Islamabad: Pathfinder Group hosted a high-level forum in Islamabad to review the outcomes of Pakistan Pavilion Davos 2026 and outline next steps for translating international exposure into measurable national gains through innovation diplomacy and startup growth.
The event, titled “Pakistan Pavilion Davos 2026: Experience, Lessons Learnt and Beyond,” was held at AmaaniBagh and brought together senior policymakers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Organizers said the discussion focused on converting global visibility into tangible outcomes in digital exports, partnerships and ecosystem development.
Hosted by Ikram Sehgal, Co-Chairman of Pathfinder Group, the forum examined the performance of Pakistani startups at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and explored expanded programming under Pathfinder CITADEL.
Pakistan Pavilion at Davos
The Pakistan Pavilion was inaugurated on January 21, 2026, in Davos by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The pavilion featured the Pathfinder CITADEL Startup Showcase, presenting Pakistani founders working in artificial intelligence, fintech, health, climate and education sectors.
In opening remarks at the Islamabad forum, Dr Salma Malik provided background context, followed by AVM (Retd) Asad Ikram, President of Pathfinder CITADEL, who emphasized the need to convert international exposure into growth in exports, investment and partnerships.
A panel discussion on the Davos experience included participating startups and Pathfinder CITADEL leadership, including Air Cdre (Retd) Khalid Banuri, Air Cdre (Retd) Farhan Ahmed and Imran Jattala. Founders shared insights on investor engagement, partnership development and networking opportunities during the forum.
H.E. Georg Steiner, Ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan, attended as chief guest and noted Pakistan’s expanding role in the global innovation landscape.
Jeddah Startup Challenge 2026
The second session introduced the CITADEL Jeddah Startup Challenge 2026, to be organized by Pathfinder CITADEL in partnership with OIC-COMSTECH. The event is scheduled to take place at Pakistan Pavilion Jeddah during the World Economic Forum Spring Session in Saudi Arabia on April 22–23, 2026.
According to organizers, the challenge received 337 startup applications, including 56 from 16 countries. Officials described the response as an indicator of growing cross-border engagement linked to Pakistan’s innovation initiatives.
A live pitching segment featured startups from OIC member states and Pakistan. International participants included Waychit (Gambia), Arogga (Bangladesh), Bytecorp (Saudi Arabia), ReNile (Egypt) and Digital360 Sdn Bhd (Malaysia). Pakistani ventures included Nerdflow, Exambites, Digital Chotu, EcoGen and LeObran Ltd (WeatherSense).
Concluding the session, Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, underscored the importance of science, technology and entrepreneurship in strengthening intra-OIC cooperation and advancing economic development.
In his closing remarks, Ikram Sehgal said Pathfinder Group would continue efforts to build partnerships connecting Davos, Jeddah and future international forums, with a focus on investment access, market expansion and cross-border collaboration.
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