The second edition of the global technology conference LEAP was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from the 6th to the 9th of February to address the future challenges using technology.
Continuing with its tradition of fueling Pakistan’s startup ecosystem, Ignite National Technology Fund, a public sector company with the Ministry of IT & Telecom, participated in this year’s LEAP Tech Conference 2023 in Saudi Arabia with eight promising startups from its different National Incubation Centers (NICs). NIC startups participating in LEAP included Valeem (Edtech), DigiKhata (retailtech), Investors Lounge (fintech), Blockship (Edtech), Datini Fibres (cleantech), AgriDunya (agritech), MyTM (fintech), and Gridizen (proptech).
The event also held “The Rocket Fuel Startup Competition” where startups exhibited & pitched their ideas to a panel of judges, angels, venture capitalists, and government stakeholders. LEAP’s Rocket Fuel Startup Pitch Competition had six different categories and an award for each one. The six awards divided the start-up entrants by size, scale, the impact they have had on society, amount of funding, years in business, and number of employees. This provided an opportunity to win total awards worth $1 million for startups.
Out of 90 startups that pitched in the Rocket Fuel Startup Pitch Competition, four NIC startups including MyTM, DigiKhata, Valeem, and Gridizen qualified to pitch in the semifinals of LEAP’s Rocket Fuel Startup Pitch Competition.
Appreciating the sponsorship of Pakistani startups by DCO at LEAP 2023, CEO Ignite, Asim Shahryar Husain, said “It is a proud moment for Ignite and its NICs that 4 out of 8 NIC startups got selected for the semifinals of Rocket Fuel Startup Pitch Competition. LEAP has provided a global platform for Pakistani startups to pitch their business ideas and products to foreign investors. The upward trajectory of foreign investments in Pakistani startups during the last two years reflects the confidence of foreign investors in the growth potential of Pakistani startups, especially in verticals such as e-commerce, fintech, and retailtech.”
The event was very valuable for Ignite’s NIC startups by generating new business and investment leads for them which can help them scale up further especially in the MENA region. LEAP Tech Conference provides the opportunity to get together with 100,000+ tech innovators, inspiring pioneers from global start-ups, venture capitalists, and leading experts from around the world to discover new ideas, to build new partnerships, and connect with inspiring mentors and investors. It involved over 700 speakers from different countries ranging from technology and artificial intelligence leaders to footballers turned tech enthusiasts to investors with multi-million dollar portfolios.
