Karachi Civic Innovation Lab
Karachi Civic Innovation Lab (KCIL) launched at the Nest I/O on 25th April with the collaboration of Pakistan Innovation Foundation, Karachi Youth Initiative, and Habib University. The lab is based out of the Playground at Habib University.
The launch event also hosted a panel discussion exploring the need of civic innovation. The panelists included: Jehan Ara – President P@SHA, Imran Azhar – Founder AZ Corp, Saad Amanullah – Chairman of the PIF Board, Saima Zaidi – Associate Professor, Habib University, Amar Shah – Program Coordinator DAI and Anzar Khalid – Head of Mathematics & Integrated Sciences, Habib University.
KCIL builds upon two years of experience of running an Innovation Challenge and Hackathon as well as an Accelerator focused on solving Karachi’s problems. It aims to institutionalize innovation to become a way of thinking for a diverse group of Karachi’s stakeholders – not just the challenge participants – and can be pursued relentlessly and constantly, rather than in a haphazard manner for a limited period of time.
Dr. Athar Osama, CEO Pakistan Innovation Foundation introduced the aim of KCIL, “We are working towards building Karachi’s first ever Civic Data Repository that will enable change-makers and common public to access data and transform it to build solutions for Karachi.”
Speaking on the panel Saad Amanullah stated, “We have been working on this civic movement in Karachi. We cannot do an event and walk away. We need a permanent solution that creates opportunities for our citizens and KCIL is just that.”
Karachi Civic Innovation Lab also introduced their following programs that will be launched in the coming month:
- Community Innovators’ Program
- Civic Accelerator
- University Fellows
- University Internships
- Civic Innovation Fellowships
- Hackathons
- Talks
Technovation Girls Make App Day
Pakistan Innovation Foundation as Regional Ambassador for Technovation Challenge in Pakistan Hosts a Girls Make App Day where students and teachers from the local schools were invited. The girls Met some amazing local partners for Technovation, Got handy with app making and had a chance to see some amazing pitches of Pakistani Teams from 2016. The session also included an interactive session where the girls came up with an App idea in under 30 minutes and pitched it to the audience. #GirlsWhoCode
Every year, Technovation invites teams of girls from all over the world to learn and apply the skills needed to solve real-world problems through technology. Girls ages 10 to 18 learn to identify a problem in their community and create a mobile app solution to address that problem, and then learn how to communicate these ideas and translate them into a fully launched business.
10,000 Girls have participated in TECHNOVATION from 78 countries to make over 1700 mobile apps.
1 Winning Team from the Junior division will receive $10,000 and 1 Winning team from the Senior division will receive $15,000 to accelerate their idea. Other finalists and runner teams will also receive grant money.
VentureLab
Thank you for your interest in Venture Lab – INNOVenture Global’s Pre-Seed Ideas Accelerator for Professionals and University Faculty, delivered in collaboration with Pakistan Innovation Foundation.
VentureLab is an Ideas Accelerator specially designed for Professionals and University Faculty working full-time jobs but with a great idea and not sure of whether it could be transformed into an awesome commercial opportunity.
VentureLab takes you through a 5-month long rigorous, but guided, process to validate the idea – and your own potential as an entrepreneur – with the help of extensive hands-on mentoring by industry leaders and experienced entrepreneurs with a real stake in your success, a rigorous and tested curriculum that helps you advance your idea, and access to global networks.
INNOVentures’ partners are experienced entrepreneurs and hands-on mentors who guide you through your journey during and after the VentureLab process.
Please fill out the pre-application form to request a first meeting to discuss your idea and its potential. If we find your idea attractive, we will schedule due-diligence before deciding upon your admission in the accelerator.
In order to qualify you must:
a) Have a ground breaking idea with the potential to become a global commercial opportunity
b) Have unrestricted and undisputed intellectual property ownership of your idea as an individual or a team.
c) Willing to commit a significant amount of time for the next 5 months dedicated to validating your idea while keeping your job!
d) Willing to consider quitting your job after VentureLab process or entertain the possibility of handing over your idea to an entrepreneurial team working with you.
c) Willing to become a startup CEO/CTO/CSO to put in stupendous amounts of time after VentureLab process to make your idea a global commercial opportunity.
Registrations are now closed
Contact: info@innoventuresglobal.com
Pakistan Innovation Forum 2016 | Innovators of Tomorrow
Pakistan Innovation Foundation (PIF) today announced Pakistan’s second National Innovation Awards at its 3rd Annual Pakistan Innovation Forum 2016.
The Conference, titled INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW, sought to showcase and promote individuals and institutions who had gone against the tide to innovate and build something from scratch. The Conference featured an Innovation Showcase that brought together about 50 Innovators from across the country to demonstrate their ideas and talents.
