Entrepreneurship

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 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
• Business Support Fund - http://www.bsf.org.pk
• Competitiveness Support Fund http://www.competitiveness.org.pk
• National ICT R&D Fund http://www.ictrdf.org.pk

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
• Pakistan Dairy Development Company - http://www.pddc.org.pk
• Livestock & Dairy Development Board - http://www.lddb.org.pk
• Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). http://www.pidc.com.pk
• Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) - http://www.pasha.org.pk

Incubators

• 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/
• 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

• 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.   ==
• 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

• JumpStart Pakistan 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/
• Startup Insights http://startup.riskreviews.net/

Brain Trust / People in the Know

In Pakistan

Individuals:

Mr Khurram Mujhtba CEO JumpStart Pakistan Islamabad

• Sana Ullah Khan Bhittani Islamabad
• 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

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

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
• Mobile Complete
• 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/)

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

• 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

• 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:

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