The year 2021 proved to be exceptional for Daraz. As the group’s founder and CEO Bjarke Mikkelsen puts it, Daraz ended the year with over 40 million active users on its platform across the five markets and made huge progress on user experience.

According to him, going forward into 2022, Daraz is in a strong position based on the expansion and optimization of its service offering, and the favorable market dynamics across South Asia.

Daraz’s focus for 2022 is to further raise the bar for great customer and seller experience, and to engage more women in the marketplace – both as customers and sellers. He attributes the unprecedented growth to good experience and positive word of mouth. Mikkelsen says that Daraz’s customer satisfaction scores increased dramatically based on a variety of initiatives.

Among the other factors, Mikkelsen points out that digital maturity has also been accelerating in South Asia, in part a result of Covid-19, but also as a result of strong government focus. According to him, the pandemic has certainly played a material role as more customers are shifting to purchasing online while SMEs have had to find new sales channels.

“I firmly believe we are now at an inflection point in South Asia’s digital economy, and in the years to come, we will see exponential growth across the region,” Mikkelsen says.

Speaking about the highlights from last year, he is quick to say that one of the main highlights last year was the introduction of the live streaming feature, Daraz Live.

“This [livestreaming] allowed us to provide the opportunity to our customers to engage directly with sellers through livestreamed interactive sessions and have access to a range of real-time content.

“We also livestreamed the T20 World Cup free of charge on the Daraz App to everyone across Pakistan. This was an exciting moment for all of us at Daraz to bring international cricket to millions of Pakistanis,” Mikkelsen remarks.

He also touches on the subject of Daraz’s annual grand sale 11.11 and says that 11.11 sale was of course the main campaign of the year, with over 14 million users visiting the platform across the five markets and almost US$10 million worth of products sold in the first hour.

On why Daraz rebranded itself, Mikkelsen argues that the ultimate ambition is to make e-commerce a key part of people’s daily lives. He hopes that this brand update will allow Daraz to create more personalized experiences, ensure that it delivers quality services and products at each step of the process, and create new avenues of entertainment and engagement for its customers and sellers.

Daraz Pakistan’s Managing Director Ehsan Saya reveals that the group plans to invest over US$100 million into infrastructure and upskilling SMEs that will support the growth of the digital economy. He hopes that this investment will unlock huge growth for the group’s business and bring greater economic prosperity to the country as it helps drive incomes for over 300,000 SMEs and create over one million jobs.

Speaking about giving back to the community, Saya says that the group’s purpose is to uplift communities through the power of commerce, and he believes education is the key enabler to truly unlock the potential of both Pakistan and the region.

Which is why Daraz University gives entrepreneurs and SMEs the skills they need to unlock their business online. Through the online learning center, Daraz offers personalized and localized courses on all facets of the e-commerce ecosystem, allowing sellers to gain certification from leading universities free of cost. Every month, over 5,000 sellers are educated through Daraz University and able to start their own businesses.

Saya says that the group is committed to working together with the Pakistani Government to fuel the growth of e-commerce and digitalization in the country.

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Jazz, Pakistan’s number one 4G operator, and the largest internet and broadband service provider, has onboarded twelve women under its ‘She’s Back – Women Returnship Program.’ This is a comprehensive six-month program for women returning to corporate positions after a career break. 

 After a rigorous recruitment process, these women have been assigned with roles spread across various functions – from People Experience to Product Development, Legal to Sales, Ethics & Compliance to Network Supervision. The returnees are women who have had to pause their careers for more than one and a half years to raise children, care for family members, pursue higher education amidst other reasons. Through this program, Jazz aims to facilitate their professional growth by building their confidence, reconnecting them to the workforce, developing their functional and technical skills, and providing them access to other learning opportunities. 

 “Women enrolled in this program will gain an enriching experience through a number of development and engagement initiatives. The best part of all is that at the end of this program these women will have an opportunity to join Jazz on a permanent basis”, said Wajida Leclerc, Chief People Officer, Jazz.  

 She’s Back – Women Returnship Program along with a number of other initiatives reaffirms Jazz’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.

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AAA Associates is extremely thrilled to conduct the event, ‘AAA Job Marathon 2022’, “Let’s Grow Together”, on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th January from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm at Ayub Park, Topi Rakh Rawalpindi, offering on-the-spot hiring.

AAA Associates determinedly integrates itself into the ‘Kamyab Jawan Program’, initiated by Prime Minister, Imran Khan with the belief, ‘Kamyab Jawan, Kamyab Pakistan’, through the ‘AAA Job Marathon 2022’.

AAA Associates brings an opportunity for the passionate people of the twin cities to start a career with the leading companies of the vicinity and calls on to join in the affair, giving the biggest career opportunity to its people.

AAA Associates Chairman, Mr. Sheikh Fawad Bashir and Managing Director, Lt. Col Shahzad Ali Kiani (Retd), Senior Management, and employees of AAA Associates along with other members of the community are looking forward to the event and hope for it to be a great success.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Mr. Usman Dar, will honour the event with his presence. He endorses a vision of commitment to the Progress and Success of Pakistan’s biggest asset, its youth. For the government’s goal of, ‘Kamyab Jawan, Kamyab Pakistan’, the National Youth Development Programme, he is eager and keen to see the country’s youth engaged in healthy and productive efforts towards building a future together for Pakistan, and this event is a step in the right direction.

