Today, the Founder Institute, the world's premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Pakistan - South Asia 2025 Semester!
If you want to build a startup in Islamabad and could use expert training and feedback, then apply to the Islamabad Founder Institute today, or attend a free event.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Aug 03, 2025) will have their application fees waived (typically $50), and if you enroll by the Early Deadline you are also eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
Since launching in Islamabad in 2016, the Founder Institute has helped launch several promising companies in the region, and our efforts in Islamabad have also been profiled by several high profile media channels.
To celebrate the launch, the Islamabad Founder Institute will several free startup events for the general public, where you can meet top entrepreneurs and learn more about the program:
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375739
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 10:00pm, Jul 02, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375748
- Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 10:00pm, Jul 03, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375757
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375766
- Pitch Your Startup or Idea to South Asia Investors & Experts, Online: 6:30pm, Jul 08, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375845
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 10:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375775
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 10:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375783
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 10:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375791
- Best Practices on Building Innovation Hubs for Universities & Colleges: 10:00pm, Jul 24, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375989
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 10:00pm, Aug 11, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375805
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00pm, Aug 18, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375815
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00pm, Aug 25, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375825
- How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 10:00pm, Sep 17, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/375731
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more - like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, and Appota. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Running the Founder Institute's efforts in Islamabad are local startup leader Sayyed Ahmad Masud (Managing Director, Channel 7 Communications).
In addition, some of Islamabad's top entrepreneurs will mentor founders in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of mentors for the Pakistan - South Asia 2025 includes:
- Abbas Bilgrami: Campaign Program Manager, Untited States Institute of Peace
- Adeel Javaid: Founder/CEO, CelebConnect Inc.
- Adeel Shaffi: Co-Founder and VP Engineering, Price Oye
- Adi Abdurab: Director Digital Strategy / Co-Founder, Digitacker.com | Intesaab Podcast | Nadeeday Food Blog
- Adnan Faisal: Founder , ScaleX
- Adnan Faisal: serial entrepreneur, Startup coach and Mentor
- Adnan Afaq: Managing Director, Pakistan Credit Rating Agency
- Ahmad Hassan: CEO/ Founder, CodeGini pvt Ltd.
- Ahmed Ayub: Co-Founder, Airlift
- Ahmed Uzair: Partner, AUC | LAW
- Ahmed Sajjad Zaidi: Founder & CEO, Iris Red
- Ahsan Maykan: Senior Consultant, Telenor
- Ahsan Tahir: CEO, www.walee.pk
- Ahsen Mirza: Project Director, Business Incubation Center, International Islamic University
- Aijaz Ather: Founder, The Right Careers
- Alex Samson: Founder & CEO, dvhb
- Ali Hasnain: CEO, DealsMash
- Ali Mukhtar: CEO, Fatima Ventures
- Ali Qasim: Innovation Lead, Business Incubation Center, Bahria University Islamabad
- Ali Dossa: Founder and C.E.O , TSF
- Ali Mohammad Sohani: Ali Mohammad Sohani, Optimizia Inc.
- Ali Moeen: Co-Founder, ezBike
- Altaf Qureshi: CEO, Co Founder and Barrister, Wukla and Paksign
- Anas Shaikh: COO, Peepu
- Anaskha Afzaal: CEO, Solutions Brigade
- Andeel Ali: Head of Planning and Development , National Incubation Center - Karachi
- Arsalan Vardag: Partner, J. A. S. B. & Associates, Chartered Accountants
- Asim Ghaffar: Co-founder, Easy Fresh Technologies
- Athar Ahmad: CEO , SA Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
- Atifa Asghar, Tencent Games
- Ayesha Hamid: Chairperson/CEO, George Washington American School of International Academics
- Azhar Basit: Founder, Zuhly Technologies
- Bilal Mumtaz: Director, Apothecare Pvt Ltd
- Bilal Qureshi: Market Engagement Manager , GSMA
- Bilal Sheikh: Founder & CEO, Lettus Kitchens
- Danish Naseer: Assistant Director, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
- Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: CEO, Sehat Kahani
- Ehtisham Rao: Director Digital, Telenor
- Eram Abbasi: Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development
- Fahad Tiwana: CEO, Wonderful Engineering
- Fahad Qureshi: CEO, Spaceman Studios
- Faheem Sardar: Managing Director, Tangent TA Consulting
- Faisal Sherjan: Managing Partner, Sustainanl Advisoy LLP
- Faisal Khan: Managing Partner, Khan & Muezzin
- Faisal Khan: CEO/ Founder, Ovex Technologies Pvt Ltd
- Faisal Aftab: Managing Partner
- Faisal Satti, https://easyfreshtech.com
- Faizan Aslam: CEO, Bookme PVt Ltd
- Faraz Maqsood Hamidi: Founder, The D'Hamidi Partnership
- Farhat Bashir: Founding CEO, Seerab Technologies
- Farrukh Maqbool: CEO, Discrete Logix Pvt Ltd
- Farzal Dojki: Founder & CEO, Next Generation Innovation
- Fasieh Mehta: Global Partnerships Director, Epic Games
- Fathiya Bangash: Founder - Digital Marketing Agency , Digital Power 360
- Fatima Mazhar: COO, COLABS
- Fouad Bajwa: CEO and Co-Founder, Digital Dera Pvt Ltd. and Agriculture Republic Pakistan
- Ghazanfar Azzam: CEO, Waseela Microfinance Bank
- Ghazanfar Iqbal: Head of Business Development Startups AEM (Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodia) + Malaysia, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Gulfam Baghoor: Director , BICON NUML
- Habib Afzal: CEO/ Founder, T-Admen (pvt) Ltd.
