Entrepreneurship

Advertising Agencies

An advertising agency or ad agency or advert agency is a service based business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services. An agency can also handle overall marketing and branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients.

Media Agencies

Pakistan's major Media agencies include:

• ARY Films
• ARY Group
• Azad Film Company

• Geo Films

• Dawn Media Group

• BOL Network

• Independent Media Corporation

• Beyond Records (Pakistan)

• Mandviwalla Entertainment
• Media Circle Private Limited
• MindWorks Media

Medicine Distributors

Pakistan's major Medicine agencies include:

• Mahmood & Sons CEO Tayyab Mahmood Sheikh

Venture Capital Firms

Local

Several sources, both in Pakistan and Silicon Valley have provided the same reply to enquiries for names for this category; that there is currently only one serious player:

JumpStart Pakistan initiative Change Pakistan Through Entrepreneurship!

Please visit for more info. www.jumpstartpakistan.com

• TMT Ventures - http://www.tmtventures.net/
• PAKVENTURE (forthcoming) -- PSEB (I contacted the PSEB and the project has been halted).
• AMZ Ventures - http://www.amzventures.com
• TRG Pakistan
• Crux Labs

Private Equity Funds/Firms

• JS Private Equity Fund
• Pakistan Private Investment Initiative: US$ 72 Million (US$ 24 Million each) have been give by USAID to 3 Financial Institutions (JS Bank, Abraaj Capital, Indus Basin Holdings) to open funds.
• Pakistan Private Equity Management Limited (Arif Habib Group) in progress.
• IGI Funds - http://www.igi.com.pk (This neither a fund nor a firm but has made some private equity investments in syndication with others).
• Abraaj Capital - http://www.abraaj.com (A Dubai based Buy Out Fund)

MultiNational

Actual:

• Acumen Fund - http://www.acumenfund.org
• Abraaj Capital - Buy out fund with some initiatives in Pakistan (See #Private Equity Funds above)
• New Silk Route (House no. 90, Street-22, Khayaban-e-seher, DHA, Phase-6, Karachi).

Intended:

• Leapfrog - This firm has not yet entered Pakistan. They have intentions to enter.

Rumours etc.:

• Draper Fisher Jurvetson - Mention has been made of them having a presence in Pakistan. But no confirmation can be found
• E-Planet Ventures - Asad Jamal did come to Pakistan, but no idea about activities

Government/Public Programmes/Funds.

These Non-Profit Companies provide grants for services / consultancies.

• Agribusiness Support Fund - http://www.asf.org.pk (The Fund now managed a US$ 20 million grant aimed at supporting economic growth in Northern Areas)
• Business Support Fund - http://www.bsf.org.pk (Closed after ADB funding ended)
• Competitiveness Support Fund http://www.competitiveness.org.pk (Close after USAID funding ended)
• National ICT R&D Fund http://www.ictrdf.org.pk (Renamed Ignite)

Proposed Venture Capital Companies

• Shaukat Tarin Sb proposes a 10 Billion Rs VC Fund (http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/15-Jun-2009/4b-IMF-insurance-to-cover-budget-gap/1), but no details are available. I think, as Shaukat Tarin sidelined fro government as minister of finance, the fund was also thrown into waste box.
• National Commission on Science & Technology plans to set up a VC Fund (http://www.pcst.org.pk/pcst_webpages/national/ncst/new_ST_initiative.htm). Again no details. Please contact the Joint Technical Adviser.

Business Support Organizations

• Small & Medium Enterprise Development Authority - http://www.smeda.org.pk - The Prime Federal Body supporting SMEs.
• Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry - http://www.icci.com.pk
• Business Support Organizations Forum - http://www.bsoforum.com
• Women Entrepreneurs Information Network - http://www.win.org.pk
• Industrial Information Network - http://www.iin.com.pk
• Technology Upgradation & Skill Development Company http://www.tusdec.org.pk
• Trade Development Authority of Pakistan - http://www.tdap.gov.pk
• Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Board - http://www.phdeb.org.pk (Just received a PR 2 Billion endowment from MoC)
• Pakistan Dairy Development Company - http://www.pddc.org.pk (Closed)
• Livestock & Dairy Development Board - http://www.lddb.org.pk (Closed)
• Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). http://www.pidc.com.pk
• Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) - http://www.pasha.org.pk
• Pakistans biggest Enterprenuer Career Guide Company in Dubai Walk in interview

