ISLAMABAD: The National Incubation Centre Islamabad (NIC Islamabad) officially launched its Cohort 5 Orientation ceremony, marking a decisive shift in Pakistan’s startup ecosystem from ideation to execution, scale, and global ambition.
The session opened with contract signings followed by a high-energy orientation bringing together founders, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners.
NIC 3.0: Execution Over Everything Delivering the keynote, Project Director Sayyed Ahmad Masud set a powerful tone for the cohort and unveiled NIC 3.0, a sharper, more performance-driven phase of the program.
“This is not a classroom, you are here to build,” he stated. “Selection is now deliberately harder. If you are here, it’s because you are ready for real execution.”
He emphasized discipline, customer obsession, and real-world traction over theory, reinforcing NIC’s shift toward founders who build, ship, and scale.
Built for Global Scale
Program Manager Kamran Taufiq Khan reinforced the vision briefly: “Cohort 5 is built for founders thinking beyond borders and executing on it.”
Industry Bridge: Telenor Velocity
From industry, Cynia Ejaz, Head of Learning & Innovation at Telenor, highlighted the impact of Telenor Velocity, noting support for 50+ startups, 40+ pilots, and $6.8M+ raised by ventures in the ecosystem, along with access to a 20M+ customer base for real market validation.
Cohort 5: Founders Built to Scale
Cohort 5 reflects a clear shift in the type of founders NIC Islamabad is attracting operators, builders, and domain experts solving problems at scale across AI, fintech, healthtech, climate, and deep tech.
From ex-Binance and Dubizzle leaders building AI systems handling billions in transactions, to robotics ventures deploying real hardware, to healthtech startups scaling multi-million-dollar revenues, and climate innovators driving sustainability transformation this cohort is built for founders already operating at or ready for global scale.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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