KARACHI: A high-level delegation from the global venture capital firm 500 Global visited the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) and met STZA chairman Amer Hashmi and his team.
The delegation from 500 Global included chief operating officer and managing partner Courtney Powell, Board member Max Scheder-Bieschin and Alysia Lopez, executive assistant to 500 Global’s CEO Christine Tsai and Powell.
Powell had previously met the STZA delegation, led by its chairman Amer Hashmi, last month in Dubai, to discuss investment opportunities and the burgeoning tech startup ecosystem in Pakistan.
The STZA chairman invited Powell for a visit to Pakistan to meet startups, incubators, local venture capitalists, and other stakeholders in the public and private sectors that are working towards technology-driven growth in the country.
During the meeting held at the STZA’s office, Hashmi and Powell discussed her experience visiting the tech startup community in the country, the support and mentorship that the 500 Global can provide to startup founders to scale their ventures, and the firm’s plans to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan.
Both parties agreed to work together to identify and explore mutual areas of interest to foster innovation and promote a technology-driven knowledge ecosystem.
The STZA team briefed the visiting delegation about the Special Technology Zones (STZs) created by the government of Pakistan to attract foreign direct investment, allow technology transfer, boost technology exports, prioritise research and development, and foster job creation for Pakistani youth.
The STZA aims at building knowledge ecosystems that will harness Pakistan’s technology potential and set the country on the trajectory of an entrepreneurial, innovative, and tech-driven future for shared prosperity and inclusive growth.
“We welcome 500 Global to Pakistan and look forward to working closely with them to support the startup and technology sector in Pakistan,” the STZA chairman said, who also reinforced the government’s commitment to facilitating global venture investment in the STZs.
Powell noting the government’s commitment to facilitate the growth of the country’s high-potential technology sector, said: “We met fantastic founders in Pakistan during our visit and truly appreciate the incentives that the government has offered in its Special Technology Zones. The visit has also helped us understand how we can equip founders to establish themselves on a global level.”