Incubators

• BUITEMS Business Incubation & Entrepreneurship Centre (BBIEC). http://www.buitms.edu.pk/http://www.buitms.edu.pk/bbiec/default.aspx.... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buitems-Business-Incubation-Entrepreneurship-Center-BBIEC-144455869058525/?ref=bookmarks
• LaunchPad7 - Co-working space in Rawalpindi - http://www.launchpad7.com/
• TheDesk - CoWorking Space for Startups - https://thedesk.pk/
• MindStir - CoWorking Space In Islamabad for Startups - https://mindstir.space/
• SEED Incubation Centre, Platform for young startups and entrepreneurs. www.seedincubation.com and www.facebook.com/seedincubation
• TIC - http://www.tic.org.pk This is an initiative of NUST (www.nust.edu.pk) at Islamabad
• Askari Commercial Enterprises An AWT (www.awt.com.pk) initiative for the benefit of retired Army Officers located in Rawalpindi
• E-Magine Group - www.e-magine.com - This Company is run by a Kellogg Alumni and provides an Incubator Space.
• PSEB Smart Plug & Play Incubator - (www.pseb.org.pk)
• Saif Center for Innovation - www.saifcenter.com 

Groups (Networking, etc.)

Forums

• TiE Pakistan - www.tie-lahore.org - http://www.businessplan.pk/about.html and a link which highlights last years activities - http://www.tes2007pakistan.com/
• LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship
• Plan9 and PlanX at ITU (www.itu.edu.pk)
• Medium PK - Startups & Entrepreneurs Mentorship
• OPEN Karachi Chapter
• Entrepreneurship Pakistan Conference (2007) - http://www.entrepreneurship-pakistan.com
• All Pakistan Entrepreneurs Exchange - http://www.apex.org.pk/
• TAN: Tech Angel Network www.techangelsnet.com
• Pakistan Private Equity and Venture Capital Association of Europe http://www.pvcae.com/

Business Plan Competitions

• Shepherd's Pie - Business Plan Competition for the new start-ups where they can pitch-in their ideas and can get mentorship and funding. - http://www.jumpstartpakistan.com/Events/Details/171
• TIE - http://www.businessplan.pk (TiE-Khudee, Business Plan Competition (No competition held for 3 years). Last I remember held in 2007).
• MIT Club of Pakistan Enterprise Forum - http://www.mitef-pakistan.org MITCEF has launched TAN (Technical Angels Network and Cambridge Advisor Network. Their Business Plan Competition is named as "Business Acceleration Program
• Ministry of Youth Affairs - http://www.moya.gov.pk/ It has launched "The National Business Plan Competition"
• Shell Tameer - http://www.tameer.org.pk This is the Shell Live Wire Program, which has been modified as implemented as Tameer (meaning - Build)
• The Prince’s Youth Business International - http://www.youth-business.org/Mainframe.aspx?MenuID=2&pagename=KPICountryListRegion.aspx&mode=1&RegionID=3
  The Prince of Wales announces Pakistan youth entrepreneurship programme - News Item October 30, 2006. However, the main site says that it is under consideration. http://www.iblf.org/media_room/general.jsp?id=123841
• British Council Youth Award - http://www.britishcouncil.org/pakistan-skills-for-employability-enterprise-youth-award.htm
• Young Leaders Entrepreneurship Summitt - http://les.org.pk
• Kaavish - www.synergies.com.pk
• FAST University's NASCON - http://www.nascon.org.pk/nascon/)
• COMSATS Lahore is planning to hold a Competition in June 2009
• FATA Livelihoods Development Program is planning to hold one in June 2009, which is being organized by Institute of Management Sciences - http://www.imsciences.edu.pk
• P@SHA LaunchPad - for launching new ideas and startups - http://www.pasha.org.pk
• IBA INVENT-The Entrepreneurship Challenge (http://invent.iba.edu.pk) , IBA Karachi.
• DISCOVER http://www.discover-nustbpc.info/, NUST Center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, NUST Islamabad
• IDEAS (http://ucp.edu.pk/ideas) , Youth Entrepreneurship Summit, University of Central Punjab
• Business Ideas Competition http://fastbestpractices.com/bic2011/default.aspx , FAST-NU, Lahore (the site is down)
• Pakistan Entrepreneurship Summit 2010. Ignite - A Project of Possibilities http://www.pes.ignite.com.pk/

