Ecosystem Check-in: August Edition
Invest2Innovate (i2i)
An Ecosystem Designed to Foster Innovation, Amplify Impact, and Fuel Growth for Startups!
Title: Ecosystem Check-in: August Edition
TL:DR
Hello Readers,
As we wrap up July, it’s clear that Pakistan’s startup ecosystem isn’t slowing down. From big investor moves to cross-border partnerships and powerful new tools for founders and teams, the momentum continues. This month, we’re spotlighting stories of scale, policy shifts, and opportunities that are shaping what’s ahead. Let’s get in.
Industry & Ecosystem Highlights
Bazaar Technologies has acquired digital payments company Keenu to build Pakistan’s first integrated commerce-fintech platform. This strategic move brings payments in-house, enabling seamless transactions within one ecosystem similar to Alipay and PhonePe. With over $100M in funding, Bazaar will leverage Keenu’s POS network and $1B annual payment volume to boost digital adoption. Approved by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) , both firms will operate independently but align to simplify commerce amid rising sector costs.
In a historic update, Microsoft has officially shut down operations in Pakistan, closing a 25-year chapter that shaped careers, partnerships and possibilities. Jawwad Rehman, the founding Country Manager of Microsoft Pakistan, shared a deeply personal reflection on the journey, from facilitating Bill Gates' first call with the president to empowering youth like Arfa Karim. It's more than a corporate exit.
It’s a moment of reflection for our ecosystem. What changed? And what have we done with the foundations laid?
Neem, Pakistan’s leading embedded finance platform, has secured a credit facility of up to $4 million from HBL, with Rs. 100 million already disbursed. The funds will scale Neem Paymenow, its Shariah-compliant earned wage access solution, enabling employees in retail, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing to access their salaries on demand. Complementing this, Neem has also partnered with Meezan Bank to launch a comprehensive suite of Shariah-compliant payment products for businesses. This includes a robust payment gateway, SoftPOS, direct debit, and other embedded finance tools to strengthen Pakistan’s digital payments infrastructure. Together, these efforts mark major steps in Neem’s mission to promote financial dignity, resilience, and growth.
A big step for AI education in Pakistan, the Ministry of IT and Telecom Pakistan , HEC Pakistan , Meta , and National Computing Education Accreditation Council - NCEAC have launched a national AI faculty training program to equip 1,000+ university faculty with GenAI skills, including Meta’s LLaMA certifications via Coursera. The effort aligns with Pakistan’s National AI Policy, with plans to localise content and establish a long-term AI Faculty Development Fund.
📍Think: soft skills, hard skills, and a future-ready faculty.
The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) , in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s National Technology Development Program , has launched a major G2G initiative to support Pakistani IT and ITeS companies in establishing front-office operations in Saudi Arabia while maintaining back-office teams in Pakistan. Supported by the Ministry of IT & Telecom, the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh, and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the initiative aims to strengthen client engagement, drive business development, and grow tech exports to the Gulf. Participating companies will receive support in team setup, integration into Saudi Arabia’s expanding digital ecosystem, and direct access to high-potential sectors such as AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Healthtech, Agritech, and Gaming.
Two of Pakistan’s rising tech players DealCart and Yango have joined forces to bring everyday essentials closer to home. Now live in Karachi, the partnership lets users order groceries directly through the Yango app, merging DealCart’s group-buying model with the reach of Pakistan’s largest ride-hailing platform. From deeper community commerce to last-mile delivery, this move is a big bet on accessible, tech-enabled shopping for the masses.
🛒 Open the Yango app and start saving!
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has launched its new report, "Empowering Innovation: Roadmap for Startups", following the momentum of the Pakistan Startup Summit 2024. The report identifies key challenges and opportunities for startups, outlines SECP’s regulatory support, and proposes actionable steps for the government, investors, and founders. SECP Commissioner Zeeshan Rehman Khattak emphasised the importance of innovation-friendly policies and deeper startup–regulator collaboration to drive ecosystem growth. Read the full report here.
Earlier in July, i2i, Telenor Velocity, and STZA also launched a Pakistan Startup Policy Brief, spotlighting practical reforms to catalyse access to capital and accelerate startup growth, including regulatory and tax changes, mobilizing local and foreign investment, enabling capital market exits, and strengthening the support ecosystem.
CTA: Download the Policy Brief
The Federal Cabinet has officially approved the @National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2025, a landmark move to accelerate Pakistan’s digital transformation. Announced by Federal Minister for IT & Telecom Shaza Khawaja , the policy is built on six strategic pillars: AI innovation ecosystem, awareness and readiness, secure AI ecosystem, transformation across sectors, infrastructure development, and international collaboration. The policy sets the stage for responsible AI growth, economic sovereignty, and digital inclusion.
From the Desk of i2i:
From July 29 to August 4, we hosted the sixth edition of our flagship Growth Readiness Workshop, welcoming early-stage businesses. Through curated sessions on business metrics, financial modelling, sales, marketing, and customer discovery led by industry experts and seasoned founders, participants built tailored growth strategies for their ventures. The week concluded with hands-on sessions featuring leaders from PureSquare , Abhi (YC S21) , Retailo Technologies , Switch - Ideas that Connect , GenMo , Zambeel , and more.
We’ve been talking to dozens of founders lately, and one thing keeps coming up: burnout. The pressure, responsibility, and often the silence founders carry can be overwhelming, and the mental load can feel incredibly isolating. At i2i, we’ve been reflecting on this deeply, which is why we’re teaming up with BeMe to create a space where founders can pause, check in with themselves, and explore what sustainable leadership truly looks like. We're calling it the Founder Resilience Awareness Session, a moment to breathe, reflect, and connect.
📩If our upcoming BeMe x i2i founder session sounds like something you’d want to attend, [join the waitlist here] to be the first to know when registration opens.