Dubai Expo 2020: Punjab to showcase 20 startups: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Information Technology Minister Raja Yassir Humayun has said that Punjab would showcase 20 startups at the Dubai Expo 2020 under the theme of ‘Startups and Innovation’.

He disclosed this while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday; he was flanked by Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman Azfar Manzoor and PITB DG e-Governance Sajid Latif.

He disclosed that on the Startup Punjab portal, registration of startups commenced on September 30. “Out of the 311 applications received, 20 were short-listed by experts based on the marketability of ideas and products/services.

The selected startups will present their products at Dubai Expo 2020 from November 16 to 28. The startups selected for Dubai Expo 2020 are Cricflex, Mobokey, Vceela, Poutla Inc, Boltay Haroof, Mytm, Gharpar, BreathIO, Baby Planet, InstaCare, Nearpeer, WRAP, Dastgyr Technologies, Adlytic AI, The EPO.com, SocialBu, Deutics Global, Eye Automate, Aabshar and EMTEN,” he added.

“The 20 startups have been selected transparently with respect to their startup domain, growth, revenue, potential impact in the industry and investment readiness. The presentation skills and strength of the teams in terms of talent and skills were also taken into consideration,” he added.

He told the media that the portal is an initiative to connect startups, investors, consumers and talent from Punjab with potential international stakeholders. “The Punjab government has introduced the online platform, developed by PITB, with the aim at bridging between the Pakistani startups and international stakeholders under the vision of ‘Invest in Punjab, Buy from Punjab and Work for Punjab’. The overarching purpose of Startup Punjab is to boost the ICT industry nationwide and expand the footprint of Pakistan on the global entrepreneurship landscape. The portal will be formally launched by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the coming days,” he added.

He said that Dubai Expo 2020 that commenced on October 1 is being held for six months which will conclude on March 31, 2022. “Participation from Pakistan has been scheduled over these six months with Punjab showcasing in November,” he added. “Other activities at the expo include Startup Exhibition and Startup Moot, the launch of Startup Punjab Portal, MoU signing with Dubai based organisations for supporting startups in Punjab, panel discussions on the startup ecosystem, South Asia’s new hub of ICT-Punjab and a seminar on ‘Showcasing Strengths and Opportunities in ICT Sector of Punjab’.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021