The pandemic had a worse effect on the country’s economy, and the unemployment rate dwindled and kept increasing in the last two years due to inevitable lockdowns, medical emergencies, social distancing and isolations, travel restrictions, etc. The government has put in a lot of effort to revive the economy and provide suitable platforms to create the potential workforce for the country. The government envisions to see the youth of the country educated, engaged in positive elements, and producing results, especially through its National Youth Development Programme.

AAA Associates has generated more than a hundred Job Openings in many working departments and businesses. Jobs from executive-level to team managers and assistants including but not limited to Corporate Legal Associates, Android Developers, Data Analysts, Architects, Content Writers, Creative Heads, Senior Graphic Designers and Sales Executives. AAA Associates has a plethora of avenues under its umbrella with AAA Real Estate, AAA Builders, Hype Advertising, IT Solutions, AAA Marketing, and Yusaied, offering various jobs.

AAA Associates takes a great initiative that caters to the unemployed in Pakistan and urges them to avail the biggest opportunity in the twin cities and get hired on the spot.

Creating jobs in this structured format is highly beneficial, as it ensures awareness, transparency and helps the youth partaking responsibility in the country’s development, and progress by finding employment and generating revenues. AAA Associates is thus determined in engaging youth and transform them into a productive workforce for the country.

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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) issued a statement urging governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to collaborate to enhance girls’ access to education across Pakistan while commemorating International Education Day 2022. The emphasis for a joint effort was to focus on provinces such as Balochistanwhere an extensive lag vis-à-vis education indicator was evident.

‘Balochistan is host to the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the country. An estimated 1.07 million children are out of the school of which 53% are girls,’ shared Mr. Zain Ul Abedin, Acting Country Director, International Rescue Committee. He pointed to the alarmingly low enrollment rate at the post-primary levels while stressing the importance of enhancing girls’ participation at all educational levels.

Numerous demand and supply-side barriers continue to limit girls’ access to education, more specifically at the post-primary level of education. On the demand side, these include poverty, early marriages, and regressive social norms that frown upon girls’ education. On the supply side a lack of girls’ secondary and higher secondary schools, missing facilities within schools, and a lack of female and subject specialist teachers are just some of the barriers that continue to limit girls’ access to formal education.

A few important steps that could facilitate girls’ retention in schools, transition to post-primary schools, and potentially improve completion rates include awareness-raising and advocacy to discourage early marriages and dilute biases against girls’ education while scaffolding the cost of education.

Ensuring redressal of supply-side barriers by the provision of basic facilities at schools such as clean water, inclusive latrines, electricity, and boundary walls can go a long way to providing a child-friendly and safe learning environment. This is equally important for teachers and students alike, particularly women and girls. Commencement of second shifts in existing primary schools, developing alternative learning pathways, up-gradation of existing primary schools, and construction of new girls’ only post-primary schools present short- and long-term solutions.

International Rescue Committee has launched an initiative -Teach and Educate Adolescent Girls with Community Help (TEACH) designed to overcome prominent barriers to education for girls in Balochistan. TEACH aims to raise nationwide awareness about binding constraints that continue to contribute to the deprivation of the constitutional right to education for more than 13 million girls across Pakistan.

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Etisalat has been ranked as the world’s strongest telecom brand and is the first in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to achieve this milestone recognition by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation authority. 

With a telecom portfolio of well over US$ 12.5 billion, Etisalat not only retained its AAA brand rating but also its position in MEA as the strongest brand across all categories and the most valuable brand portfolio. 

Committed to customer value creation 

Eng. Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Etisalat Group, said:

“To be recognised as the world’s strongest telecom brand and as the most valuable telecom brand portfolio in MEA underline the success of our strategic initiatives to build a robust telecom infrastructure that creates added value for our customers wherever we serve. With our relentless focus on being customer-centric, we continue to push our horizons by investing in next generation technology that enhance our service offering and help shape the digital future.”

He added:

“In this digital-first era, our focus is to be agile to meet the evolving requirements of our customers and deliver relevant and flexible services. Since our inception in 1976, we have been led by a vision to create a world-class telecom infrastructure that is central to economic progress.”

Astute brand leadership 

Brand Finance also named Eng. Hatem Dowidar to the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally, jumping 4 places compared to last year’s ranking. This recognizes the ground-breaking initiatives that he launched since he joined Etisalat in September 2015, which played a key role in propelling Etisalat’s business growth. Assuming the role of Group CEO in 2020, he stewarded the company’s growth through the fast-changing telecom and technology landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic. His astute brand stewardship served as the foundation for enhancing Etisalat’s brand reputation as well as employee engagement.

David Haigh, Chairman, and CEO, Brand Finance, said:

“Guided by the vision to ‘drive the digital future to empower societies’, Etisalat is the world’s strongest telecoms brand of 2022, as well as retaining its status as the strongest brand in the Middle East and Africa for the second consecutive year. Etisalat’s brand focuses on togetherness and plays its part by providing a first-class telecoms infrastructure across its footprint. Exceptional rollout of 5G technology has also meant that the Etisalat Group’s portfolio of brands is the most valuable amongst telecoms organisations in the Middle East.”

