The Startup Ecosystem of Pakistan
Pakistan has 3 cities in the top 1000 and is one of South Asia’s best countries for setting up a startup.
COUNTRY RANKING
Pakistan’s startup scene saw an increase in 2024 and jumped 5 spots from the previous year, outranking Albania.
Population
Million
Regional Ranking
In South Asia
Global Ranking
Worldwide
Ecosystem
Startup Ecosystem Overview
With a population and economy as vast as Pakistan’s, the potential for growth is immense. To achieve this, digitalization and the success of startups are crucial elements. The recent improvement in Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, along with the focus on the 5G spectrum auction for the 2022-2024 fiscal year, are positive steps. The legal frameworks under the Digital Banking Policy (SBP) regulating and promoting digital payments, investment, and credit have further bolstered the country’s digital landscape. Additionally, the government’s Special Technology Zones, offering tax exemptions and incentives, and the Companies Amendment Act (2021) recognizing and providing a legal framework for startups, showcase Pakistan’s commitment to fostering innovation.
Nevertheless, there are still areas that require more clarity, particularly in terms of taxation and incentives for domestic investments. The political instability in Pakistan poses a challenge in establishing stable policies for the local startup ecosystem. Despite the progress made, the absence of success stories and the closure of popular startups like AirLift due to funding issues highlight the need for additional strategies to support and nurture the startup ecosystem with skilled personnel and increased funding.
In response to these challenges, the government has set up the Ignite National Technology Fund to provide funding and support to startups and entrepreneurs. However, entrepreneurs have pointed out that support tends to diminish after Series A funding. Ejad Labs, a digital accelerator program, also plays a role in helping startups scale in Pakistan. While the country has yet to produce its first unicorn, continued efforts to recover from funding contractions and attract investment are expected to pave the way for success in the near future.
Startups
Pakistan Top Startup Industries
187 startups
109 startups
42 startups
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Ecosystem HealthCheck
Pakistan Ecosystem Health Check
The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Pakistan has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...
- Overperformance
- Performance equal to global ranking
- Underperformance
ECOSYSTEM
Browse the startup ecosystem database of Pakistan
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Startup Ecosystem Charts
Startup Funding in Pakistan2017 - 2024
Startup Funding in Pakistan 2017 - 2024
From 2022 to 2023, startup funding in Pakistan has decreased by 82.45%. During this period, the number of deals in Pakistan has decreased by 62.65%. Since 2017, total startup funding in Pakistan exceeded US$ $1.35B.
Average Funding in 2023
$2.94M
Funding in 2023
$91.28M
Deals in 2023
31
USD
Amount of Funding (USD)
Number of Deals
Ecosystem
The Startup Ecosystem in Pakistan
Global Rank
Pakistan is ranked within the top 100 startup ecosystems globally.
Top Industries
Pakistan’s startup scene is best represented in Software & Data, Ecommerce & Retail, and in Fintech.
Top Cities for Startups in Pakistan - Ranked by StartupBlink
2024 National Rank  | City | Global Rank |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 0 | 180th + 55 | 3.225 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
2nd 0 | 217th + 31 | 2.150 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
3rd 0 | 312th + 84 | 1.208 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
4th 0 | 1062nd - 80 | 0.097 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
5th + 2 | 1208th new | 0.064 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 | |
6th 0 | 1239th new | 0.058 | 00.00 | 00.00 | 00.00 |
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