KP’s ‘first’ angel syndicate will look to create ‘pathways for funding startups’

Local investors from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have united to form a syndicate, allowing them to pool capital, share deal flow, and jointly assess investment opportunities. According to a press release, this will help “create smarter, more collaborative pathways for funding startups in the region.”

The announcement was made at a three-day investor education workshop that took place in Peshawar, called Invest Lab, held by The National Incubation Center Peshawar and funded by Ignite - a fund owned by the government - in collaboration with Invest2Innovate (i2i), which supports startup communities.

KP’s first business angel network was also launched at the event, which “will institutionalize investor engagement.”

The network will host quarterly deal-sharing sessions, facilitate peer-led due diligence, and offer continuous learning opportunities to further professionalize angel investing in the province as it looks to institutionalize investor engagement.

“By strengthening the connection between local investors and innovative ventures, NIC Peshawar is setting a new precedent for scalable, sustainable growth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” it said in a statement.

Illum Khan, COO of IT solutions company Evamp & Saanga and Chairman NIC Peshawar Strategic Council, said both announcements were “a small but significant step in the right direction.” He emphasised that “building a strong investor community in KP is essential for fueling the next generation of startups, and today marks the beginning of that journey.”

The Invest Lab workshop was designed to address the scarcity of early-stage funding in the region. It introduced 22 participants from diverse professional backgrounds to the fundamentals of angel investing.

The workshop was led by Maria Carolina Romero, an international early-stage investment expert, and Mubariz Siddiqui, a legal authority on venture financing in Pakistan. Their sessions provided insight into startup evaluation, deal structuring, term sheets, due diligence, and portfolio strategies suited for emerging markets.

Romero was quoted as saying: “Seeing such passion and commitment among participants was energizing. The creation of an angel syndicate and a dedicated network ensures startups here can now scale faster with the right support behind them.”