner.pk. Plan 9 specializes in Tech Startups .
2. The Foundation Incubator (LCE ,LUMS) : The Foundation Incubator is yet an other Business Management Institute Initiative . It is being run by LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship has been contributing a lot in fostering Young Business Graduates with Entrepreneurship Insight and initiatives . The Current Incubated Startups include Interrata , Cognitica ,interacta , biz clout , savaree and Playbolt . The Foundation incubator from LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship is contributing a lot in shaping the future of Startups and Entrepreneurs .
3.Plan X : The Plan X is yet an other initiative from Punjab Information Technology Board to help incubate mid Stage Startups and empower and quip them to the Success path . Plan X is also contributing in bringing in innovative Startups Ideas ,providing great work environment , Providing Tech Support ,Mentoring and Networking with the Angel Investors . Some of the Notable Startups in portfolio Plan X include : Xgear , Bookme.Pk , Baby Planet and Travly .The Credit goes to Punjab IT board for helping young Entrepreneurs with Tools and Support to do wonders in the field of Entrepreneurship .
4.Invest2Innovate (i2i) : Invest 2Innovate is yet an other Startup Incubator and accelerator with great Support and Mentoring help . i2i supports the Early stage Startups , trains them connects them with Agnegl Investors and provides them with required Tools and Knowledge to steer the Startup in a professional manner . They take young entrepreneurs for 4 Month training and groom them as CEO’s to run their Startups successfully . Some of the i2i Portfolio Startups include centericity, 3Restart ,Bliss ,Dheere Bolo ,Blue Sain and Meri Taaleem.
5.CED IBA : Centre for Entrepreneurial Development from institute of Business Administration Karachi in collaboration with Aman Foundation is yet an other Incubation center for Young Business graduates with Entrepreneurial instinct . CED nurtures , trains the Entrepreneurs with tools and techniques to pitch their Startups with rocking appearance . The are redefining the frontier and the goals with professional trainers , Ideal business related People and world Class environment with every Tech Support . IBA’s CED also offers the Courses and Degrees in Entrepreneurship for both male and Female . Some of the leading incubatees include : Stallion Deliveries ,LOL ,Fakat , Scoops and Loops and Ahdaas .
Economy
Sania Approves Cognitive API Architecture For Ehsaas’ One Window Socioeconomic Registry
Islamabad: The Cognitive API architecture for Ehsaas’ National Socio-Economic Registry 2021 is one of the six main pillars of ‘One Window Ehsaas’. With the survey, which is building the registry currently 90.5% complete nationwide, Ehsaas is firming up its plans to open data sharing and data access services for all executing agencies under Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD).
Data sharing will be done through the Cognitive API Architecture approach. The deployment of Ehsaas API architecture for data sharing will allow executing agencies to access data from the unified registry in real-time to validate beneficiary information. This will empower them to ascertain eligibility of potential beneficiaries. The benefits which each family and individual is receiving from each organization will be visible to all agencies across all Ehsaas programs.
There will be two-way data sharing; agencies with whom data will be shared will also be required to update the registry with their own information, hence the registry will become more robust over time. A final presentation was made to Dr. Sania Nishtar who closely oversaw this process. She praised the technical team working on Ehsaas Cognitive API Architecture approach and congratulated them. Later, this service will be extended to provinces and other government agencies implementing Ehsaas programs as well.
The API architecture for data sharing will facilitate adoption of the Ehsaas One Window targeting Policy. The objective of this policy is to make targeting predictable, evidence based, transparent and effective in the Ehsaas ecosystem. Under the same architecture, the Utility Stores Corporation has also been linked with the Ehsaas database, which will underpin execution of a commodity subsidies program. This approach is being adopted for the first time and will usher in transparency. Previously, there was no way of one government agency knowing what support an individual or a family was getting from another government agency.
Some families with connections and influence were getting multiple benefits and other more deserving ones were getting none. Now, with the data integration, Ehsaas agencies will be able to see what benefits an individual or the households is getting. But more importantly, it will also reflect their entitlement in terms of various Ehsaas programmes and initiatives, because the data sharing is pegged with the Ehsaas One Window targeting Policy.
The integrated registry and the cognitive API Architecture for the registry is one pillar of the One Window Ehsaas, which will be launched this week. It has six main components: one-stop-shop centers; an integrated digital interface facing the office; a digital information and services platform; a mobile app; an integrated database comprising of cognitive API architecture; and the standardized beneficiary targeting policy.