Attributing the success to his team at Etisalat, Dowidar added:

“Our significant brand value growth is the result of the contributions and dedication of our employees across all the markets where we operate. Alongside our partners, they are the cornerstones of our efforts to be a digital-first company that is future-ready, while upholding our vision to empower societies, and turn challenges into opportunities.” 

Path-breaking achievements  

Etisalat’s robust fiber-optic infrastructure enhances the customer experiences across all business operations. Etisalat raised the benchmark as the world’s fastest network by delivering the best 5G experience at Expo 2020 Dubai as its official telecommunication and digital services partner, surpassing the expectations of millions of visitors. Etisalat has built a dedicated network for Expo 2020, which is the first 5G commercial site in MENA with more than 8,000 Wi-Fi access points, 8,500 mobile access points, and 700 km of fiber-optic cable. 

Etisalat has leveraged its 46 years of telecoms experience and its investment in telecom infrastructure to enable the progress of the people and business alike, in addition to supporting vital sectors such as healthcare and education, especially following the pandemic. 

Empowering the digital future 

As the telecom sector continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Dowidar is focused on strengthening Etisalat’s strategic role in empowering the communities it serves in global markets.

“Our proven ability to deliver seamless connectivity is our differentiating strength. We are fully equipped to unlock the potential of digital technologies to drive digital transformation at all levels – from the government to business to individuals.  Our recognition as the world’s leading telecom brand further fuels our ambition to expand to new geographies and build innovative partnerships, underpinning Etisalat as a brand that makes a positive difference.”

Etisalat’s digital arm has already made great strides in its digital B2B services, particularly in cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud connectivity. Help Ag, Etisalat Enterprise Digital’s cybersecurity arm, protects customers against identity theft and serves as an effective digital transformation vehicle.

Brand Finance is the world’s leading independent branded business valuation and strategy authority. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in the City of London, it aims to ‘bridge the gap between marketing and finance.’ Brand Finance evaluates over 5,000 brands across all sectors and geographies every year. The 500 most valuable brands are included in the Brand Finance Global 500 report.

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In recent news, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has imposed a fine of nearly Rs. 30 million on Jazz due to providing low-quality service for half a dozen cities across Pakistan. According to the PTA, Jazz failed to comply with the quality of service in the majority of the cities in Pakistan.

In addition, the telecommunication company was also issued a warning to improve the quality of the services in order to meet or even exceed the respective parameters as per license standards. If Jazz fails to meet the standards, legal proceedings would be initiated against the licensee as per applicable law.

This recent issue is due to the fact that the company’s system has remained offline for weeks in addition to customers being unable to change packages, pay bills, get new SIMs, and more.

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Discord faced a major worldwide outage that had prevented users from connecting to the app. This outage occurred at 12:45 AM (GMT +5) and lasted for nearly two hours where users were unable to chime into calls or engage in conversations.

However, in a recent Tweet the company mentioned the following:

We are currently investigating a widespread API outage and are working to resolve this ASAP. More details on our status page: https://t.co/rq97JXB3gV pic.twitter.com/6tRWTf7QqM

— Discord (@discord) January 26, 2022

Furthermore, the company stated that it had been limiting its logins in order to manage the traffic load. This would allow users to use Discord’s services if they were currently logged in. However, this is not the first time that Discord went down as the platform had even experienced a brief outage in November due to certain problems from Google Cloud’s end.

Regardless of the outage and the past issues, Discord has been quietly working on new features to better improve the user experience such as the release of a new app discovery within the Discord system.

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Continuing with its award-winning innovations, Huawei – the global technology leader has now introduced Sound X – a revolutionary Dual-Subwoofer Wireless Speaker in Pakistan too. The device has been exquisitely designed, in collaboration with ‘Devialet’ – the world-leading audio brand, specializing in professional acoustic technologies, to provide universal accessibility to immersive, distortion-free High-Fidelity audio, amidst a lush 360° Surround-Sound field. Over the years, Devialet’s extensive Research has created powerful sound technologies that enable suppression of background noise and low-pitched vibrations.

The Marketing Manager of Huawei Pakistan stated that: It is a pleasure for us to introduce this 1.5-inch full-frequency speaker with 6 Powerful Tweeters, to deliver; 40 Hz Bass Deep and other powerful solutions like; Huawei Share; One-hop Audio Sharing and the Starry Night feature, to provide the most mesmerizing musical experiences.
Huawei’s Sound-X is bolstered with the ‘Speaker Active Matching’ SAM® technology, the distinctive Push-Push structure, and HUAWEI’s self-developed technology – EMUI 10.1 to promise a concert-hall experience, activated by touch-sensitive buttons on a vibrant screen. Its open, visible bass unit is another sophisticated design feature, as the sound waves cause the speaker to vibrate, with the power of music. This creates a lasting visual impression, while its psychedelic light show and runway-style sound-holes put air molecules in motion to create another spellbinding effect.

