The National Science & Technology Park in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan hosted the grand finale event of the Rising Stars Startup Competition at NUST, Islamabad. #RSSC is a startup competition for women and minority entrepreneurs in Pakistan.
The final stage featured 26 exceptional teams, selected from over 300+ participants across Pakistan after a comprehensive evaluation process. These teams demonstrated their groundbreaking ideas and entrepreneurial spirit at the Grand Finale. The event also featured an engaging expo, providing a platform for participants to showcase their innovative projects and solutions.
The competition had a prize pool exceeding PKR 6 million, which included seed money and laptops. It recognized 4 National Winners, 6 regional winners, and one outstanding performer.
Among the finalists, there were 23 women, two men, and one transgender person, representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The event was graced by the Guest of Honor, Andrew Schofer, Deputy Chief of Mission, Pakistan. In his opening remarks, the Deputy Chief of Mission said, “The U.S. Mission to Pakistan is proud to be part of cultivating a vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Pakistan and empowering young people to dream big, take risks, and become the job creators and change-makers that Pakistan needs.” Since 2012, the U.S. Embassy has funded over 181 entrepreneurship-related projects valued at $14.7 million.
During his address, Pro-Rector NUST, Dr Rizwan Riaz acknowledged the efforts of the U.S. government in supporting entrepreneurial activities in Pakistan.
Dr Rizwan Riaz, expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Embassy and NUST to foster diversity and inclusion, and to increase the presence of diverse leaders in the entrepreneurial sector in Pakistan that contribute to Pakistan’s long-term economic growth.
Sponsored by U.S. Embassy Islamabad, the “Rising Stars of Pakistan” has been a collaboration between #NSTP (NUST) and California-based Draper University, and included Pakistani American experts based in Silicon Valley as mentors for the emerging Pakistani founders. Pak Mission Society served as Outreach Partner for the program.
🇵🇰🤝🇺🇸 #RSSC #AgayBahrnaHai #IamReadyToRise #NSTP #NUST #DefiningInnovation
