The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), through its flagship organisation Ignite – National Technology Fund, on Friday launched two landmark initiatives — the Prime Minister’s Cloud Enablement Program for Startups and the Pakistan Startup Fund (PSF).

The event marks a significant milestone in the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem and promote a knowledge-based digital economy.

Speaking at the occasion, Shaza Fatima Khawaja highlighted the government’s strong commitment to the Prime Minister’s Digital Nation Vision, emphasising that these initiatives will accelerate innovation, empower entrepreneurs, and position Pakistan as a key player in the global technology landscape.

“The launch of the Prime Minister’s Cloud Enablement Program, Pakistan Startup Fund, and BridgeStart Pakistan reflects our vision to empower startups, attract global investments, and position Pakistan as a competitive force in the global digital economy,” said Shaza.

She said that the government is taking concrete steps to provide an enabling environment for youth to pursue innovation and research.

She said the Pakistan Startups Fund has been established to further facilitate young entrepreneurs, with the aim of commercialising their innovative ideas into viable solutions for global challenges.

Highlighting the country’s progress in the information technology sector, she said Pakistan’s IT industry is demonstrating remarkable growth, adding that the national leadership is fully committed to supporting its continued expansion and development.

Adding to the occasion, Rafique Ahmed Burriro, CEO Ignite, said, “Ignite, under the Ministry of IT& Telecom, is to execute these transformative initiatives. The Cloud Enablement Program, PSF, and BridgeStart collectively provide our startups with the essential pillars for success: infrastructure, funding, and international exposure in creating an ecosystem for sustainable innovation.”

The Prime Minister’s Cloud Enablement Program for Startups aimed to provide access to world-class cloud infrastructure through leading global providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Huawei Cloud.

The program offers reimbursement-based cloud credits to eligible startups, enabling them to scale efficiently, innovate faster, and adopt emerging technologies such as AI, FinTech, HealthTech, and eCommerce.

The Pakistan Startup Fund (PSF) is designed to bridge early-stage funding gaps by offering equity-free grants of up to 30% of an investment round, helping de-risk private investment and encouraging venture capital inflows into Pakistan’s startup ecosystem.

BridgeStart Pakistan connects startups with global accelerators and investors, supporting their participation in international programs and providing exposure to global markets.

During the ceremony, graduating startups under BridgeStart Pakistan were presented with cheques and certificates in recognition of their outstanding performance in international acceleration and incubation programs.

The startups included Motovest, Paymo, Chaajao Tech, InLights Solutions, Sahl, Thingsty, Kashmeta, Edversity, Creative 3D, and Wiser Machines, all of whom have represented Pakistan internationally and established valuable investor connections.

The launch of these initiatives underscores the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s startup ecosystem through policy, funding, and infrastructure enablement.

Together, the Prime Minister’s Cloud Enablement Program, Pakistan Startup Fund, and BridgeStart Pakistan form a unified national framework to bridge dreams and build a digital nation.