As the creator of futuristic audio-technologies, like; SAM, HBI® (Heart Bass Implosion), and ACE® (Active Cospherical Engine) – Devialet has already won 76 awards and 160 technology patents. The Devialet Premier and Reactor series devices are globally popular for their ultra-low distortion and saturation, as well as, for approaching 0 dB of background noise. The Gold Phantom and Silver Phantom models are also well-known for their radical egg-like appearance, sought worldwide, especially by the younger consumers.

Powered by a MediaTek MT8518, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Central Processing Unit, with 512 MB RAM and 8 GB ROM, the futuristic product promises stratospheric amplification power, with peak values of 4500W and 3000W respectively. The 3.5-inch Subwoofer x 2 ensures 0 dB of background noise and 0.005% ‘Total Harmonic Distortion’ (THD).

Its robust performance is backed by a reliable global warranty from Huawei. In Pakistan, the Sound X is already available at ‘Daraz.pk’: https://bit.ly/3FT4twn and ‘Cube’: https://bit.ly/3Ae7TZo, as the sleek design and beautiful Black color continues has a mesmerizing effect on the tech-savvy music-enthusiasts.

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Today, entertainment has taken on another meaning with streaming services like Netflix, Spotify, Twitch, and even YouTube. Users now have the ability to fully customize their entertainment experience in exchange for monthly fees, payable directly from users’ smartphones. Subscription-based services are rapidly finding immense popularity in Pakistan, thanks to digital banking and payment gateway facilitation from network providers, especially in recent years.

With the shifting trends in entertainment consumption and the phenomenal growth rate of social media in Pakistan, and thanks to smartphone affordability, content is increasingly taking centre stage – and right there under the big spotlight is a rising star in social media, Likee.

Not too long ago, the idea that users would be able to pay to watch movies or listen to music on the go from the Internet was inconceivable. Entertainment needs were met by movie rental stores, complete with pirated music CDs and always up to date with the latest releases. It seemed challenging to accept the looming digital change despite the accelerated demise of the old model.

However, SuperFollow, a subscription-based service allows content creators to earn revenue through monthly subscriptions on Likee.

Content creators on Likee can now choose to create exclusive content that is available only to their paying subscribers. Creators in all niches are pioneering the way their audiences consume content on Likee, and rapidly filling the empty cultural space created by traditional media. With SuperFollow, local content creators now have the opportunity to create their own success as they build full-time careers on one of the most downloaded apps in the regional marketplace.

The new feature, as just started, is only available for handpicked creators and will expand to more creators soon in the future. After qualifying to create monetized content, Likee creators can make their application entry and set their desired monthly subscription price ranging from $0.99 to $49.9 (equal to 174 to 8830 rupees) according to current rules. Creators can start publishing exclusive, monetized content for their SuperFollowers within 24 hours from the submission of their application, if approved. To attract more SuperFollowers, creators are also encouraged to craft their greeting message, select attractive video covers, and design the profile accordingly.

Pakistani content creators have displayed extensive appreciation towards the SuperFollow feature. Naintara, an influencer who posts a mix of entertaining content on her Likee account, expressed her views in the following words,

“The SuperFollow feature is an amazing addition from Likee as it protects the creative rights of influencers. The response from my friends and followers has been amazing with them liking a lot of videos revolving around my daily routine. I plan to continue creating similar content for my followers so this momentum can continue.”

As the entertainment app of choice for millions of Pakistanis, Likee now is equipped with the tools necessary to challenge traditional television and media, offering the perfect solution in the form of free and paid content – it has something for everyone.

Based in Singapore, Likee is a leading global short video platform that is quickly making its way to the top when it comes to mobile entertainment. In a very short period of time, Likee has made a permanent place for itself in the hearts and minds of content creators and consumers from all walks of life in Pakistan. Staying true to its commitment to revolutionize the way we create and consume content on our mobile devices, Likee has introduced yet another wondrous opportunity

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Inventhub, a Pakistani secure web-based collaboration platform for electronics product development, has closed a pre-seed funding round led by existing investor Fatima Gobi Ventures. 

The pre-seed also saw participation from new investors including Ahmed Habib of Venture.d,  Shehryar Hydri of Deosai Ventures, Yasser Bashir of Arbisoft, and Abbas Yousafzai of ConradLabs.  Existing investors who returned for this round to back the company include Shoaib Zahid, Kashif  Shakoor, and Anees Khawaja of Walled City Co, Tim Draper of Draper University Ventures, Taimur  Rashid of Redis Labs, and Tayyab Malik from UBS Hong Kong.  

Pakistan has seen exponential interest in the past two years, with Bloomberg reporting that  Pakistani startups raised over US$300 million in 2021 alone. However, much of the previous funding frenzy has been concentrated in the mass market, high-volume sectors such as e-commerce,  logistics, and fintech.  

Inventhub’s newest round is the sign that Pakistan’s startup ecosystem has progressed at an accelerated pace, that startups in the advanced too deep tech spaces are gaining funding momentum.  

Founded by hardware product designer Usama Abid and software engineer Usman Maqsood in  2019, Inventhub aims to democratize the process of electronics product design, resulting in better product quality and faster time to market.

