The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, through Ignite – National Technology Fund, launched the Prime Minister’s Cloud Enablement Program for Startups together with the Pakistan Startup Fund (PSF) and BridgeStart Pakistan at a ceremony in Islamabad, signalling a major push to scale local innovation.
Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT & Telecom, underlined the government’s commitment to the Prime Minister’s Digital Nation Vision and said the Cloud Enablement initiative will accelerate innovation, empower entrepreneurs and help position Pakistan more competitively in the global technology landscape.
Mr. Rafique Ahmed Burriro, CEO Ignite, said the organisation will execute these initiatives to provide startups with essential pillars for success: infrastructure, funding and international exposure. The Cloud Enablement Program is structured to offer reimbursement-based cloud credits through global providers including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Huawei Cloud so startups can scale efficiently and experiment with AI, FinTech, HealthTech and eCommerce solutions.
The Pakistan Startup Fund is designed to address early-stage funding gaps by offering equity-free grants of up to 30% of an investment round, a mechanism intended to de-risk private investment and attract venture capital inflows into Pakistan. BridgeStart Pakistan will connect promising founders with international accelerators and investors to expand market access and build global partnerships.
At the ceremony, graduating startups under BridgeStart Pakistan received cheques and certificates recognising their successful participation in international acceleration and incubation programs. The companies honoured included Motovest, Paymo, Chaajao Tech, InLights Solutions, Sahl, Thingsty, Kashmeta, Edversity, Creative 3D and Wiser Machines, all of which have represented Pakistan abroad and developed investor connections.
By combining cloud infrastructure support, grant funding and international exposure, the Cloud Enablement Program, Pakistan Startup Fund and BridgeStart Pakistan create an integrated framework aimed at nurturing a sustainable startup ecosystem and accelerating Pakistan’s transition toward a knowledge-based digital economy.
