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Five Nic Lahore Startups Join Plug And Play Silicon Valley
NIC Lahore

Five NIC Lahore Startups Join Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play

2 min read

Five startups from the National Incubation Center Lahore now head to Silicon Valley. Entropy & Co., Heyeve, Hsieh AI, Recruit AI, and elevAID will join Plug and Play’s Fall 2026 batch. Their work spans AI-powered automation, legal technology, recruitment solutions, and healthcare innovation.

This also marks the second time NIC Lahore startups reach Silicon Valley. Four startups previously joined the Global Overseas Acceleration & Learning (GOAL) Program in June 2025. Additionally, AI startup Blainy secured a separate Plug and Play spot in May 2026.

Meanwhile, Plug and Play selected 140 startups from 20 countries for its Fall 2026 cohort. About 55% of those startups come from outside the United States. The three-month program then culminates at the Silicon Valley November Summit from November 3 to 5. Importantly, the accelerator takes no equity from participants. Furthermore, its alumni have collectively raised more than $9 billion. The platform also connects founders with over 565 Fortune 1000 corporate partners.

The Ministry of IT and Telecom, Ignite, and the Pakistan Startup Fund all backed the five startups. NIC Lahore itself operates under a NETSOL Technologies-led consortium. Its partners include HBL, Daftarkhwan, Beaconhouse National University, and UET Lahore. Each acceleration startup also receives Rs. 5 million in funding from Ignite.

Moreover, this milestone builds on Pakistan’s broader engagement with Plug and Play. In July 2026, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal signed a Letter of Intent with Plug and Play founder Saeed Amidi. That agreement aims to accelerate up to 300 startups from Pakistani universities. Plug and Play also plans to open offices in Islamabad and Karachi as innovation hubs.

NIC Lahore President Ayub Ghauri previously called the center’s Silicon Valley push “more than just funding.” He described it as “belief and empowerment” for Pakistani founders. Ignite CEO Adeel Aijaz Shaikh similarly called the pipeline “a proud moment for us all.”



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