Shahjahan S. Karim Incubation Center Karachi held its 1st Graduation ceremony on 22nd December 2021. Our prestigious guest Mr. Nadeem Hussain, Chairman, Pakistan Fintech Network, and Executive Chairman, Planet N Group of Companies was the Chief Guest at the ceremony. The ceremony conferred certificates to six graduates on completing the whole journey of incubation. This was the first successful experience since the Shahjehan S. Karim incubation center establishment in 2021, which was named in honor of IoBM’s Late Founder President. Guests from various Industries were invited to the event. Our reputable Mentors Syed Azfar Hussain, Dr. Owais Sheikh, and Mr. Aaqib Sayed were invited.
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Six graduating startups of the first cohort have built innovative and disruptive solutions for different sectors including industries, Health & safety, the disabled community, Environmental sustainability, health care, and manufacturing. All six startups get an opportunity of building an extraordinary social presence by creating employment in one year. Our incubatees can commercialize their startups and initiate their research in collaboration with our industry and academic partners.
Our graduating startups were Asmeron (CEO Muhammad Asad), Boltay Huroof (CEO Umer Farooq), Creative 3D (CEO Atif Baig and COO Bilal Afridi); BridgeCare (CEO Momina Butt, CFO Sami Butt, and COO Sohail Butt), and, Tecton Biotic (CEO Syed Abdul Wasay), and Nutroforge (CEO Yusra Kokab) were awarded Graduation certificates by our Chief Guest Nadeem Hussain.
The ceremony commenced with the welcome speech of our Chief Technology Officer and Director center for information technology IoBM, Dr. Imran Batata, He mentioned four significant factors for successful startups in his speech. A diligent team for the successful execution and synergy between them, the startup launching timing, Novel ideas that are potentially solving social/ local problems, the value propositioned business model, and funding. He said funding is the backbone of any startup but a constructive idea with a value delivery business model solving any local problems at the right time to the right audience with a determined team then startups ultimately get the funding opportunities. He encouraged our startups to succeed despite COVID-19 hindrances, affirm post-incubation support to all our startups, and give them best wishes for their future.
Addressing the gathering, President Talib S. Karim congratulated the startups for their efforts in transforming their ideas into business. He advised startups to be consistent in the future and maintain sustainability in their business. He said that IoBM believes in creating employers and SSKIC plays a crucial role to make it happen. He also acknowledged the efforts of our mentors in achieving the vision of SSKIC.
Mr. Mehboob S. Karim, Chief Technical Advisor, IoBM, shared the strategic pillars of SSKIC including infrastructure, capacity building and mentoring, financial viability, tech-enabled ESG innovations, industry and academia linkages, and post-incubation support. He directed the procedure of applying for the next cohort and announced its schedule. He also highlighted the KPI and achievements of the target in training & mentoring programs, tech-enabled ESG, and industry linkages.
Ms. Momina Butt, CEO of Bridge Care, one of the graduating startups, during her valedictory address appreciated the vision and guidance the startups received from the mentors. She was thankful for the SSKIC support as it motivated the startups to believe in their ideas and turn them into a reality.
Abdul Muqeet commercial head and co-founder of Bagallery, IoBM Alumni, and visiting faculty Ecommerce and Entrepreneurship at IoBM motivated the startups by sharing their journey of establishing startups into successful businesses. He mentioned the factor of zeal is the key to achieving the objectives and failure is the learning factor especially during the early phase of establishing the business. He advised the startups to be consistent throughout it might happen your business model may evolve many times but your spirit keeps you resilient.