Entrepreneurship Development Centers at Universities

• University of Management & Technology (UMT). (www.umt.edu.pk) First time in Pakistan start working with different organizations to bring Innovations. And working on creating network between firms and institutes to bring real changes.   ==
• Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Science (BUITEMS). BUITEMS Business Incubation & Entrepreneurship Centre (BBIEC). http://www.buitms.edu.pk/ http://www.buitms.edu.pk/bbiec/default.aspx..... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buitems-Business-Incubation-Entrepreneurship-Center-BBIEC-144455869058525/?ref=bookmarks
• Superior University(Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Center for Entrepreneurship Development) www.ced.org.pk, www.superior.edu.pk
• NUML (National University of Modern Languanges) - http://www.numl.edu.pk
• IBA - www.iba.edu.pk
• Sukkur IBA
• LUMS - www.lums.edu.pk
• IMS - www.imsciences.edu.pk
• NWFP - UET - www.nwfpuet.edu.pk - Work in Progress
• SUIT - www.suit.edu.pk
• KUST - www.kust.edu.pk - Work in Progress
• Bahauddin Zakariya University - http://bzu.edu.pk/ecbzu.html
• PAF - Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology - http://www.pafkiet.edu.pk/dnnbeta/RD/CenterOfEnterprenuership/tabid/170/Default.aspx
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah University - http://www.jinnah.edu.pk & (http://www.jinnah.edu.pk/cmpnts/cvblr/pages/viewProfile.php?name=rajput&page=fmss)
• Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CENTIN) - http://centin.umt.edu.pk

Entrepreneurial Universities

• University of Management and Technology(UMT) offering multiple entrepreneural activities 
• University of Veterinary & Animal Science - http://www.uvas.edu.pk - The University is in the process of setting up a University Company under the name of U-Biz

Diaspora/Abroad

• Medium PK http://www.medium.pk
• JumpStart Pakistan http://www.jumpstartpakistan.com
• OPEN http://www.open-us.org
• TiE http://www.tie.org

Blogs

• IBA's Entrepreneurhsip Society Blog - http://entrepreneurshipsociety.wordpress.com/
• Jawwad Ahmed Farid's Blog - http://blog.alchemya.com/index.php/the-best-of-jawwad-farid/
• Mobile Specifications - https://www.mobileder.com/mobiles
• Startup Insights http://startup.riskreviews.net/
• Daily Updated Mobile https://pakmobile.pk/https://pakmobile.pk/
• Complete health guide https://urdusehat.com/

Brain Trust / People in the Know

In Pakistan

Individuals:

• Farooq Ahmed - Founder of Arcift Technologies, Lahore
• Sana Ullah Khan Bhittani Islamabad
• Umair Aziz, Creative Chaos, Karachi
• Monis Rehman, Naseeb Networks, Lahore /Silicon Valley
• Naeem Zamindar, Mobilink, Islamabad
• Athar Naseem, AMZ, Karachi
• Ali Athar Mahmood, Millenium Fund
• Sohaib Umar, TMT Ventures, Karachi
• Muhammad Yar Hiraj, Lahore
• Jamal Arif, LUMS, Lahore
• Shahid Khan & Mian Amir, Grant Thornton, Islamabad
• Jawwad Ahmed Farid, Alchemy Technologies, Karachi
• Jehan Ara, P@SHA, Karachi
• Zia Imran, PSEB, Islamabad
• Khurram Zafar, Lahore Stock Exchange, Lahore
• Sajjad Sarwar, iStartUS Pakistan.
• Ghulam Ali the Founder of ilmkidunya.

Companies

• Ernst & Yount Pakistan Venture Capital Advisory Group - http://www.ey.com/PK/en/Services/Strategic-Growth-Markets/SGM_Venture-Capital_Overview

Pakistan-Focused, Abroad

• Khalid Ali Khan, CEO Enlight World Exports. Washington
• Faisal Quayum, Sitara Investment/Sitara Ventures, London
• Imran Qidwai, Zaviah, Boston
• Khidhir-Hyatt Khan, Hyatt Portfolios, Venture Consultants, London.
• Anwar Ali Mustafa Jumabhoy, Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd
• Sara Akhtar, Capital Market Specialist, Competitiveness Support Fund
• Atif Bilal Siddiqui, Octagon Business Consultants, Business Development Services/ Support Services Provider to SMEs
• Faisal Sohail, CMEA
• E & Y Venture Capital Advisory Group - http://www.ey.com/PK/en/Services/Strategic-Growth-Markets/SGM_Venture-Capital_Overview
• James Caan, Hamilton Bradshaw
• Faraz Hoodbhoy, CEO PixSense
• Sajjad Sarwar, iStartUS USA

Diaspora, General

• Bilal Zuberi
• Akbar Sharfi, Tipton, Boston
• Umair Khan, TEF, Silicon Valley
• Naeem Zafar, Berkeley / Silicon Valley & Lahore / Karachi
• Dr. Akram Chaudhry, Silicon Valley
• Naveed Khan, Silicon Valley
• Asad Jamal, ePlanet Ventures
• Ammar Hannafi, Alloy Ventures
• Sana Bhettani

Pakistani Companies Funded by VCs

• Naseeb Networks
• LMKR
• Scrybe
• Ultimus
• search pak army jobs
• Pixsense
• Renaissance
• Avaz Networks (www.avaz.com) - There was quite a lot of noise about the Company, its products and funding by VC. But now, there is no information and even the site is not online anymore.
• SeenReport (http://blog.seenreport.com/report/2009-09-01-seenreport-successfully-closes-series-a-round-investment-by-al-janabi-group/)
• INOV8

Inov8 raised Series A funding of $5.4 Million at a valuation of $100 Million from His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan of UAE

• Pakwheels

PakWheels closed one of the largest venture capital investment deals by securing $3.5 Million of investment from Malaysia based venture capital fund.

