She Loves Tech 2018: CIRCLE Brings Tech Startup Competition for Women to Pakistan

CIRCLE brings She Loves Tech, one of the world’s largest women and technology start-up competitions, to Pakistan again this year. The She Loves Tech 2018 Global Startup Competition will be held in 14 locations across Africa, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, and the UAE.

CIRCLE, a social enterprise focused on furthering women economically in Pakistan, has partnered with She Loves Tech to bring the competition home so that Pakistani women to get an opportunity to showcase their talent.

CIRCLE will be hosting the local rounds for the competition in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi from June to August and is bringing all key incubators and stakeholders on board.

This competition showcases women-impact and women-founded innovative start-ups and disruptive technologies across strategic locations on the One Belt One Road axis. It is expected to attract over 500 women impact and women-led startups from around the world and male start ups who are using technology to solve problems that women face, will benefit from an interconnected global network of like-minded innovators, mentors, investors, and other supporting organizations.

You can check out the rules and regulations of the competition here. Local round winners from each country will:

• Receive a trip to Beijing, China where they will pitch on an international stage at the She Loves Tech 2018 international conference
• Participate in a high-level boot camp including workshops and company visits
• Network with top investors, mentors, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the ecosystem

CIRCLE calls out to all the women entrepreneurs to participate in this global competition which will not only provide them a chance to showcase their business but will also provide them a chance to go to China, receive mentorship and expand their networks. You can enter the competition if you are an early stage tech startup that has a viable product past its conceptual stage or if you fulfil at least one of the following criteria:

• Has a product designed specifically for women
• Has a product that disproportionately affects women
• Has a significant proportion of female consumers
• Has at least one female entrepreneur on the founding team

Last year, Anusha Fatima, founder of TrashIt became the winner of She Loves Tech Pakistan.  Team trashIt’s pitch dealt with the garbage disposal problem in Pakistan and how the garbage heaps on streets were choking the country’s growth.

Speaking of the benefits to trashIt of joining She Loves Tech, Anusha Fatima said,

“Through the She Loves Tech initiative, CIRCLE connected me to amazing mentors such as Raza Matin (Country Consultant, Google) who helped my team further advance trashIt.” With She Loves Tech competition, CIRCLE hopes to inspire women in tech and create role models for Pakistani youth.