NIC Peshawar & Invest2Innovate Launch KP’s First Angel Network

The National Incubation Center, Peshawar (NIC Peshawar), in collaboration with Invest2Innovate (i2i), recently concluded Invest Lab—a dynamic three-day workshop aimed at educating local investors and strengthening Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Designed in response to the Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report 2024, which highlighted a 42% drop in startup funding, the workshop focused on empowering local capital to support homegrown innovation.

Led by international investment expert Maria Carolina Romero and Pakistan’s legal authority on venture financing, Mubariz Siddiqui, the sessions provided practical insights into early-stage investing, covering startup evaluation, term sheets, due diligence, and portfolio building. Guest speakers Misbah Naqvi and Shehryar Hydri offered valuable perspectives on investor syndication and market dynamics.

One of the key outcomes of Invest Lab was the formation of KP’s first Angel Syndicate, allowing local investors to collaborate on funding decisions. Additionally, NIC Peshawar and i2i launched the region’s first Business Angel Network to institutionalize investor engagement and facilitate ongoing collaboration.

These initiatives mark a major step toward mobilizing domestic capital and building a resilient support system for startups in KP. NIC Peshawar is shaping a future where local innovation meets locally-driven investment.