K-Electric (KE) announced the winners for the first 7/11+ Innovation Challenge in partnership with INNOVentures Global at a day-long event held at Habib University in Karachi. KE’s 7/11+ Innovation Challenge is the first of its kind event in Pakistan’s utility market, designed for entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, and university students to promote and accelerate strategic innovation. […]

The “Brankas Open” license is meant to encourage digital banking and fintech innovation and lower the cost barriers for startups, neobanks, and even traditional institutions to quickly prototype and launch new solutions, while retaining their own source code. Customers will benefit from more choice and better user experience, as companies have open access to use, […]

Ordercall, one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing B2B startups, has signed an MoU with medIQ smart healthcare, Pakistan’s first integrated virtual-care platform, to provide healthcare solutions to Pakistan’s retailers. Through this partnership, Ordercall customers will have access to virtual care services, including comprehensive Out-Patient Department (OPD) coverage, as well as Health and Life Insurance cash benefits upon […]

Microsoft for Startups Middle East has announced the opening of applications for the third cohort of its highly engaging GrowthX Accelerator Program. The organization has also opened-up free registrations for the latest instalment of its popular Highway to 100 Unicorns virtual conference series. The GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns initiatives are part of […]

Klarna Kosma, Klarna’s financial technology platform for banks, fintechs and innovative retailers, announced its collaboration with Airbank, a digital financial management platform for businesses. Klarna Kosma’s open banking platform provides Airbank with access to the world’s largest international network of banks, significantly accelerating the Berlin-based fintech’s expansion into Europe and further markets. Airbank allows businesses […]

After successfully obtaining the In-Principle Approval from the State Bank of Pakistan for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, YAP Pakistan has now entered into a strategic partnership with Faysal Bank to introduce digital financial services through the Fintech Express program. Faysal Bank’s Fintech Express program is focused on identifying and fostering fintech startups with […]

Jazz xlr8, Pakistan’s premier accelerator program for startups, has opened registrations for its new cohort of 2022. The program offers mentorship and training at Islamabad’s National Incubation Centre (NIC) for startups looking to scale their businesses. Interested startups can apply on Jazz xlr8’s website. The last date for submissions is 18 July 2022. To enable […]

Microsoft for Startups, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), graduated 21 startups from the second GrowthX Accelerator program during a Demo Day on Tuesday, 28 June in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony was attended by startup founders, corporate partners, investors, government officials and other stakeholders from the regional startup ecosystem. During the 12-week […]

Mastercard has certified NymCard, a plug-and-play banking-as-a-service (BaaS) provider, as a Principal Mastercard Issuer in the UAE. The milestone announcement marks the first time a fintech in the UAE is licensed to issue cards by Mastercard. The license from Mastercard enables NymCard to become the UAE’s one-stop provider for fintechs and digital partners, removing the […]

ZoodPay, the leading digital lending platform for e-commerce in the Middle East and Central Asia, has entered Pakistan by fully acquiring Karachi headquartered Tez Financial Services (Tez). Backed by leading investors including Planet N, Flourish Ventures and Accion, Tez became the first fintech in Pakistan to be granted a Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC) license in 2018 and ever since has carved out a specialized […]