Staff Reporter
Karachi
The final round of She Loves Tech Pakistan 2019 took place on August 3rd at Karachi Arts Council supported by strong partners like Interloop Limited; one of the largest Hosiery manufactures of the world and a progressive company working on bringing more women into the workforce, HBL; the largest bank in the country and UNDP Pakistan. After competing locally, 12 tech startups led by women from all over Pakistan gathered in Karachi for the national finals. Inspiring female entrepreneurs presented their ideas to an esteemed panel of judges who then decided the final winner who will travel to Beijing, China in September to compete in the global finals.
She Loves Tech is the world’s largest women and tech startup competition focused on businesses either led by women or that impact women. It was launched in Pakistan in 2017 by CIRCLE, a social enterprise dedicated to advancing women’s economic participation in Pakistan, to encourage women-led startups to showcase their work to a large audience. Every year the national winner travels to China to attend the She Loves Tech Global conference to pitch their startup to an international audience as well as to participate in a boot camp. The conference is held in more than 20 countries and in over 4 continents and aims to provide female entrepreneurs with a chance to stand out in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The competition was designed to encourage women from diverse fields to participate. Issues in the fields of mental health, science, education, and tourism were all brought to the surface, as the participants discussed the challenges their companies address. Representatives from notable organizations including National Incubation Centers, NCCPL, and Ministry of Finance were present to encourage the women start-ups. She Loves Tech Conference 2019 was a combined effort of top organizations including Interloop Limited, HBL, and UNDP showing their strong commitment to diversity and innovation.
