The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is delighted to announce a new $10m partnership agreement with KfW Development Bank to boost entrepreneurship in Pakistan, impacting 1,500 entrepreneurs and creating 2,500 jobs.
The collaboration, funded by the German government, aims to foster innovation, job creation, and economic resilience in Pakistan’s start-up landscape.
The ‘Start-up Pakistan’ initiative will empower start-ups across diverse sectors, including education, health tech, sustainable tourism, and green building, with a focus on youth and women entrepreneurs.
Over the next five years, the initiative is set to support 1,500 entrepreneurs, create over 2,500 direct jobs, and contribute significantly to Pakistan’s progress towards SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
Dr. Bianca Clausen from KfW said, “We are thrilled to work alongside AKF to strengthen Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem… and create opportunities for youth and women to innovate and build sustainable businesses.”
Akhtar Iqbal, CEO of AKF in Pakistan, followed with, “AKF is excited to embark on this flagship initiative to create an enabling environment for start-ups and businesses to grow and scale, and to strengthen its decades long partnership with Germany which remains amongst our top partners in the country.”
‘Start-up Pakistan’ is a partnership between AKF, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Accelerate Prosperity, and KfW Development Bank who, together, are committed to fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture that supports sustainable development in Pakistan.
This initiative is funded by KfW Development Bank.
