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Invest2Innovate (i2i) is a program that supports impact oriented start-ups in Pakistan, connecting them to mentor-ship & funding. i2i is doing a country-wide tour before the opening of third round of applications for the accelerator. Their 2 month long roadshow is a prelude to the i2i Accelerator where they selects entrepreneurs with groundbreaking ideas for an annual program. The i2i’s roadshow latest stop was Lahore.
The day was packed with interesting and insightful sessions including the team sharing i2i’s vision and scope. Two of i2i graduates; Saba Gul of Popinjay and CEO of 3-Restart, Mustafa Saeed talked about their companies and the impacts these business are creating and are expected to create in future along. They also shared how their time and experience at i2i helped them bring their concepts and dreams closer to reality. Saba said that what the investors look for in a potential venture is the entrepreneur/team’s commitment and drive. The aspiring entrepreneurs should do their homework and know their numbers.
“Do not hold back or hesitate in unleashing your true passion and obsession about your project when talking to the investor”.
The main highlight of the roadshow was an angel investor and CEO of Arbisoft, Yasser Bashir, who enlightened everyone about what investors usually look for in a start-up and how entrepreneurs have to keep going on until they reach success.
“Having even a few satisfied ‘sticky’ users is better than having a number of ordinary users”, said Yasser explaining what makes an app idea seem more viable to an investor. He also pointed to a frequent start-up problem. “Entrepreneurs get emotionally attached to their ideas”, said Yasser, “they should be more attached to the problem domain, they should develop a through understanding of it and work for the solution!”
The i2i roadshow’s next destination is Islamabad, after which they plan to conduct a webinar which anyone interested can attend. If you’re interested in applying to i2i do note that the applications for the third class will be done by mid-August and the program is planned to begin this September. Check out the Invest2Innovate website for more details and updates.
You can check out the event photos here.
