The National Incubation Center Karachi (NIC Karachi), an Ignite initiative under the Ministry of IT & Telecom, celebrated a landmark moment with the graduation of 30 startups from its 12th Cohort alongside the 1st anniversary of NIC Karachi.
Federal Minister for IT & Telecom, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, graced the ceremony as Chief Guest, joined by Mr. Rafique Ahmed Buriro, CEO Ignite, and Mr. Asim Ishaq Khan, Vice President LMKT, along with prominent industry leaders, investors and ecosystem stakeholders.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to the Prime Minister’s Digital Nation Vision, the Minister said: “The graduation of startups from NIC Karachi demonstrates the remarkable entrepreneurial talent and resilience of Pakistan’s youth. These young innovators are not only creating jobs but also reshaping industries and showcasing Pakistan’s potential on the global stage.
The Ministry of IT & Telecom, under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, remains fully committed to empowering our youth and building a knowledge-based digital economy by nurturing such ecosystems nationwide.”
Reflecting on Ignite’s role in enabling incubation across Pakistan, Mr. Rafique Ahmed Buriro, CEO Ignite,said: “NIC Karachi underlines how strong public-private partnerships can transform entrepreneurship in Pakistan. Ignite will continue to drive distributed innovation across the country, ensuring startups from all regions gain the support, mentorship, and access they need to build globally relevant solutions.”
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Speaking about LMKT’s vision, Mr. Asim Ishaq Khan, Vice President LMKT, added:
“NIC Karachi’s journey under the new consortium has been remarkable. Together with our partners YBG and Orbit Startups, we are building a robust pipeline of scalable businesses. The achievements of Cohort 12 are proof that with the right ecosystem, mentorship, and investor access, Pakistani startups can achieve global competitiveness.”
The graduation ceremony celebrated the grit and creativity of 30 startups from Cohort 12, who are now poised to scale their solutions across local and international markets. Alumni success stories were highlighted as examples of how NIC Karachi’s support translates into job creation, revenue generation and industry disruption.
Since its inception, NIC Karachi has incubated 375+ startups, created over 1 million jobs, generated over PKR 10 billion in revenue and raised more than PKR 12 billion in investment.
With the combined strengths of its consortium partners, the center continues to shape the future of entrepreneurship in Pakistan by providing free-of-cost incubation, mentorship, investor access, legal and financial advisory, and advanced labs in Fintech, Industrial Automation, and Media.
The graduation ceremony served as a testament to the government’s resolve to empower youth through technology and innovation, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of a knowledge-based digital economy.
