The Pakistan Venture Fund is now official. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the $20 million government-backed fund alongside a new national robotics programme at the Indus RAS Expo 2026 in Islamabad on July 22, 2026. The two initiatives mark the most direct state commitment Pakistan has made to deep-tech and hardware startups so far.
What Happened at the Indus RAS Expo 2026
PM Shehbaz called for a unified national innovation ecosystem at the Indus RAS Expo 2026, launching the Spark and Elevate programme and the $20 million Pakistan Venture Fund to drive Pakistan’s robotics and autonomous systems work responsibly.
The ceremony was attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, experts, industrialists, entrepreneurs, foreign delegates, brands, companies, and students. The high-profile gathering signals that this is not just an IT Ministry event. It sits at the crossing point of defence, industry, and civilian tech.
Two Programmes, Two Different Jobs
The government announced two separate but linked initiatives. It helps to understand what each one actually does.
The Pakistan Venture Fund ($20 Million)
The Pakistan Venture Fund will begin with an initial investment of $20 million to stimulate growth in the country’s technology ecosystem. The fund will help transform research into world-class technologies, successful startups, and high-quality jobs. Think of it as seed capital the government is putting in to attract more private and foreign money into Pakistan’s tech sector. The word ‘initial’ in the announcement matters, it leaves the door open to grow the fund over time.
The Spark and Elevate Programme
The Spark and Elevate Programme seeks to transform local research into globally competitive technologies, innovative enterprises, and high-quality employment opportunities. In plain terms, this is the pipeline programme. A university lab or a hardware team working on drones, sensors, or autonomous vehicles can use it to go from prototype to a real company. It is designed to close the gap between academic research and the market, a gap that has long held back Pakistan’s deep-tech scene.
Who Is Leading This
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the countries leading in emerging technologies would shape the global economy of the future. She said Pakistan was determined to build complete value chains in robotics and artificial intelligence, describing technological self-reliance as a national priority.
Under the Digital Nation Pakistan agenda, the government no longer views technology simply as a sector of the economy but as an engine of productivity, employment, and national competitiveness. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) is the key body behind these programmes. Its subsidiary, Ignite, has previously run similar startup and skills programmes. The Ignite Board, under MoITT, has a track record of approving flagship technology and innovation programmes aimed at accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation.
Why Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Pakistan’s defence sector already shows this is possible. Drones have achieved over 60% indigenisation in Pakistan’s armed forces. The civilian startup world is now being invited to build on that momentum.
Robotics, drones, and autonomous technologies are already transforming agriculture by detecting crop diseases, optimising water and fertiliser use, and improving productivity. For a country where farming employs a large part of the workforce, this is a real practical use case, not just a headline.
The government wants the robotics revolution to serve as a tool for inclusive economic growth by benefiting farmers, small businesses, women entrepreneurs, young innovators, underserved communities, and countries across the Global South.
The ICT Export Backdrop
These announcements do not come from nowhere. Pakistan’s ICT exports grew by almost 21% this year. That growth is mostly from software and services. The Venture Fund and the robotics programme are a bet that Pakistan can now add hardware, robotics, and autonomous systems to that export story.
Separately, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating from B- to B, which PM Shehbaz said would improve investor confidence. A better credit rating makes it easier to attract the co-investment the Pakistan Venture Fund needs to work at scale.
For startups already working in the deep-tech space, you can track related government technology policy moves through the PM Office’s AI Directive Tracker, which monitors how fast these decisions actually get implemented. Pakistan’s broader push in this space also ties into the China-Pakistan AI drive that the business community has already backed.
What This Means for Deep-Tech Startups
Most coverage of this announcement focuses on the numbers. What it misses is the structural shift. Pakistan has had grant schemes and incubators before. What is new here is a venture fund model, meaning the government takes an equity-style or catalytic role, not just a one-time grant. That is a different relationship between the state and a startup. It also means accountability: a fund expects returns, which pushes startups to build things that actually sell.
PM Shehbaz called for comprehensive regulatory and ethical frameworks to ensure autonomous systems remain safe, transparent, secure, and are always used for the welfare of humanity. That regulatory layer is important. Without it, drone and autonomous vehicle startups face legal grey areas that stop them from scaling. A clear legal framework is as valuable to a hardware founder as the funding itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pakistan Venture Fund?
It is a government-backed fund with an initial commitment of $20 million, announced by PM Shehbaz Sharif at the Indus RAS Expo 2026. It is designed to attract investment into Pakistan’s technology ecosystem and support innovation-driven startups, especially in robotics and autonomous systems.
What is the Spark and Elevate Programme?
It is a national programme launched alongside the fund. Its goal is to turn research from universities and R&D centres into real commercial technologies, globally competitive companies, and high-quality jobs. It acts as a bridge between lab work and the market.
Which ministry is running these programmes?
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), led by Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, is the lead ministry. Its Ignite board has experience running similar programmes and is expected to manage implementation.
Who can benefit from the Pakistan Venture Fund?
Based on the government’s stated goals, the fund targets technology startups, university researchers, and entrepreneurs working in robotics, drones, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and related deep-tech fields. The PM also specifically mentioned farmers, women entrepreneurs, and young innovators as intended beneficiaries of the broader ecosystem.
