ISLAMABAD - Pakistani entrepreneurs gained new insights about raising and managing funds for their entrepreneurial ventures during a series of presentations this week by American entrepreneur Dr Andrew Scheuermann.

The American Embassy sponsored Dr Scheuermann’s visit to Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi through its 2017 Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. During his visit, Dr Scheuermann shared his experiences helping American entrepreneurs collectively raise over $2 billion for their enterprises through the StartX community, as well as his experience founding Arch Systems, a sensing automation company. He spoke to audiences at venues such as the Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Beaconhouse National University.

“The Pakistani entrepreneurs and students I met this week have infectious energy and innovative business ideas to bring to the market,” Dr Scheuermann said. “I hope they will benefit from our strategic discussions on start-up finance and fundraising. This generation has the opportunity to dramatically expand the Pakistani start-up ecosystem both here and abroad,” he added.

The US Embassy Entrepreneurship Speaker Series has sponsored additional programmes to support Pakistani entrepreneurs focused on topics such as marketing, intellectual property rights, and the do’s and don’ts of starting a business.

Other US Embassy programmes assist Pakistani entrepreneurs by increasing their access to financial resources, supporting opportunities for entrepreneurship education, and nurturing an entrepreneurial culture, including the United States Agency for International Development’s Pakistan Private Investment Initiative, which will make over $100 million in equity capital available to Pakistan’s dynamic and fast-growing small-and medium-sized businesses.