Usama Abid, Co-founder, and CEO of Inventhub, said,

“The electronics industry is made up of fragmented and siloed processes, making it difficult for individuals and smaller startups to develop new products. The explosion of digital products has also led to a new level of personalization and customization. Managing the necessary steps – from components procurement and design, to manufacturing, assembly, and distribution – is time-consuming and complex.  

“Inventhub is here to change the game for developers: providing a remote-based collaboration of electronics design resources, improving productivity as well as streamlining data organization and shareability. Now, multiple designers, developers and project owners can work cohesively across different project components including bills of material and partner resources,” he added. 

Inventhub users begin by importing their electronics design files from various sources to the cloud. Stakeholders are then added to the platform for collaboration, allowing for a seamless exchange of data via various tools such as visualization, annotation, versioning, real-time updates,  releases, bill of materials, and partner spaces. The platform enables designers, engineers,  manufacturers, procurement, suppliers, and distributors to coordinate their work.  

Additionally, with Inventhub’s advanced development tools, the platform serves as a catch-all design database for hardware design resources built and backed by a community. Inventhub aims to serve as the largest design database and hardware resource search engine of community-backed material. 

Usman Maqsood, Co-founder and CTO of Inventhub, said,

“With an acceleration in remote work,  processes have evolved to allow for a new wave of change on how we collaborate. This funding  for Inventhub will be used to fill the gap from proof of concept to production within the electronic  design industry.”  

Inventhub’s version control with access management in the platform has made it integratable with existing ecad tooling. Inventhub has seen massive active user growth with over 45 minutes of usage time per session every week and commercial validation from a growing paid customer base. The current focus is to ramp up marketing efforts to build community and work with B2B  customers to improve the platform.  

Ali Mukhtar, General Partner for FGV, said,

“Typically, a startup ecosystem takes five to 10 years  to draw investments in more sophisticated tech solutions. Just two years in, this funding round  by Inventhub is a sign that Pakistan is far ahead of that curve, thanks to the country’s massive  tech talent. FGV’s backing of Inventhub is, we hope, the first of many investments in Pakistan’s  advanced tech space.”

For more information, please visit www.inventhub.io or contact Usama at press@inventhub.io.

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For several months the country’s smartphone landscape particularly gaming pros had waited with bated breath for a device that had them talking even before it landed in Pakistan.

And yet, when the real gaming beast realme GT Master Edition arrived, it lived up to all the accolades it had earned in its stead, turning out to be #thereal5Gflagshipkiller. 

The phone was put to test and the results were massively powering – passing the AnTuTu test with a score of 541000 points. The powerhouse performance is courtesy of a Qualcomm® Snapdragon 778G 5G Processor, that powers the device and keeps it cool for hardcore gaming.

Qualcomm® Snapdragon 778G 5G Processor

The realme GT Master Edition comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor for lightning fast processing and seamless performance at all times. It is best suited for heavy gaming and media processing. The 6nm chipset helps bulky graphics breeze through like air to give a smooth gaming experience to the player.

GT Mode – An Ace up the Sleeve

realme users will always have an ace up their sleeve in the form of GT Mode which can be activated to unleash peak CPU performance and lightning fast speed when required. The GT Mode is the ultimate weapon in realme GT Master Edition’s performance arsenal to unlock the fiercest mode in gaming or wherever the need emerges.

Vapor Chamber Cooling System

The realme GT Master Edition is best suited for gaming because it eliminates one of the most dreadful irritants for gamers; throttling, the unwelcome heating up and slowing down of the processor as it tackles heavy graphics in gaming. The realme GT Master Edition has the best answer to the issue in form of its ultra-modern heat dissipation mechanism.

The realme GT Master Edition’s innovative Vapor Chamber Cooling System effectively cools down the processor to keep its performance at optimum levels. This feature makes the phone ideal for Pakistan, where we experience extended summers.

In addition, the processor supports all mainstream 5G networks globally. With the new realme GT Master Edition, we will be ever ready to embrace the upcoming technological transformation all for PKR 66,999/-.

realme has quickly established itself as one of the fastest growing brands in Pakistan as well as around the world. Its extensive smartphone line-up caters to various price segments but has a strong focus on delivering top quality, innovative tech and the best user experience to its customers across all price segments.

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Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card Mobile App, developed by Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Punjab, has registered 208033 citizens since its launch. The app aims at providing citizens with up-to-date information including a list of impaneled public and private hospitals and diseases covered under the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Sahulat Program.

Chairman PITB Azfar Manzoor stated that the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card Mobile App allows citizens to register themselves from the comfort of their homes and avail the facility in a hassle-free manner.

Presently registrations for Lahore and Rawalpindi are open through the Sehat Card Mobile App, whereas registrations for Bahawalpur will open on February 01, Faisalabad on 09th February, Multan on 22nd February, Gujranwala on 21st March, and Sargodha on 31st March.

In order to ensure an optimal experience of the facility, citizens must have their records updated at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). This is a mandatory requirement to avail of the healthcare facility. The health card, provided to the head of a family, is valid for all the family members. However, the head of the family is bound to register those family members who wish to avail this facility.

Citizens can also register complaints and give suggestions while users can also see citizens’ reviews. The App is available for both Android and iOS phones.

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In recent news, US justice officials have filed multiple lawsuits which stated that Google had been accused of profiting from users’ location data regardless of the fact that the company had once vowed to ensure user privacy on all respective services.

