KARACHI — The National Incubation Center Karachi has marked a fresh milestone as NIC Karachi Cohort 14 concluded with the graduation of 25 startups. NIC Karachi, an Ignite initiative under the Ministry of IT and Telecom, held a ceremony to recognise founders who completed the year-long incubation path.
Officials described the batch as varied in talent, regional background and business journeys, presenting the graduation as both a celebration and a handoff into the wider market.
What the Project Director highlighted
Syed Azfar Hussain, Project Director at NIC Karachi, spoke about the achievements of the Cohort 14 startups and thanked council members and other stakeholders who backed them through incubation. He said seeing their progress over the past year was a source of pride, and pointed to community building, peer learning and collaboration as among the most valuable parts of such a programme.
He also stressed the diversity of the 25 graduating teams, framing that mix as a strength of the cohort rather than a side note.
Partners look back on the ecosystem
Dr Danish Ur Rehman Khan, Technical Assistant to the Vice Chancellor at NED University of Engineering and Technology, said he took pride in NIC Karachi’s journey. He credited the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ignite – National Technology Fund, and the NIC Karachi team for building and sustaining the centre.
Looking back to the early days, he said a vision to create a supportive space for entrepreneurs had grown into a thriving incubation ecosystem. He noted that the effort kept supporting startups and entrepreneurship in Pakistan even through hard periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sindh’s message to graduating founders
Ali Rashid, Special Assistant to the Sindh Chief Minister for Science, Information and Technology, attended as chief guest. He praised the graduating startups and spoke about openings in a more digital economy, where artificial intelligence and online platforms have made learning, skills and reach into international markets easier.
He restated the Government of Sindh’s commitment to entrepreneurship and encouraged founders to engage government stakeholders, link up with local and international investors, and look for collaboration. He urged them to stay positive, spot new chances, and keep building businesses that add to Pakistan’s economic growth.
For readers following Karachi’s startup scene, the ceremony closes one formal stage for these NIC Karachi startups while pointing them toward investors, public partners and wider markets. NIC Karachi Cohort 14’s graduation does not itself announce new funding rounds or job counts; it marks completion of incubation and a public push for the founders to keep building.
Aasan alfaaz mein
NIC Karachi ne apne 14th cohort ki 25 startups ko graduate kiya hai. Yeh centre Ignite aur IT ministry ke under Karachi mein startups ko train karta hai. Officials ne kaha ke peer learning aur digital tools ab founders ke liye mauqe badha rahe hain. Aam logon ke liye iska matlab yeh hai ke local startups mazboot hone se Karachi mein naye kaam aur digital services ke imkaan barh sakte hain.