- Haider Raza: CEO, Evolution Partners
- Hamza Iftikhar: COO, Deal Smash
- Hamza Saeed Orakzai: CEO, Obortunity Consulting
- Hanif Jang
- Haris Ali: Chief Executive Officer, Vertechx Technologies Private Limited
- Haroon Javed Qureshi: Founder & CEO , East West Infinity
- Hira Saeed: Founder, CaterpillHERs | Digital Doers
- Huma Beg: Founder, Ministry of Change
- Humaira Sajjad
- Humaira Sajjad: Program Lead , Incubation, National Science and Technology Park (NSTP)
- Humaira Sajjad: Program Manager Incubation, NSTP, NUST
- Humayun Mazhar: Founder & CEO , Crescent Ventures
- Huzaif Khan: Mr., Durshal ( KPITB )
- Imtiaz Rastgar: Chairman, Rastgar Group of Companies
- Imtiaz Khalid: CEO, Multitek Marketing
- Iqbal Mustafa Khan: CEO, Alachisoft
- Ivan Ivanka: CEO / General Partner, i1x Venture Studio / Camel Capital
- Ivelin Ivanov: Venture Advisor, Founder Institute
- Jamal Khan: Managing Director , Stellar Consultancy
- Jameel Hussain Qureshi: Managing Partner, G.N.Q. Advocates and Legal Consultants
- Jaudat Shaikh: Director Software Engineering, LMKT
- Javaid Iqbal: CEO, TransformX
- Juan Roy: President, Regenerative Transformation Institute
- Kalsoom Lakhani: Co-founder and General Partner , i2i Ventures
- Kamran Khan: Program Manager, NIC Islamabad
- Kamran Niazi: Economic Growth Specialist, USAID / Pakistan
- Khizer Khan: Founder, BaKhabar Kissan
- Khizer Ahmed Siddiqui: Founder, HukumJanab
- Khurram Zafar: Director, 47 Ventures Ltd
- M. Nash: CEO, Integry
- Madiha Parvez: Manager Corporate Innovation, Telenor
- Manzil Maqsood: Founder , Oxbridge Innovative Solutions
- Meenah Tariq: Partner, Karavan
- Mehkar Sheikh: CEO, Venture Cup Sweden
- M Ghayas Ahmedani: CEO, Zaaviaa Solutions
- Mobeen Ahmed: VP , Dastgyr
- Mohammad Mansoor: Founder & CEO, Touch'd
- Moin Uddin: Corporate Director , Tourism Promotion Services (Pakistan) Limited
- Monis Rahman: Chairman & CEO, Rozee.pk, Naseeb Networks
- Moqeem Ul Haque: CSO, Ufone
- M. Suleman Anwar: Founder & MD, AIQ Decisions LTD
- Mubariz Siddiqui: Legal Advisor & General Counsel, Sarmayacar
- Muhammad Khalid: Founder & CEO, Clicky.pk
- Muhammad Mustafa: CEO, EasyFresh
- Muhammed Bukhari: Mr, Farmdar
- Munir Muhammad: CEO, Biz360
- Murtaza Zaidi: CEO, CyberVision International
- Nadeem Hussain: Founder & CEO , Tameer Microfinance Bank
- Nadia KANOUN: CEO, Senior Adviser, Trainer & Coach, IHSCEN for Startups
- Naeem Zamindar: Founder, Neem
- Najiba Wajiha Mahboob: CEO, Toureela
- Natalya Kamaal: Independent Legal Practitioner , NKLAW
- Nauman Lakhani: Country Manager , Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan
- Naureen Hyat: Founder & CEO, Tez Financial Services
- Nazir Vaid: Founder & CEO , NexSource
- Nida Jaffery: Co-Founder , Nashtaywalay
- Obaidullah Khwaja: Head of Mobile Advertising , Telenor
- Omar Abedin: Project Director, NIC Karachi
- Omar Usman Uppal: CEO/ Founder, GharAsaan
- Omer Jawed Ghani: CEO and Regional Director, Enclude
- Owais Anjum: Founder & CEO, EMumba
- Owais H. Shaikh: National ip Expert, WIPO
- Owais Hassan Shaikh: National IP Expert , WIPO
- Parvez Abbasi: Project Director, National Incubation Center, Islamabad
- Pir Amad: Startup Mentor , Durshal KPITB
- Puruesh Chaudhary: Founder, AGAHI
- Quratulain Asif: CEO, Ain Consulting Private Ltd.
