NIC Faisalabad recently welcomed its 7th Cohort during the Orientation Ceremony, marking the beginning of another exciting incubation cycle. This cohort brings together 19 startups in the Incubation Program, 5 startups in the Hatchery Program, and 4 women-led ventures under the SheVentures Program. The startups represent a wide range of verticals, including AgriTech, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, FinTech, HealthTech, FoodTech, IoT, and EdTech.

The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Professor Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). The event also featured several distinguished industry leaders and ecosystem enablers, including:

• Sayyed Ahmad Masud, Project Director – NIC Islamabad & Managing Partner, NIC Faisalabad
• Murtaza Zaidi, Interim Project Director, NIC Faisalabad
• Adnan Aslam, Founder, DigiKhata
• Ali Najam, Vice President, Amaana Capital
• Asma Shah, Founder, Go Flour
• Sobia Aqeel, Representative, FWCCI
• Dr. Iftikhar, Head, BIC UAF
• Fouad Bajwa, Founder, Digital Dera

The ceremony featured a keynote address by the Vice Chancellor of UAF and an engaging panel discussion titled “AgriTech, AI, and the Next Wave of Innovation”, featuring Adnan Aslam (DigiKhata), Ali Najam (Amaana Capital), and Asma Shah (Go Flour).

The event offered valuable insights into the evolving intersection of agriculture and technology, while also providing an opportunity for founders to connect with key ecosystem leaders. The Vice Chancellor and guests interacted closely with the startups, encouraging them to innovate fearlessly and leverage technology to create lasting impact.