Through these lawsuits, Google would soon be blocked from selling advertisements through the countless data collected from users where location, in addition, also plays a key role. According to an attorney general in Washington, Karl Racine:

“Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy.”

In addition to Washington, attorneys from Indiana, Texas, and other parts of the US have also filed similar allegations against the tech giant. However, Google stated the following:

“We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We will vigorously defend ourselves and set the record straight.”

Although Google claims to ensure user privacy, justice officials have further stated that the tech giant utilized certain ‘dark patterns’ or design tricks that influence a user’s choice in ways that benefit the company itself. Indiana Attorney Todd Rokita added the following in regards to this:

“Even a limited amount of location data, aggregated over time, can expose a person’s identity and routines.”

According to Rokita, this even includes political or religious beliefs, income, and marital status.

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Microsoft for Startups Middle East today announced it has opened a second round of applications for Microsoft for Startups’ highly successful GrowthX Accelerator Programme and is accepting registrations for the next series of virtual conferences in the well-received Highway to 100 Unicorns virtual conference.

The GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns are part of a broader strategic partnership between Microsoft and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to accelerate opportunities for startups across the region, including Pakistan. The GrowthX Accelerator announced in January 2021 and officially launched in May, brings together corporates with challenges and startups that can build field-ready solutions. It empowers B2B tech start-ups with the commercial and technical resources and support they need to accelerate their growth.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said,

“Startups are the lifeblood of Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem, bringing ingenuity, fresh ideas and ambition to drive progress across all sectors. The Abu Dhabi government is committed to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses through scale up programmes such as GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns. The progression of these initiatives to their next phases signifies the success they have achieved in helping startups. We will continue on this journey to ensure innovators have access to all the tools and resources they need to make impactful change in Abu Dhabi.”

GROWTHX ACCELERATOR

Microsoft for Startups GrowthX Accelerator is designed to consolidate the progress the country has made by leveraging the benefits its government offers technology companies. Through intense technical and commercial acceleration, the programme engenders connections and brings innovators together to learn, grow, become investor-ready, and better engage corporates in the region.

“Our second cohort of GrowthX follows a very successful first phase in 2021, where we saw massive interest from innovators across the region,” said Roberto Croci, Managing Director, Microsoft for Startups, MEA. “Microsoft customers, regardless of their industry or scale, are eager for solutions. Success in a rapidly globalising digital economy relies on making the right moves at the right time with the right technology. Microsoft for Startups exists to support the creators of innovative solutions and connect them with the technology and partners they need in order to grow. Our work with ADIO on the GrowthX Accelerator program laysthe groundwork for that sea change in the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

GrowthX includes virtual and physical workshops and training sessions, as well as a series of “demo days” and networking events where startups get the opportunity to showcase their visions to both venture capitalists and Microsoft’s regional enterprise customers. Microsoft will recruit 15 startups from across the region, including Pakistan, to solve a range of corporate challenges for its partners, over the course of the 12-week program. Corporate Partners in this year’s GrowthX cohort include DHL, PwC, Koc Holdings, with more to be announced.

HIGHWAY TO 100 UNICORNS 

Microsoft for Startups also announced it will hold another virtual conference series for its popular Highway to 100 Unicorns programme. Hosted in partnership with ADIOand LinkedIn, Highway to 100 Unicorns brings together experts from across the globe to address the issues faced by early-stage entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Turkey, and Pakistan, and share with them the insights they need to build and scale. The latest virtual conference series will be hosted live on LinkedIn and Microsoft Teams between 24 Januaryand9 February. Over the three-week period, two sessions will be hosted daily, the first targeting idea-stage founders who are still developing their business models, and the second focusing on the issues faced by slightly more mature businesses as they consider scaling.

Confirmed speakers for this year’s Highway to 100 Unicorns conference include Mark Chahwan (co-founder at Sarwa), Brian Habibi (co-founder at Bayzat), Sarah el Saleh (Partner at Outliers), Yehia Badawy (co-founder at Rain), Joy Ajlouny (Fetchr), and Sarah Toukan (co-founder at Ziina). The conference will also include workshops and info sessions with ADGM and Hub71. 

To apply for Microsoft for Startups GrowthX Accelerator,or find out more, B2B startups in Pakistan can visit here.

To register for the latest Highway to 100 Unicorns virtual conference series, or find out more, start-ups in Pakistan can visit here.

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Google is set to accelerate Pakistan’s gaming industry and its respective startups through its exclusive program for the country called the ‘Gaming Growth Lab’. The Gaming Growth Lab is a 5 weeks virtual program where rising mobile gaming companies will get the opportunity to expand their product and their business overall through Google’s support.

The gaming ecosystem in Pakistan is an ever-rising market that has been on a tear for the last couple of years. This includes many gaming studios that have developed games that have caught the attention of Silicon Valley companies. This ecosystem is slowly expanding to the point where these studios are now delving deep into virtual and augmented reality-based games where players can potentially even earn monetary rewards through blockchain.

