Islamabad – 24 September 2020: The National Incubation Center (NIC) has opened applications for its 9th Cohort and the first ever 6 Month Fast-Track Incubation Program to induct a new batch of innovative startups, looking to build capacity and scale-up.

Open for all Pakistani nationals, this hybrid program will take select startups through an accelerated journey towards achieving growth. Startups can also become part of the Jazz xlr8 program - Pakistan’s leading startup accelerator that has on-boarded over 25 startups since launch. Jazz xlr8 provides mentorship and access to data and analytics, digital and performance marketing support, cutting edge Xperience Hub and over $1.3 Million in startup credits from top technology companies across the world. Every year, Jazz xlr8 also sends startups to the 4YFN at the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, under VEON’s flagship Make Your Mark program.

Once a startup reaches the growth stage, it will be given the opportunity to pitch to a network of investors including NIC’s Investors Community with over 60 active investors across regions, along with mentorship and market linkages, insights on growth hacking and performance marketing from industry experts and serial entrepreneurs. They will also be a part of a vibrant and growing startup community-the NICSC (NIC’s Startup Community) and have the opportunity to learn from Unicorn founders across Pakistan and abroad.

As the startup ecosystem in Pakistan is maturing and several avenues are yet to be tapped, there is great potential for innovative founders to disrupt. Health-tech, Ed-tech, Agri-tech, E-Commerce and Fin-tech are some prominent verticals among others that offer a sizable opportunity for startups.

The NIC was launched under the public – private partnership of Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom (MOITT), Ignite, Jazz and Teamup. It has so far incubated 187 startups out of which 78 have graduated, generating PKR 1.23 Billion+ in revenue and raising investment in excess of PKR 879 Million.