Event showcases PWDs’ potential

Islamabad : In a groundbreaking event, Innovation Challenge Futuremakers (ICF), Pakistan's trailblasing acceleration programme for persons with disabilities (PWDs), achieved a historic milestone during its Demo Day. 

The event, held in Islamabad, showcased the exceptional innovation and potential within the disability community, unveiling eight startups from cohort 2 that stole the spotlight with groundbreaking ideas spanning e-commerce, ed-tech, artificial intelligence, and health-tech.

The ICF program, a strategic partnership between Sightsavers and DeafTawk and funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, is on a mission to empower entrepreneurs with disabilities, fostering inclusivity in Pakistan's startup ecosystem. The Demo Day not only demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit within the disability community but also underscored the tangible solutions these startups offer to real-world problems.

Within its first eight months, ICF successfully accelerated 16 startups, comprising 35 entrepreneurs. Notably, 33% of these startups are led by women entrepreneurs, emphasising the program's commitment to diversity and gender inclusion. The overwhelming response, with over 320 applications from across Pakistan for both cohorts, speaks volumes about the program's rapid success and the remarkable talent within the disability community.

Ali Shabbar, CEO of DeafTawk, expressed his delight at witnessing the ICF program evolve and empower 35 entrepreneurs with disabilities. The success prompted Sightsavers to announce a significant extension of the program for an additional three years, a decision unveiled by Munazza Gillani, Country Director of Sightsavers Pakistan, during the Demo Day.

Gillani emphasized, "Our vision of empowering persons with disabilities through entrepreneurship has reached a pivotal milestone. Sightsavers will keep supporting youth with disabilities to become part of the startup ecosystem, supporting at least 45 to 50 startups in the next three years." The announcement underscores the program's transformative impact and the commitment of key stakeholders to inclusivity.