She Loves Tech is the world’s largest women and tech startup competition that is held in 14 countries: Pakistan, Africa, Canada, China, France, German, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and the UAE. CIRCLE this year again brought the competition to Pakistan in order to empower women by providing them with the proper platform where they can show their talent in the tech field in front of incubators and stakeholders.
The competition saw the participation of 500 startups and held different rounds in major cities of Pakistan i.e. Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad between June and August. The finals for She loves Tech Pakistan took place at theNational Incubation Center (NIC) Karachi on the 16th of August from5pm – 8pm.
She Loves Tech Pakistan Winner
The winner of the She Loves Tech Pakistan Final is Raaji. Saba Khalid, founder of Raaji speaking to IDG Pakistan about her experience at the event said “For She Loves Tech, I literally put everything on the line. I pitched my heart out. Demoing the product live in front of a panel of prestigious judges such as Naheed Memon, Faraz Khan and Yusuf Hussain was scary. But I had my mentor Jehan Ara looking at me with so much belief and compassion, I just had to do my best. At the end of the event, the crowd was rooting for Raaji to win. That’s a great feeling for any entrepreneur!”
She also added that this particular competition was important to prove to her and to motivate the team that their work/tech and direction is very important for not just Pakistan but the whole region. As the problems that Raaji tackles are not just in Pakistan but just as relevant in South Asia. Saba describes the opportunity to pitch at the global rounds in China and meet some fantastic top teams as welcome treat.
“I hope to make everyone who believed in me and invested their time with mentorship proud at the global round. I hope to connect with the right mentors, make company visits and learn more about the ecosystem in Beijing and spread this knowledge back home. I hope to make a space for Pakistani startups in China.” She said while talking about what she hopes to achieve while in China for the program.
Talking about inclusion of women in tech, she added that
“Women are so important in every field to shape the future. Diversity brings profits. There is a clear business case for inclusivity. If we want to build an equal and just world, we need to give the same opportunities to girls as we do our boys. I hope this year when I go pitching the app, there will be more female judges in Pakistan, female entrepreneurs in the crowd, and women who are invited as mentors and speakers. This time when they are asked to speak, it’s not just about the challenges they face but about their expertise.”