Digital
Karachi-based digital bookkeeping startup, CreditBook raises $1.5 million in seed funding
The Karachi-based digital bookkeeping startup CreditBook, which is trying to ensure that tracking of transactions goes digital, has announced that it has raised US$1.5 million in seed funding from international and local investors.
Key investors included Pakistan’s BitRate Venture Capital, VentureSouq from the United Arab Emirates, US-based Better Tomorrow Ventures, Ratio Ventures, Quiet Capital, Toy Ventures, and i2i Ventures.
Established in June 2020 by Hasib Malik, Iman Jamall, and Hisham Adamjee, CreditBook strives to help microentrepreneurs digitalize and track their transactions.
CreditBook aims to utilize the funding to scale its user base and diversify its product offerings. As indicated by the startup, its registered client base grew 5x in the last six months to reach 500,000.
“Before the launch in June 2020, we had planned to use a mix of digital marketing and offline acquisition. But with lockdown restrictions, we pivoted to a purely digital strategy. We were surprised when we saw thousands of users come onto the platform in the first month with less than $1,000 in total spend,” Malik told Tech in Asia. Via TechinAsia
Digital
Pakistan Moves Closer to Train One Million Youth with Digital Skills
Karachi, Pakistan, February 05, 2021 ………Pakistan has a large labour force that stands among the top 10 largest labour forces in the world, and it’s growing day by day. To create adequate employment opportunities for them is a huge challenge. On the other hand, employers frequently keep saying that they are unable to find workers with the appropriate skills necessary for their businesses. This obviously shows that there is a mismatch between the demand and supply of skills.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has shown that skills development can play a major role in the alleviation of poverty, when carefully planned and implemented in the context of the available and emerging employment and income-generation opportunities. This multiplies many folds when the skills are acquired in the digital spheres. It not only widens the work opportunities but also opens up avenues for entrepreneurial ventures as well.
Extreme Commerce, Pakistan’s largest and renowned E-Commerce capacity building platform has excelled in its mission of making Pakistan a hub of entrepreneurial opportunities. Under the guidance of Sunny Ali, thousands of aspiring individuals from Pakistan have successfully initiated global e-commerce businesses.
Extreme Commerce, Pakistan’s largest e-commerce skill development and the entrepreneurial platform has achieved yet another milestone with the expansion of 100+ skills training courses through the “Video Boot Camp (VBC).” The Video Boot Camp includes virtual sessions and videos encompassing around 100 essential e-commerce and digital skills required to excel in the spheres of online businesses. The Video Boot Camp training program is specifically tailored to facilitate the budding entrepreneurs and businessmen and freelancers.
According to Ali, “E-commerce has skyrocketed after the pandemic and is estimated to grow to a whopping $4.3 trillion within this year.” He further adds, “There is a huge potential for growth in eCommerce both domestic and international, and that is why Extreme Commerce has pledged to enable people to bring at least an additional $1 billion each year into the Pakistani economy through E-Commerce skills by 2025.”
The Video Boot Camp includes over a 100 plus income generating E-Commerce skills (income streams) which an entrepreneur needs to skyrocket their businesses. Some skills offered through the VBC include: Selling through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) model, Virtual Assistant and FBA Freelancing, online store management of international and local E-Commerce marketplaces, bookkeeping account management services, digital and social media marketing, content writing and graphic designing, 3D designing & modelling, data science and analytics and more.
This initiative of Extreme Commerce will be immensely fruitful in helping their trainees become leading entrepreneurs of the country. Ali, contented with his vision states, “At Extreme Commerce, we offer a multitude of digital skills that are categorized into 100+ courses/income streams under the umbrella of Video Boot Camp (VBC 2021). These skills are pivotal to reducing unemployment and enhancing the capital of our country.” Sharing his focus and goals, he adds, “Skills that actually help you succeed as an online freelancer and even in the real-life environment plus increase your income thereby, are our prime focus right now.”
Earlier, Extreme Commerce and Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum had signed a partnership to mainstream e-commerce in Pakistan, this includes capacity building initiatives for the media and industry players, including trainings, seminars and workshops.
The government of Pakistan has estimated digital skills global industry, often referred to as online outsourcing, is expected to generate gross service revenue between $15 billion and $25 billion in 2021.
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