KARACHI - Accelerate Prosperity, an initiative of the Aga Khan Development Network, and Sarmayacar, a leading venture capital firm, successfully joined forces to organize the Startup Summit at NASTP, Karachi last weekend. The summit served as a pivotal gathering, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem enablers to foster collaboration and innovation within Pakistan’s startup landscape.
Startup Summit aimed to address key aspects of the startup ecosystem, emphasizing the significance of climate initiatives and highlighting investment opportunities for new and groundbreaking innovations. Both AP and Sarmayacar strongly believe in expanding entrepreneurship beyond main cities, and showcasing investment opportunities for new startups. While addressing the audience, RohmaLabeeb, Country Director at Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan said: “This event allows us to set a vision and focus for 2024. We look forward to collaborating with all the key stakeholders that can help us build and exemplary and robust ecosystem of entrepreneurship that contributes significantly to the national development process.
Following this, Amir Paracha, CEO of Unilever Pakistan delivered the Keynote Speech. He shared practical insights on leadership essentials, drawing on Unilever’s leadership philosophy. He explored the relevance of these principles to emerging entrepreneurs, highlighting fundamental qualities crucial for startups striving for positive impact. Using real-life examples, Amir illuminated the audience on his leadership journey, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and long-term sustainability.
Following the keynote, participants engaged in a panel discussion on “Riding the Green Wave: Seizing Opportunities in Climate Finance.” The panel, featuring industry experts including Aman Nasir (Partner, Sarmayacar), Nadia Rehman (Member, Planning Commission of Pakistan), Ahmed Ammar Yasser (Chief of Party, PFAN), and Sarah Qureshi (CEO, Aero Engine Craft), explored challenges hindering finance flow to climate ventures and discussed steps for investors to balance financial returns with longterm environmental benefits.