Seeing the amount of potential these Pakistan-based game studios and startups bring to the table, Google is ready to invest in the country’s gaming industry where the company would pool in key experts and industry veterans in areas such as Cloud, Ads, AdMob, and Play in order to help these businesses expand. The Gaming Growth Lab will include immersive educational workshops and mentoring sessions where gaming companies would receive valuable insights and guidance.

Moreover, this program is divided into 4 core program pillars also known as the ‘4D structure’ which are primarily like modules that applicants would have to go through once selected. The most interesting fact about this program is that all the content is provided in both English and Urdu in order to eliminate any language barrier.

However, it is to be noted that this program will focus on prominent game companies/studios and rising startups that are looking to create an impact. To know more about the program and how to register, click here.

The program will commence on March 1st, 2022.

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On the occasion of the International Day for Education, member Organisations of the Education Champion Network (ECN) issued a joint statement stressing the need for greater public investment in education. The Education Champion Network is a coalition of Pakistan-based non-governmental organizations that advocates for girls’ right to at least 12 years of free, quality, and equitable education across the country.

“The Government of Pakistan must reaffirm the paramount importance of quality education for the personal, social and professional development of children and young people, across Pakistan, to build a better and more equitable future, reduce socio-economic and gender inequalities, and promote peace and democracy,” read the joint statement.

Talking about the state of education in Pakistan, Qamar Naseem, National Coordinator, Blue Veins shared,

“Nearly 23 million children aged 5-16 remain out of school — forty-four percent of the total population in this age group. The country has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC) at the primary level, with five million children aged 5-9 not attending school. After primary-school age, the number of OOSC doubles, with 11 million adolescents between the ages of 10-14 not receiving formal education.”

Zehra Arshad National Coordinator, Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) said,

“Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind.”

“Every child has the right to an education and quality learning opportunities from early childhood to adolescence. And yet, a range of factors – including economic circumstances, low-quality teaching and schools, geographic location, gender, disability – prevent millions of Pakistani children from learning,” said Areebah Shahid, Executive Director Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA).

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VEON Group CEO, Kaan Terzioğlu today inaugurated the Jazz Digital Park (JDP) that was established with an investment of over US$ 8 million. Located in Islamabad, JDP will accelerate the country’s digital transformation ambition by significantly improving the existing level of IT services being provided to various sectors.

With a current capacity of more than 300 racks, expandable up to 450 racks, and a 3-megawatt power infrastructure, JDP is Pakistan’s largest Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Tier-III certified data center in terms of white space and power capacity. Jazz will utilize this digital park to offer secure IT infrastructure and hardware hosting facilities to businesses as well as local startups. JDP will also be hosting the new cloud platform about to be launched by Jazz. The onshore cloud will be a significant step forward in ensuring that data created in Pakistan is hosted within the country.

Speaking at the inauguration, Kaan Terzioğlu said,

“Utilising our leadership position in Pakistan and global expertise, we are focused on creating a flourishing digital ecosystem in Pakistan. Jazz Digital Park will serve as a key enabler of our digital operator strategy and is in line with our mission to simplify digital infrastructure challenges for local and regional enterprises.”

According to Aamir Ibrahim, CEO, Jazz,

“Since the pandemic and the subsequent acceleration to digital platforms, businesses across various sectors are re-assessing their cloud adoption strategies and cloud readiness. The Jazz Digital Park represents a milestone for the country’s ICT industry as it is expected to simplify digital infrastructure challenges local businesses face. This facility is at the heart of our business strategy and validates our commitment to our customers as they continue their digital transformation journey.”

Jazz also plans to facilitate the Pakistani startup ecosystem by offering cloud credits under its premium startup accelerator program Jazz xlr8 at the National Incubation Center. The cloud infrastructure is not only expected to reduce the entry barrier for upcoming Pakistani startups but is also expected to enable existing startups to accelerate their scaling up programs.

Jazz Digital Park provides one of the largest IT capacities, enabling businesses, including service providers to co-locate their critical IT infrastructure. It is equipped with four-directional fiber connectivity, 100 percent. redundancy for all power and cooling systems, a Bus Trunking System, a VESDA smoke detecting system, and a Performance Optimized Data Center solution to reduce its carbon footprint. These state-of-the-art features fulfill all operational requirements for a business, including 24/7 customer service, security, and system backups.

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Find My Doctor announced today that it has raised a Pre Series A funding round from both TPL e-Ventures, the investment arm of TPL Corp, and TPL Insurance at a $5 million valuation. The funding will be used to open dark stores, improve technology and hire new talent. Find My Doctor currently offers its services in 7 of the largest cities of Pakistan namely Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar, Hyderabad while plans are in place to enter 10 more by the end of 2022.

Apart from core tech, the Healthtech App will be improving upon its insurance-related services, supported by TPL Insurance, which is Pakistan’s leading Insurtech and one of the largest retail insurance providers in Pakistan. Although insurance is critical to healthcare services around the world, in Pakistan it is yet to cover the wider population, leaving room for substantial growth for any entity which can offer reach and affordability. Find My Doctor, aims to offer innovative features to the general public as well as the corporate sector to make insurance easier to enroll and benefit from.

