On July 31 LMKT-operated National Incubation Center, Karachi held the graduation ceremony for its first cohort of startups.

Executive Director National Information Technology Board (NITB) Mr. Shabahat Ali Shah was the chief guest of the ceremony, which was attended by tech entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals and students. The 17 graduating startups spanned a variety of industries, including, education, agriculture, commerce, waste disposal and robotics.

Launched in 2018, NIC Karachi is an Ignite – MoITT funded incubator that is operated by LMKT in collaboration with NED University, HBL, PTCL, PPAF. The Center aims to incubate over 200 next-gen businesses in five years. NIC Karachi offers entrepreneurs and promising startups from Sindh a variety of programs, ranging from two-day boot camps to year-long acceleration programs, as well as access to mentor and investor networks, and technical resources.

“It’s heartening to witness such passion commitment and resolve at NIC Karachi,” said NITB Executive Director Shabahat Ali Shah. “We want to transform Pakistan into a Startup economy and that requires a cultural shift, which may be hard to achieve without the enthusiasm and drive of the youth.”

According to Yusuf Hussain, CEO Ignite, “the building blocks are now in place for the National Incubation Centre program to throw up more successes like Pak Vitae and Bykea.”

“Pakistan has no shortage of talent,” said CEO LMKT Atif Rais Khan. “But ability alone is rarely enough to provide sustainable change, for true transformation we need to provide our youth with the necessary tools to harness their potential and convert their talent into skill and NIC Karachi does just that.”

“NIC Karachi’s inaugural graduation ceremony is not just an important milestone for the Center, it is a landmark moment for the Sindh’s startup ecosystem,” said Project Director NIC Karachi Shahjahan Chaudhary. “At NIC Karachi we aim to nurture the spirit of independent thinking in our youth and this is reflected in the diversity of the startups we have incubated here.”

About LMKT:

LMKT is a full-service technology company based out of Pakistan offering scalable IT solutions. Formally incorporated in 2010 the company has a pedigree of nearly three decades. LMKT specializes in smart cities, smart buildings, integrated security, e-governance, clean technology and agri-tech solutions in its pursuit to support the country’s fast growing economy and rapid urbanization.