Spent the day evaluating founders for the upcoming cohort. It's always fascinating when you see seasoned entrepreneurs with years of experience pitching alongside first-timers who are learning on the fly.

NIC Islamabad Cohort 5 - Founders presenting at National Incubation Center with Tech Destination Pakistan branding

The Gap Isn't Always in the Idea

Sometimes it's in:

  • How they think about risk — Are they calculating or avoiding it?
  • How they talk to customers — Have they actually spoken to their market?
  • Whether they've figured out who actually pays — Revenue vs. wishful thinking

NIC Islamabad Cohort 5 - Startup pitch presentation showing real results from real factories with panel of judges

What Stood Out

The founders who'd done the work before walking in. They:

  • Knew their numbers cold
  • Knew their weaknesses and weren't afraid to admit them
  • Had a point of view on where they were headed

NIC Islamabad Cohort 5 - Panel of ecosystem leaders evaluating startups at National Incubation Center Islamabad

Day 2: Final Judging Round

40+ ecosystem leaders stepped in with clarity, insight, and a commitment to identifying what's truly ready.

And to the founders: presenting your work, standing by your decisions, and showing the discipline behind your progress — this is something to take pride in.

Reaching this stage isn't easy. What you've built to get here speaks for itself. This moment matters. And for many of you, it's only the beginning.

Stay ready. The final decisions are approaching.

The Ecosystem is Growing

NIC Islamabad continues to do the hard work of finding and nurturing this talent. Good to see the Pakistan startup ecosystem maturing.

Shoutout to fellow evaluators: Abdul Wahab Shahid, Ahsan Gaylani, Zibber Mohiuddin, Ali Waqas, Bilal Farooq Khan, Cynia Ejaz, Eisha Zeb, Komal Kenneth Shakeel, Bilal Asif, Iqbal Mir, Muneaza J Durrani, Muzaffar Narejo, Muhammad Sayaf Arbab, Atifa Asghar, Haseeb Shaikh, Karin Jork-Wellbrock, Quratulain Chaudhary, Raza Afzal, Salman Ahmed, and many more.

Supported by Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Pakistan, Tech Destination Pakistan, and Ignite - National Technology Fund.