UPTECH Editorial Team
UK–Pakistan Tech Forum
A new seed investment programme targeting British-Pakistani technology founders has launched with a £5 million initial pool, backed by a consortium of UK angel networks and diaspora investors.
A new seed investment programme specifically targeting British-Pakistani technology founders has launched with a £5 million initial pool, supported by a consortium of UK angel networks, diaspora investors, and one institutional venture capital fund. The programme, structured under the UK–Pakistan Tech Forum's ecosystem development mandate, will make investments of between £50,000 and £250,000 in pre-seed and seed stage technology companies founded or co-founded by individuals of British-Pakistani heritage.
The initiative addresses a documented funding gap in the British-Pakistani startup ecosystem. Despite the community's significant representation in UK technology employment and a growing cohort of serial entrepreneurs, research commissioned by the Forum found that British-Pakistani founders receive funding at approximately half the rate of the general UK founder population at the earliest stages. The programme aims to correct this imbalance by combining capital with structured mentorship, a community of peer founders, and preferential access to the Forum's bilateral network.
Applications for the first cohort opened in February 2025, with 12 investments expected to be announced by June. Portfolio companies will be expected to develop clear plans for UK–Pakistan bilateral value creation, whether through hiring in both markets, technology transfer, or cross-border commercial partnerships. The Forum's investment committee includes experienced operators from the British-Pakistani technology community, several of whom have built companies across both markets.
