Applications are OPEN for NIC Faisalabad 3rd Cohort – deadline 2nd July, 2023
Startup founders, come join our 3rd Cohort at the National Incubation Center, Faisalabad and turn your groundbreaking idea into a successful business. We are looking for disruptive and enthusiastic startups, willing to scale and grow their business with NIC Faisalabad. Applications are open till 2nd July, 2023.
We wrapped up the biggest investor,venture capitalists, and industrialist event at NIC Faisalabad which brought together some of the most renowned names in the business community of Faisalabad. Their eagerness to co-create and invest in the startup ecosystem is a testament to the potential of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Faisalabad. We believe that with the collective effort of the business community and startups, we can unlock the true potential of the city and lead the way in creating an ecosystem of innovation, growth, and progress.
In our unwavering mission to create an enabling environment and raise awareness about the significance of investing in startups among local industrialists and the community, the team of NICF, along with the exceptional team of Sarmayacar Ventures, held a constructive meeting with Mr. Musadaq Zulqarnain, Chairman & CEO of Interloop, and Mr. Javed Iqbal, CEO of Sitara Energy Limited, to explore potential investment opportunities in Pakistani startups.
At NIC Faisalabad, we are on a mission to ignite a startup revolution in Faisalabad, empowering the local community to shape the future of Pakistan. We organized an exciting dinner for top industrialists in collaboration with Dr. Khurram Tariq, President of FCCI, and Waseem Afzal, Chairman of Naturals Farms. The gathering included leading entrepreneurs from the city, igniting a fresh wave of innovation and progress. The event was a resounding success, our team made a lasting impact by highlighting the significance and necessity of local industrialists coming together to put Faisalabad on the map.
In a time when startup investments are experiencing a dip worldwide, NIC Faisalabad is collaborating with its partners to foster corporate innovation. Our startups had an exciting opportunity to pitch their ideas to Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited leadership for possible collaboration and investment.
NICF x TMUC MOU
NIC Faisalabad has signed an MoU with The Millennium Universal College Faisalabad. The signing ceremony took place between Murtaza Zaidi, Managing Partner - NICF and Verda Yousuf, Head of Institute - TMUC. With NICF's extensive experience in incubating and accelerating startups and TMUC's commitment to providing quality education and training, we believe that this partnership will pave the way for many successful startups in the future.
Startup News!
Our startups, Guiltless Pleasure Eating (GPE), Nutriments, and Balash had the incredible opportunity to showcase their business ideas at "Igniting the Spark: Empowering Youthpreneurs," organized by NDCS FMU. The event provided founders with an amazing platform to network with industry experts, connect with like-minded individuals, and engage potential customers.
We facilitated our very own startup Balash for TEXPO 2023, the largest textile exhibition in Pakistan. Balash helps local e-commerce startups by providing innovative ideas and products to create digital assets that can be sold in international markets and to aggregators. This was an extraordinary opportunity for the startup to leave its mark, engage with industry giants, forge meaningful connections with experts, get market insights and generate leads.
We are excited to have successfully facilitated our very own startup Innovate-itt for the Engineering Asia International Exhibition. The exhibition provided a fantastic opportunity for the startup to showcase its innovative product and services to a wide audience of potential customers and investors.
We are excited to share that NICF startup Royal Trading Company is selected among the top 50 startups and has won 0.5 Million at the Prime Minister Youth Program - National Innovation Award in the Food Security Category. We are immensely proud to be associated with such an exceptional startup and congratulate Raees Awan for this well-deserved honour.
Our Growing Community!
We had an exciting day with the team from Sarmayacar Ventures, led by Rabeel Warraich, Founder & CEO, along with Aman Nasir, Partner, and Osama Riaz, Investment Associate. Their visit was filled with excitement as they witnessed the incredible pitches of our founders and interacted with some of the top industrialists of Faisalabad.
We were delighted to host NUST Business School students at NIC Faisalabad and ignite their passion for entrepreneurship. During their visit, the students were exposed to a world of endless opportunities available at NIC Faisalabad, where they learned about the latest trends and technologies shaping the entrepreneurial landscape. It was inspiring to see their eagerness to explore new ideas and embark on their entrepreneurial journey with passion and determination.
We had the pleasure to host Frantzie Saint Juste, Senior Program Manager, and Temur Aziz, Consultant of New Business Development from Chemonics International. Together, the Chemonics and NIC Faisalabad teams explored potential avenues for collaboration, identified exciting opportunities for joint initiatives, and exchanged invaluable ideas. The future holds great promise for advancing climate-smart agriculture in our partnership.
We welcomed the bright minds of NUML University to NIC Faisalabad's dynamic startup ecosystem. Guided by our passionate team, the students embarked on a transformative journey, exploring the boundless possibilities of entrepreneurship and the power they hold to shape Pakistan's economy. From a captivating tour of our state-of-the-art facility to firsthand encounters with visionary startups, the students witnessed the vibrant energy and unwavering dedication that drives our community forward.
We were truly honoured to welcome the amazing Khawaja Saad Saleem, Chief Operating Officer & Co-founder of Nayatel, to our vibrant startup hub today. As he embarked on a captivating tour of our dynamic ecosystem, he witnessed firsthand the incredible synergy between technology, ambition, and disruptive innovation. We thank Mr. Saad for gracing us with his presence, sharing invaluable insights, and inspiring our emerging stars.
We were glad to have had Daneyal Adeeb, Head of Commercial Excellence, and Haris Inam, Digital Lead at Engro Fertilizers, join us at NIC Faisalabad to connect with our disruptive startups. Our startups seized this incredible opportunity to pitch their groundbreaking ideas, leaving Daneyal and Haris amazed by the ingenious concepts presented. They expressed their keen interest in funding these ventures, showcasing their enthusiasm for supporting innovative startups.
Training Sessions
We had the pleasure of hosting Faisal Sherjan, Managing Partner at Sustainabl Advisory LLP for an insightful session on Customer Profiling and Market Research. Through a combination of market research and customer profiling, startups learned how to identify key traits and behaviours of the target audience and how to stay on top of industry trends and seize growth opportunities.
Dr. Aamna Khalid, CEO of Avant Visionaire, joined us at NIC Faisalabad for an enlightening session on "Storytelling and Pitch Mastery." With profound expertise, she emphasized the pivotal role of storytelling in driving business growth. During this transformative session, founders uncovered the art of crafting a narrative that effortlessly showcases their startup's problem-solving prowess and irresistible value proposition.
We were pleased to have Fouad Bajwa, CEO and Co-founder - Agriculture Republic to share his wealth of experience on "Revenue and Pricing" for startups. Fouad shared practical tips on how to create a sustainable revenue model that is both scalable and profitable. The session was highly engaging, with participants asking Fouad all sorts of questions on revenue and pricing for early-stage ventures.
Our Pitch Deck Development and Practice workshop with Samar Hasan, Founder of Epiphany, was an absolute game-changer. From honing in on the perfect message to nailing the delivery, Samar led founders through every aspect, helping them to articulate their vision and mission with conviction, clarity, and enthusiasm. Her insightful feedback and practical advice gave startups a profound understanding of what it takes to craft a winning pitch deck that not only captures investors' attention but also moves them to invest in our vision.
