Kangaroo Care AI and AgriGel were crowned winners at the eighth edition of She Loves Tech 2024 Pakistan, hosted on September 4 at Unilever’s headquarters in Karachi.
The event highlighted the ingenuity of women entrepreneurs as they pitched their groundbreaking tech ventures to a panel of esteemed judges. The national finale showcased the remarkable talent and innovation of women-led startups, leaving judges impressed by the sheer potential and creativity on display, making it a tough decision to choose the top startup.
She Loves Tech 2024 Pakistan winners
Sponsored by Hugo Bank and Unilever, the event featured fierce competition among the finalists.
- Kangaroo Care AI Pvt Ltd secured the top prize of PKR 300,000. Kangaroo Care AI aims to manufacture and provide high-quality neonatal healthcare facilities across Pakistan. It is believed to be the first Pakistani manufacturer of infant incubators dedicated to improving the lives of infants through innovative technology.
- AgriGel clinched second place with an award of PKR 150,000. AgrilGel Pak is providing innovative solutions in the area of agriculture by reducing the need for water by up to 50% while improving productivity by up to 10 to 25%. It is a hydrogel, capable of absorbing and retaining 500 times of water relative to their size which it releases gradually to plant roots.
- Eco Bricks, another participant aiming to tackle plastic pollution, was awarded a wildcard third prize for their innovative solution to combat climate change. EcoBricks is transforming non-recyclable plastic waste (mainly shopping bags) into high-quality, durable, and eco-friendly tiles.
Other notable startups in the competition included Code School, EPO, TB AI, Salam Kids, and BE ME.
Islam un Nisa, the competition winner and founder of KangarooAIm was unable to attend the event in person due to health causes, but in her video message, she emphasized the need for government backing of local manufacturing startups. Nisa requested the Pakistan government “to allow participation of ‘manufactured in Pakistan’ products in public tenders so that we can grow both nationally and internationally.”
Sadaffe Abid, Founder and CEO of CIRCLE Women Association, underscored the importance of the competition, saying the platform is “essential for empowering female innovators, especially given the current one percent representation of women in entrepreneurship.”
“With Pakistan ranking low on the gender gap index and only 1% of entrepreneurs being women, She Loves Tech Pakistan plays a vital role in supporting women-led tech startups,” she said, adding that “CIRCLE aims to inspire women and girls to pursue their tech dreams and contribute to a more inclusive and successful nation.”
Distinguished attendees included former State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr. Ishrat Hussain, who served as the chief guest, along with inspiring keynote speeches from Madiha Saeed Sheikh of Unilever and Shazia Iqbal of Hugo Bank.
She Loves Tech 2024 Pakistan judges
The judges — Misbah Naqvi of i2i Ventures, Habibullah Khan of Penumbra, Shaista Ayesha of Seed Ventures, Naz Khan of the International Finance Corporation, and Ali Rashid, spokesperson for the Government of Sindh — offered valuable insights in selecting the winners.
Naqvi, one of the judges, expressed her admiration for the impressive lineup of startups at the competition, noting that it made selecting a single winner challenging. She also highlighted the difficulties that tech startups in Pakistan are currently facing but remained optimistic, citing the “grit and perseverance” of Pakistani founders in building sustainable businesses.
She Loves Tech, the world’s largest competition for women-led startups, kicked off its Karachi round in August 2024, organized by CIRCLE Women Association in collaboration with Unilever Pakistan Ltd.
Eight women-led startups competed for a spot in the National Finale in August, with the winners advancing to the South Asian Regional Round. Before they begin their exciting journey, they will participate in mentorship sessions to prepare them for the regional round.