LMKT-operated National Incubation Center (NIC), Karachi held a graduation ceremony for 19 startups. This was the second graduation ceremony at NIC Karachi, as cohort 2 and cohort 3 complete their incubation cycle.
NIC Karachi, an Ignite – MoITT funded incubator is operated by LMKT in collaboration with NED University, HBL, PTCL, PPAF.
Chief Guest of the graduating ceremony was Syed Amin Ul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication. In his address, Mr. Amin Ul Haque stressed the importance of supporting young entrepreneurs and small businesses to help unlock Pakistan’s economic potential.
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Syed Junaid Imam, CEO Ignite, said that realizing the need for a robust innovation ecosystem in Pakistan, we are engaging with all key stakeholders through a multitude of interventions for building a robust innovation ecosystem for startups and entrepreneurship.
He added that startups were the epicenter of innovation and were fueling the growth of economies worldwide by creating new jobs, financial inclusion, reducing the income divide, contributing to the GDP and raising the standard of living.
CEO LMKT Atif Rais Khan congratulated the graduating startups on achieving this milestone. Recalling his own journey as a startup founder, he advised all the budding entrepreneurs to stay steadfast during troubling times as persistence is a true marker of success.
Shahjahan Chaudhary, Project Director NIC Karachi, emphasized the importance of collaboration between stakeholders to enable more young entrepreneurs to take on the startup journey.
Within five years, NIC Karachi is aiming to incubate over 200 next-gen businesses. The Center, established in 2018, offers Sindh-based entrepreneurs and promising startups a variety of programs. Ranging from two-day boot camps to year-long acceleration programs, as well as access to mentor and investor networks, and technical resources.
News & Image source: LMKT