The healthcare sector continues to experience an exponential volume of traffic due to Covid19 but the nature of the pandemic highlighted various inefficiencies of physical infrastructures, one of them being the inability to cater to a large crowd in a safe and quick manner. Telehealth and doorstep services, on the other hand, proved to be quick, safe, convenient and, efficient. With 250,000 satisfied customers, 90,000 lab tests, 400,000 doctor visits and, more than 150 partnerships, Find My Doctor is considered a leader amongst Healthcare Apps in Pakistan.

“We are thrilled to achieve this milestone and will be scaling our operations significantly while experimenting with new products and services. Luckily, we now have the team in place as we have hired our leaders from Tesla, Bykea, and an insurance startup” said Saad Siddiqui, Founder & CEO of Find My Doctor.

“Being Pakistan’s leading Insurtech, TPL Insurance continually utilizes the digital paradigm to disrupt the insurance industry. Our efforts are singularly focused on making insurance easier and accessible for all, as we look forward to building upon the same vision, set forth by Find My Doctor” said Muhammad Aminuddin, CEO of TPL Insurance

The transaction is subject to the successful completion of certain conditions and regulatory processes.

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In recent news, the climate change ministry is working to reduce carbon emissions and improve the air quality by replacing the regular rickshaws (also known as Chingchi) with electric bikes. This is being formulated in a working paper where numerous private-sector specialists are collaborating.

According to an official:

“Finally, the climate change ministry and provincial departments will prepare recommendations to replace Chingchi rickshaws with electric motorcycles and vehicles. Then finally, the climate change ministry and provincial departments will prepare recommendations to replace Chingchi rickshaws with electric motorcycles and vehicles.”

Although rickshaws are very compact, easy to build and repair they are responsible for the majority of the air pollution as it is based on the traditional two-stroke engine which releases a large amount of hydrocarbons i.e. unto 5,500 parts per million.

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National Incubation Center (NIC) Lahore at LUMS nominated start-up Codeschool.pk has won top laurels and a cash prize in the capstone business pitch competition in the Stanford Seed Spark Program for high-achieving entrepreneurs across South Asia.  This was the inaugural cohort from Pakistan and was introduced by NIC LUMS.

“Our partnership with Stanford SEED Spark reflects our confidence in Pakistani entrepreneurs and their ability to compete with the very best talent globally,” said Saleem Ahmad, Chairman NIC LUMS Lahore, and Quetta at the graduation ceremony of Stanford SEED Spark’s inaugural cohort in Pakistan. “Our conviction is reinforced by the fact that all of NIC LUMS mentored start-ups made the top 20 finalists and have brought home much pride in also winning the top position across South Asia.”

83 ventures participated in the program, from across 17 collaborating institutions such as IIT Bombay, TiE Chennai and CII-Young Indians. The competition selected only the top 20 graduates as finalists. After a rigorous scoring process, the top three start-ups were selected to win a cash prize as well as a virtual showcase feature in the global Stanford SEED Spark gallery. 

“Our collaboration with NIC LUMS for Spark’s maiden cohort in the Pakistan start-up ecosystem has been a great experience,” said P. R. Ganapathy, Regional Director, Stanford Seed South Asia. “We are thrilled to see the energy and enthusiasm that NIC LUMS nominated entrepreneurs brought to the program. We are looking forward to meeting more innovators and problem solvers from Pakistan to apply and make best use of a word-class online entrepreneurship program at their own pace and time.”

Speaking about her journey with the program, co-founder Sadaf Rehman commented,

“The Stanford SEED Spark Program was instrumental in helping us articulate our vision. The frameworks, expert sessions, as well as the one-on-one mentorship provided just the right mix to propel us beyond what we could have achieved on our own. I am deeply grateful to NIC LUMS for introducing this program to Pakistan, and for the networking opportunities and support that they have provided along our journey.”

Her venture, Codeschool.pk, provides fun, interactive coding classes to children aged six years and up, with the aim to promote critical 21st-century skills like problem-solving, creativity, and resilience. Within the first year of operations, the startup is reaching over 450 students in ten countries. She was mentored by LUMS alumnus Adeel Saya, Program Manager, Google in Zurich.

Another NIC LUMS-backed entrepreneur, Malik Waleed Tariq, founder of XStak, also made the top 20 finalist list. His venture is an all-in-one, self-service Retail Operating System that enables retailers to perform omnichannel commerce, marketing, payments, and business intelligence operations on a transaction-based pricing model. He was mentored by another LUMS alumnus, Ali Almakky, Strategy and Operations, JPMorgan, London.

Haris Anwaar, AWS Finance, Amazon, (Seattle) also joined the NIC mentors list with a start-up in the top 20 finalists.

The Stanford SEED Spark Program is a four-month training for early-stage entrepreneurs in the traction or growth stage and seeks to empower them with practical tools to refine and develop their businesses through an action-based curriculum, networking opportunities with peers, one-on-one mentorship, and live expert sessions. NIC LUMS brought the Stanford SEED Spark program to Pakistan and will be expanding it nationwide, with the second cohort due to begin in March 2022. 

The Program is one of three academically supplemented training opportunities provided by NIC LUMS. Its Foundry Program is driven by LUMS’ curriculum and taught by the University’s faculty and has recently launched the Entrepreneurship 101 program in collaboration with the Germany’s University of Saarland.

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