Over 40 Pakistani startups, VCs head to Riyadh for Paklaunch Unconference

More than 40 Pakistani startups and over 80 venture capital firms are set to converge in Riyadh this weekend for the Paklaunch (PL) Unconference, where they will meet investors from Saudi Arabia and the region in a push to strengthen cross-border tech and investment ties.

Saturday evening has been dedicated for networking, while the main event will be held on Sunday at Al Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh.

Indus Valley Capital founder Aatif Awan said a lineup founders backed by the firm will also attend the event.

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Aatif said anyone in Riyadh interested in exploring Pakistan’s fast-growing startup ecosystem should reach out to founders and venture capitalists, as many will be available for meetups on the sidelines of the event.

This year’s speaker lineup features several high-profile industry leaders including Dubizzle Group’s Imran Ali Khan, US Mobile’s Ahmed Khattak and Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz.

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Organisers have said the ‘Unconference’ aims to strengthen Saudi–Pakistan tech collaboration and unlock new investment opportunities for the region.

The conference comes amid a backdrop of Islamabad and Riyadh formalising a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework to boost trade and investment across sectors like IT, energy, and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s digital economy is being explicitly encouraged: the Saudi government and Pakistani officials have pledged to strengthen cross-border tech ties, particularly through AI, fintech, cloud computing and joint R&D.

Moreover, this push by Pakistani startups dovetails with larger geopolitical shifts: the two countries recently signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, underlining their growing strategic alignment.