A Pakistani tech delegation of more than 50 entrepreneurs and tech leaders has attended the 15th Pakistan Tech Summit in San Francisco, meeting Silicon Valley investors, startup founders and Pakistani-American professionals during San Francisco Tech Week. The visit is the most visible sign yet that Pakistani startups are moving from watching Silicon Valley to actively building inside it.
What the Pakistani Tech Delegation Did in San Francisco
The summit was hosted by Ejad Labs at Saluhall SF on Market Street, bringing together Pakistani entrepreneurs and tech leaders with Silicon Valley founders, investors and Pakistani diaspora professionals.
The summit aimed to connect Pakistani companies with US partners, investors and customers, as well as with the Bay Area’s Pakistani diaspora. That dual focus, finding both money and paying customers, is what sets this trip apart from a standard trade mission.
The programme featured an AI session with Kashif Ali, Founder and CEO of TaxGPT (Y Combinator S24); Sahar Arshad, Founder and CEO of OnVibe, an LG spin-off (Y Combinator W15); Kareema Batool, AI engineer at Microsoft; and Saniya Vardak, growth marketer and investor.
A networking session followed, where delegates discussed partnerships and investment in AI, fintech and cloud services. These three sectors are exactly where Pakistan’s strongest founders are already building, so the conversations were practical, not just introductory.
The Pak-US Tech Exchange Programme Behind the Trip
The delegation is visiting the United States from October 5 to 18 under Ejad Labs’ Pak-US Tech Exchange Programme, meeting companies, investors and universities across the Bay Area.
Ejad Labs co-founder Mehroz Azam was direct about the purpose. “Our delegates came to San Francisco for customers, partners and investors, not photo opportunities,” he said. “Fifteen editions in, Pakistani founders are building alongside Silicon Valley, not just visiting it.”
That shift in tone matters. The goal is revenue and investment, not just visibility. And the numbers back up the ambition: Pakistan’s digital economy is valued at over $36 billion and more than 30,000 new software engineers join its workforce every year.
What Funding Opportunities Are Opening Up for Pakistani Startups
The Silicon Valley meetings come at a time when Pakistan’s startup funding story is complicated. Pakistani startups have raised $133.7 million across 10 deals in 2026 so far, despite continued challenges in accessing early-stage capital. But dig deeper and the picture is tighter than the headline suggests. Excluding one large deal (Fasset), Pakistani startups raised only around $6.7 million during Q3, highlighting the continued shortage of early-stage funding in the country.
That gap is exactly what missions like this one try to close. Pakistani founders need access to early-stage US investors who are willing to back companies before they have a US address or a US customer base. One challenge is that American investors often prefer companies registered in the US, which means founders sometimes have to restructure their companies to access capital, a practical step that delegates can learn how to navigate through direct conversations in San Francisco.
On the policy side, the government has also been busy. Pakistan’s government partnered with Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play Tech Center to establish operations, aiming to accelerate startups, connect them globally, and foster a knowledge-driven innovation economy. Plug and Play expressed interest in accelerating up to 300 startups from Pakistan’s leading universities and connecting Pakistani entrepreneurs with more than 600 global corporate partners.
The signed Letter of Intent lays the foundation for Plug and Play Tech Center to establish operations in Pakistan, with proposed offices in Islamabad and Karachi. If it goes ahead, this would give founders a structured on-ramp to Silicon Valley networks without having to fly to California first.
Tax reform is also helping. Through the Finance Bill 2026, the government has introduced targeted reforms aimed at reducing tax friction, attracting venture capital, and supporting founders, particularly in the IT and digital sectors. Pass-through tax treatment for VC funds is one of the headline changes, making it easier for foreign funds to invest in Pakistan without double taxation eating into returns. The Ignite National Technology Fund has highlighted these changes as a signal that the government is serious about building a startup-friendly environment.
Oslo Is Next, and the Delegation Is Getting Bigger
San Francisco is not the last stop. The 16th Pakistan Tech Summit will be held on Wednesday, October 21, at Dattera til Hagen in Oslo during Oslo Innovation Week, with around 70 Pakistani delegates, the largest group Ejad Labs has taken to Oslo. Nordic investors and companies are increasingly interested in emerging-market tech, so Oslo adds a different type of investor relationship to what was built in San Francisco.
This back-to-back international schedule shows that these summits are no longer one-off events. They are becoming a regular pipeline, and Pakistani founders who attend them are building real relationships over multiple editions rather than showing up cold.
For Pakistani founders thinking about their next step, organisations like OPEN Silicon Valley also provide a standing network of Pakistani entrepreneurs and investors in the Bay Area, which can help founders who want to maintain connections between summits.
You can also read about how Pakistan’s skills gap is costing the economy and why closing it is critical if the country wants to send stronger, more investor-ready teams to these summits in the years ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pakistan Tech Summit and who runs it?
The Pakistan Tech Summit is hosted by Ejad Labs and brings together Pakistani entrepreneurs and tech leaders with Silicon Valley founders, investors and diaspora professionals. The San Francisco event was its 15th edition.
How much funding have Pakistani startups raised in 2026?
Funding in the first nine months of 2026 reached USD 133.7 million across 10 deals. However, excluding one large deal, Pakistani startups raised about USD 6.7 million in Q3, showing that early-stage capital is still scarce.
What is Plug and Play and why does it matter for Pakistani startups?
The Plug and Play initiative is expected to provide acceleration opportunities for 300 startups from leading Pakistani universities, enabling them to connect with global investors, industry experts and corporate partners. Pakistani startups participating will gain exposure to a worldwide network that includes more than 600 multinational companies.
What should a Pakistani startup founder do to access Silicon Valley funding?
Start by building a real product with paying customers, then look at programmes like the Pak-US Tech Exchange, Plug and Play’s planned Pakistan offices, and the OPEN Silicon Valley network. Be ready to discuss US company registration, since many US investors prefer to back US-registered entities. Use tax reforms under the Finance Bill 2026 to attract local VC first, then use that traction to approach international investors.
