Punjab’s 20 startups to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai

LAHORE: At least 20 startups from Punjab will participate in the Expo 2020 Dubai, an official said.

Addressing a press conference at the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR), Minister for Higher Education and IT Raja Yassir Humayun gave a detailed briefing on the Startup Punjab portal through which potential startups have been selected for Dubai Expo.

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) chairman Azfar Manzoor and PITB DG for e-governance Sajid Latif were also present.

The Expo 2020 Dubai, which commenced on October 1,2021 would conclude on March 31, 2022. “[The] Punjab government has introduced an online platform, Startup Punjab, which was developed by PITB. The portal aims at bridging the disconnect between the Pakistani startups and international stakeholders under the vision of “Invest in Punjab, Buy from Punjab and Work for Punjab”, the minister said.

Startup Punjab is an initiative to connect startups, investors, consumers and talent from Punjab with potential international stakeholders. The portal will be formally launched by the Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the coming days.

The registration of startups commenced on September 30, 2021. Of the 311 applications received, 20 were shortlisted by the experts based on the marketability of ideas and products/services.

“[A total of] 20 startups have been selected for the expo through the PITB developed Startup Punjab portal. All these startups have been selected transparently with respect to their startup domain, growth, revenue, potential impact in the industry and investment readiness. The presentation skills and strength of the teams in terms of talent and skills were also taken into consideration,” the minister said.

The selected startups will present their products at the Expo 2020 Dubai from November 16 to 28 in groups.

Other activities include startup exhibition and moot, launch of Startup Punjab Portal, agreements signing with the Dubai-based organisations for supporting startups in Punjab, panel discussions on startup ecosystem, South Asia’s new hub of ICT-Punjab, Pakistan, and a seminar on “Showcasing Strengths and Opportunities in ICT Sector of Punjab.”