9 women entrepreneurs leave for US

Islamabad : Nine Pakistani women entrepreneurs left for the United States this week under a programme funded by the US Embassy in Islamabad and launched by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) Islamabad.

The Accelerator Programme for Women Entrepreneurs is an innovative training programme and competition which connects women-owned Pakistani start-ups with American business tools, coaching, and mentoring.

The programme received an overwhelming response from 450 women-led businesses. 75 shortlisted start-ups then went through a rigorous process of mentoring workshops and pitching competitions, out of which the top 12 start-ups were selected for a 15-week Founders Institute Acceleration Programme.

Out of these 12 start-ups, nine women entrepreneurs were selected for an in-person acceleration exchange. During the visit, the women entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to attend major conferences and visit offices of major companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and PayPal.

They will also visit local US-based incubators such as 9 Mile Labs, Kiwi Tech, Angel Pad, and Alchemist. The participants will be provided with multiple networking opportunities throughout the eight-week period and will be pitching to selected US-based investors present on both the east and the west coast.

Addressing a ceremony, organised by the TIE Islamabad chapter before the departure of the Pakistani women entrepreneurs to the United States, the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-Ul-Haque said this programme provides Pakistani women entrepreneurs with access to international incubators and foreign Investors.