Studies of Entrepreneurship

• SECP VC & PE Rules - http://www.secp.gov.pk/DraftAmendments/August_13_PrivateEquityRegulations.pdf
• Provincial Entrepreneurship Promotion Strategy - http://www.smeda.org/provincial-enterprise-promotion-strategy-entrepreneurship-development-center-models_61.html - SMEDA has created an overall policy document, which is a list of proposed initiatives to promote Entrepreneurship in the Country. SMEDA has also created Entrepreneurship Development Center Models.

• CIPE Draft VC Rules- http://cipepk.org/policyadv.asp#
• PSEB Software Study http://paksoftwarestudy.vttp.org
• https://www.loresult.com/class-results-online/bisegrw-ssc-part-1-results/ BISE Gujranwala Board ssc part 1 Result 2021 2020 2019

• A Tale of Two Networks - Pakistan: The Untold Story of Technology & Entrepreneurship - http://www.scribd.com/doc/6357814/Pakistan-Untold-Story-of-Technology-Entrepreneurship - MIT case study on growing technological advancement in Pakistan. This trend is new but growth his more than 50% per year despite recent political problems.

• Entrepreneurship in Pakistan http://ideas.repec.org/p/pid/wpaper/200729.html This is a study carried out by Mr. Nadeem Ul Haque (Former Vice-Chancellor Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad) and published by the same Organization in 2007. The paper presents an analysis of the state of entrepreneurship/rent seeking prevailing in Pakistan and the analysis allows obtaining and understanding of the kinds of reforms (including legislative changes) that are required to develop entrepreneurship.

• World Bank's GEM Country Brief - Pakistan 2007 - http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&entityID=000333038_20080613045610

• Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan - http://sbaer.uca.edu/research/icsb/2004/Papers%20pdf/147.pdf

• Entrepreneurship Development and the National Youth Policy of Pakistan - http://www.cipe.org/regional/southasia/pdf/YouthRecs_NYP_Pakistan_060308.pdf

• Sustainable Development & ICT Potential in Pakistan - http://www.dgroups.org/groups/oneworld/OneWorldSA/docs/ICT%20initiatives%20in%20Pakistan%20by%20Aambreen%20Waheed(RBI).doc

• Women entrepreneurs in Pakistan - http://www.ilo.org/dyn/empent/docs/F760680996/PAKISTAN%20REPORT-Edited-Final.pdf

• Impact of Women Entrepreneurs on Poverty Reduction - http://www.usa.edu.pk/Web/Publications/PDF/impact%20of%20women.pdf?m=8

• Thesis: Problems of Female Entrepreneurs in Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan - http://www.essex-seb.org/research/research-programmes/bios/a_abrar.asp Ayesha is a PhD Student at University of Essex.
• Investment in Pakistan 2004 by KPMG - http://www.kpmg.com.pk/download/Investments/Chapter%204%20-%20Financial%20Services%20Sector.pdf
• Thesis: Emergence of venture capital and private equity industry in developing institutional environment: The case of Pakistan. By Muhammad Zubair Khan, a PhD student at Queens University of Belfast, UK.

Interesting Articles

A Collection of Articles / Blog Posts on Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

• Entrepreneurship as a career in Pakistan https://medium.pk/entrepreneurship-as-a-career-in-pakistan/
• Future of Venture Capital Firms in Pakistan http://www.onlineearnings.net/business/financing/venture-capital/future-of-venture-capital-firms-in-pakistan.html
• Current Status of Venture Capital in Pakistan http://www.competitiveness.org.pk/downloads/Venture%20capital%20in%20Pakistan.pdf
• Emerging Entrepreneurship in Pakistan - http://pakistaniat.com/2007/09/27/emerging-entrepreneurship-in-pakistan/
• Examples of Online Entrepreneurship in Pakistan:
• Best Pakistan Ecommerce Stores including Ornavo

- http://lahore.metblogs.com/2008/11/25/lahore-bloggers-meetup-2008/
   - http://www.techmynd.com/lahore-bloggers-meetup-what-actually-happened/