Five Startups Graduate from the i2i Accelerator 2014 – 2015
Posted by PRESS RELEASE
After a 4-month acceleration program, five startups have graduated from the Invest2Innovate accelerator program for 2014 – 2015. Namely: Inaaya, BlueSaint, MeriTaleem, Savaree and DheereBolo.
The i2i Accelerator is a startup acceleration program that works with post-incubation stage social ventures and impact-oriented startups in Pakistan.
For the 2014 – 2015 accelerator program, i2i received over 250 applications from startups in various industries such as health, education, energy, mobility etc out of which only five startups made the cut and were brought on board to be accelerated over a 4-month and 6-weekend acceleration program.
Invest2Innovate assessed the business models of each startup and connected them to mentors, financial advisors and worked with them along with the mentors and advisors on a series of workshops and trainings to help them get ready for the final pitches.
The workshops ranged from helping the startups with their financial modeling, to perspectives on how to build a unique work culture. Also, there were sessions on marketing, branding, startup valuation, legal, business scaling and resource management.
Kalsoom Lakhani, the founder and CEO of Invest2Innovate, made the following comments about the program.
“At Invest2Innovate, we believe in supporting entrepreneurs who are striving to change the world through their businesses. We’re constantly inspired by the startups we get to work with – their determination, creativity, and drive are necessary attributes while working in a country like Pakistan.
This third class of the Accelerator are particularly innovative & exciting, and while they have learned so much over the past four months in the program, what’s most significant is the family they leave with at the end”
The program was supported by ecosystem partners such as KITE, The NEST I/O, DotZero and LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship and concluded with a 2-day event in Karachi that featured a Community Demo Day and Investors’ Gathering.
In the next few months Invest2Innovate will be working closely with the startups to provide them more mentoring and support and to help raise them investment. The applications for the next batch open in late May!
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