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Esna Ong, Regional Startup Success Manager at Google covering Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, and emerging markets, has been appointed to the Advisory Council of the Pakistan Startup Fund. Her appointment is aimed at strengthening the country’s startup ecosystem and supporting early-stage ventures.
Currently growing the next wave of startups with Google Cloud in APAC’s emerging markets, she was one of the early starters of the Google for Startups Cloud Program in the region. Before joining Big Tech, Esna Ong worked at Enterprise Singapore connecting founders, incubators, and VCs globally, and she has experience across the UN, the Singapore government, high-growth startups, and the Middle East.
Esna Ong revealed the news in a LinkedIn post, expressing her excitement about joining the fund and encouraging startups to participate. She highlighted that the fund offers co-investment opportunities of up to 30 percent, equity-free, in ongoing funding rounds. Venture capital firms are also invited to partner with the fund, with full eligibility details available on its official platform.
In her post, Esna Ong also discussed ongoing initiatives in Pakistan. She pointed out that the Ignite National Technology Fund’s Cloud Program supports up to 100 startups by covering 60 percent of cloud costs within a specified cap and timeframe.
The SkillsBridge program by the Pakistan Software Export Board reimburses cloud certification and exam costs, promoting tech skills and GenAI learning. Bridgestart, she added, connects startups with international accelerator programs to help them expand globally or regionally.
Reflecting on her previous experience driving startup policies at Enterprise Singapore, Esna Ong stressed the importance of government-led support in providing resources while letting the private sector optimize for market efficiency. She encouraged early-stage startups in Pakistan to leverage these opportunities fully.