Speaking at the Pakistan Innovation Forum, Dr. Miftah Ismail, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Chairman, Board of Investment lauded the efforts of Pakistani Innovators, and PIF, for creating an innovation culture in Pakistan and noted that Pakistan was full of innovative talent and creative people and all they needed for inspiration and some support to achieve glory.
The Conference was also attended by some of the leaders from Pakistan’s corporate sector, government, and the civil society who enjoyed the noteworthy exhibits and contributions of the innovators including an full-motion F-16 Flight simulator being exported to France, Pakistan’s First Formula Electric Car, a virtual reality cricket game, and several exhibits from the classrooms of the future including science, astronomy, robotics, music, and art.
Later, the Winners of the National Innovation Awards were announced across 12 general categories and 3 special categories. Dr. Abdul Bari Khan of Indus Hospital was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions and lifelong service to healthcare, philanthropy, and the society at large. Usman Riaz, Senior TED Fellow and creator for the Sheesha Gar – Pakistan’s first hand drawn animation film – was awarded Special Young Innovative Talent Award. Other winners included Telenor, UBL, TCS, BISP, Forward Sports, Indus Hospital, Zaheen Machines, Habib University, Numaish Karachi, Invest2Innovate, British Council’s ILMPOSSIBLE, and Aman Ambulances.
Pakistan Innovation Foundation launched new initiatives – a pre-seed ideas Accelerator, National STEM School, and Karachi Civic Innovation Lab to address important gaps in Pakistan’s Innovation Eco-system.
Speaking at the Launch of the National Innovation Awards ™ Mr. Saad Amanullah Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Innovation Foundation said: “One of the three main streams of our work is about recognizing and rewarding Pakistani Innovators. There are many exemplary things and we must recognize those innovators so that the hands of others are strengthened.” “As Pakistan’s leading and only champion of Innovation, the National Innovation Awards is a way for PIF to do that,” he added.
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THE WINNERS OF THE NATIONAL INNOVATION AWARDS 2016 are:
a) Corporate Innovation: TCS (Winner), Telenor (Runnerup)
b) Education Innovation: British Council’s ILMPossible (Winner), Multinet’s meraSABAQ (Runnerup)
c) Health Innovation: Indus Hospital (Winner), doctHERS (Runnerup)
d) Government Innovation: BISP (Winner), PITB (Runnerup)
e) Agri+Rural: Telenor Kushhal Zamindar (Winner), Pakistan Agriculture Council’s Agri-Mandi (Runnerup)
f) Most Innovative University or Programme: Habib University (Winner), and School of Mechanical and Metalurgical Engineering (SMME-NUST) (Runnerup)
g) Finance/Fintech Innovation: UBL (Winner), INNOV8 (Runnerup)
h) Industrial Innovation: Forward Sports (Winner), SPEL Group (Runnerup)
i) Social/Development Innovation: Invest2Innovate (Winner), The Reading Room Project (Runnerup)
j) Civic Innovation: Aman Ambulances (Winner), Painting the Walls of Karachi (Runnerup)
k) Art+Design Innovation: Numaish Karachi (Winner), Patari (Runnerup)
l) Most Innovative Technology Startup: Zaheen Machines (Winner), Rozee.pk (Runnerup)
The Three Special Awards went to:
Peoples Choice Innovator of the Year Award: System Teknologies International AND PNEC-NUST Formula Electric Car (Tied)
Special Award for Young Innovative Talent: Usman Riaz, Senior TED Fellow and Creator of Sheesha Gar.
Special Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation: Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, Founder of Indus Hospital Network, Philanthropist, and Changebearer
Posted: 8 December, 2016
Nominations Form: National Innovation Awards
Pakistan’s Only National Innovation Awards to recognize and honor Pakistan’s leading innovators – both individuals and institutions/companies – that successfully made remarkable achievements.
National Innovation Awards – coming back after a gap of 3 years – is a testament to Pakistan’s Innovative Spirit that we need more today than ever before. Nominate your favorite Innovator before midnight March 30, 2023. The nominations are sought in 12 different categories:
- Most Innovative University (or Academic Programme)
- Social / Civic Innovation
- Corporate/Business Innovation
- Most Innovative Tech Startup
- Finance/Fintech Innovation
- Build in Pakistan / Deeptech Innovation
- Government Innovation
- Health Innovation
- Education Innovation
- Agri+Rural Innovation
- Industry Innovation
- Art and Design Innovation
In addition to the above 12 categories, four (04) SPECIAL AWARDS are also conferred: a Young Innovative Talent Award, Women Innovator Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Peoples’ Choice Innovator of the Year Award.
Use the following form to Nominate
Content Hackathon
Pakistan Innovation Foundation, in collaboration with Arbisoft and Mera Sabaq organised the first ever Creative Content Hackathon with Teachers of Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan Karachi on 8th and 9th October. This is the first ever such Hackathon in Pakistan aimed at addressing the challenging shortage of quality digital content in Pakistan. #ContentHackathon