- Rabii Malik: Founder , Notes on Pakistan
- Raza Saeed: CEO, Confiz
- Rozeena Saleha: Founder & CEO, Kalam4Solutions Pvt Ltd
- Saad Hamid: Developer Community Manager, Google Austria
- Saad Hamid: Community Manager Developer Relations , Google
- Saira Qayyum: Founder & CEO , Dream Factory
- Saira Qayyum: Founder & CEO , Dream Factory
- Samar Hasan: Co Founder, Epiphany Games
- Sami Uddin Ahmad: Director BI and Analytics, Telenor
- Sarah Munir: CEO, Invest2Innovate (i2i)
- Sayyed Ahmad Masud: Regional Director Pakistan, Founder Institute
- Sehrish Raza, BizB
- Shahid Mahmud: Chairman & CEO, Interactive Group
- Shahid Mir: CEO, Systems Research Private Limited
- Shahid Rasool: CTO, PayNest
- Shaikh Ayaz Ali: COO, Cooperative Computing
- Shayan Sohail Sarwar: CEO, Confinality LLC
- Sheeraz Ahmed: Director Enterprise Business, WiTribe Pakistan
- Sheeraz Ahmed: Managing Director, Sharp Telecom
- Shehryar Hydri: Managing Partner, Deosai Ventures
- Shershah Hassan: Founder and CEO, KalPay
- Sidra Jalil: Founder, Inspire Mill
- Sleem Hasan: Founder & CEO, Privity FZ LLE
- Sobia Maqbool: Head of Strategy, Pakistan Microfinance Investment Corporation
- Sulaim Siddiqi: Partner, Metaii
- Suruchi Singh, Charismatic Crayonz Private Limited
- Syed Naseh: CEO, Diya Interactive
- Syed Azfar Hussain: Program Manager , National Incubation Centre Karachi
- Syed Iqbal Raza: Founder & CEO , Raza Works
- Syed Shahzad Sherazi: Founder & COO, Clicky.pk
- Talaal Burny: Manager Ecosystem Affairs (& External Relations), Careem Pakistan
- Talha Bin Shuja: Startup and Business Consultant, High Hope International
- Umair Sheikh: Founder & CEO, Arazi Ventures
- Umer Azmat
- Umer Adnan: CEO, Cowlar
- Usama Abid: Founder & CEO, Invent Hub
- Usman Butt: Founder & CEO, RepairDesk
- Usman Arshad Khan: Chief Growth Officer, Checkmate Consultancy
- Wahaj Siraj: CEO, Nayatel
- Wajiha Ghazal: Founder, Affordable.pk
- Yahya Bajwa: Lead Analyst, World Bank Group
- Yaser Awan: Director, Mindstorm Studios
- Yasir Ahmed: IOT/Cleantech Lead, IGNITE National Technology fund
- Yasser Qayum: Lead - People, Processes and Systems & Workforce planning, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Yusuf Jan: CEO, MixIt
- Yusuf Hussain: COO, Habib Bank Ltd
- Zain Farooq: Founder & CEO, MyTM
- Zartaj Ahmed: CEO & CoFounder, Pi Space Science Education Centre
- Zeeshan Aftab: Co-founder & Managing Director, TenPearls Pvt Ltd
- Zeeshan Rajwani: Founder & CEO, Garage Sale (Private) Limited
- Zia Imran: Founder & CEO , Jul Bujh
- Zibber Mohiuddin: CEO, PANASIAN GROUP
- Zulfiqar Qazilbash: Senior Executive/Consultant/Entrepreneur, Islamabad Consulting
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute is the most challenging and effective step-by-step startup launch program for talented and motivated aspiring entrepreneurs. If you are serious about launching a startup, the Founder Institute can give you the structured process, constant feedback and evaluation from expert mentors, and global network of entrepreneurs you need to start an enduring company. In addition, the Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants.
We hope you will join us in Islamabad and launch a company in 2017.
