GIZ Women Leadership Programme

LCE launched the Women Leadership Programme in partnership with the German Development Cooperation, designed to enhance the leadership skills of women in the textile industry and improve their career progression prospects. The Programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The Programme aims to create opportunities for women workers to thrive within the textile industry and occupy leadership positions. This aligns with LCE's broader mission to foster inclusive growth by empowering women to lead, innovate, and transform their communities.

As part of this partnership, LCE has conducted a series of focus groups and executive workshops in Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan. Insights from these activities were used to develop a unique training programme curated especially for the industry in these cities. Subsequent trainings are currently underway.

Bachapreneur Finale in Collaboration with Bachaa Party

LCE organised the final of Bachaapreneur, in collaboration with Bachaa Party, a retail brand developing products for children, both in-store and online. From over 450+ entries across Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, 10 young entrepreneurs (ages 8–16) made it to the grand finale, showcasing their innovative ideas and talents—from handmade cards and tie-and-dye creations to resin art, magnets, and handmade soaps.

The competition was judged by Shuja ul Hassan, Partner at The STEM Educators; Maydda Nabeel, Founder Alif Aur Art; Faiza Badar, CEO at The Junior Founder; and Hamid Ali, Co-founder at Quid Sol, with Musa Tayyab, Founder of Soap Heaven, emerging as the winner of the competition!

Leo’s Steamathon

Leo’s Steamathon, presented by Leo's Workshop, in collaboration with LCE, brought together young innovators from across Lahore for a full day of creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning. 45 teams of budding entrepreneurs, researchers, and thinkers showcased their incredible projects, blending Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) to solve real-world problems.

From designing business models to exploring philosophical dilemmas and conducting scientific research, the young minds impressed a panel of industry experts, academics, and entrepreneurs with their creativity and passion. The judges provided valuable feedback, encouraging each participant to keep building, exploring, and innovating.

Better Cotton National Social Impact Roundtable

As part of the National Social Impact Roundtable LCE led a discussion on Farm Level Efficiency, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Muhammad Bukhari, CEO of Farmdar, delivered a keynote on AI-driven agricultural innovation for climate resilience. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Habib Saqib, Head of Business, FasalPay; Jazib Zahir, Director, LCE; and Dr. Tasneem Khaliq, Director Regenerative Agriculture, SAWIE Ecosystems, who explored Agri-Tech solutions, AI’s role in farming, financial access for farmers, and grassroots challenges in agricultural entrepreneurship. The discussion was moderated by Saba Shahid, Manager Partnerships & Projects at LCE.

Adding to the spirit of innovation, LCE also showcased prototypes from its Makers Lab—a hub for Agri-Tech innovation. The exhibit featured air quality and soil moisture sensors, a grain thresher, and more, demonstrating how entrepreneurship and technology can transform agriculture.

MoU with CIRCLE Women Association

LCE and CIRCLE Women Association have officially partnered to develop initiativies that will help empower female entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The MoU for this partnership was signed by Sadaffe Abid, Founder & CEO of CIRCLE Women Association, and Jazib Zahir, Director of LCE, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration focused on research, knowledge-sharing, and co-hosting initiatives to foster innovation and create opportunities for women-led start-ups.

Tabeer Exchange Programme

As part of the Tabeer Exchange Programme, participants embarked on a transformative two-week professional exchange to the United States, funded by the US Department of State. The visit provided immersive exposure to some of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems, blending academic insight, entrepreneurial learning, and cross-cultural exchange.

The journey began on the East Coast, with visits to Boston and New York. In Boston, the cohort explored innovation at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), engaged with cutting-edge ideas at MIT’s Martin Trust Center, and experienced Harvard i-labs’ approach to entrepreneurship. Sessions at Northeastern University’s Curry Student Center and a networking dinner with OPEN Boston further enriched the group’s understanding of student-led innovation and diaspora engagement. The visit to NYU’s Leslie eLab and Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City showcased how urban spaces and academic institutions collaborate to support emerging ventures. The trip also included policy-focused engagements at the US Department of State, US Chamber of Commerce, and US Small Business Administration in Washington, DC.

In Silicon Valley, the group visited UC Santa Clara, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School to explore how academic institutions intersect with start-up culture. A day at the Plug and Play Tech Center—birthplace of companies like Google—offered valuable insights into global acceleration models and venture funding. The cohort also engaged with incubator programmes at the University of California, Silicon Valley, and attended a special session hosted by TiE Silicon Valley. The experience was rounded out with a reflective workshop in Palo Alto and hands-on pitch sessions with venture capitalists at UC Berkeley.

From deep dives into AI and experiential learning to firsthand exposure to start-up law, storytelling, and investor engagement, the Tabeer Exchange offered participants a rare opportunity to gain practical, global insights. The experience was a vital capstone to the Tabeer project – building the capacity of incubation centers in universities across Punjab,

Femtech Innovation Hub in partnership with CERP

LCE introduced Pakistan’s first Femtech Innovation Hub, in collaboration with CERP and funded by the Gates Foundation, to the start-up community in Lahore and beyond, with the launch event bringing together experts, innovators, and entrepreneurs passionate about transforming women's health through technology. The Innovation Hub aims to bring to the forefront women’s issues that go largely ignored in low-income communities.

The event began with a welcome note by Amna Awan, Head of Operations, LCE, followed by Imran Zia, Executive Vice President Analytics & Labs, CERP, who shared an overview of the initiative and its role in empowering healthtech start-ups tackling critical women’s health challenges in Pakistan.

The panel discussion, ‘Tech for Her: Innovating to Transform Women’s Health’, organised as part of the launch, explored the complexities of women’s healthcare in underserved communities, the role of technology in bridging gaps, and key policy interventions that have created impact in developing contexts worldwide. The panel featured Ambreen Iftikhar, Additional Secretary/Executive Director, Board of Investment; Asma Omer, Co-founder, Marham; Dr. Shaper Mirza, Associate Professor, LUMS; Dr. Basmaa Ali, Founder, Zanjabee Integrative Medicine; and Saba Zubair, Founder, Vending Central, and was moderated by Salwa Akhtar, Programme Manager, Femtech Innovation Hub.

The event concluded with a call for applications from Femtech start-ups working on solutions in menstrual and gynecological health, maternal and reproductive health, digital health and AI, mental health and well-being, or other areas within women’s healthcare.

In response to Lahore’s unprecedented smog season in late 2024, the LCE Makers Lab took on the challenge of building air purifiers in-house to meet the urgent demand for clean indoor air at LUMS. Developed after thorough market research, the team created three models tailored to room sizes of 400 sq ft, 600 sq ft, and 2400 sq ft.

Each purifier featured a HEPA filter and fan, with components sourced locally and the purifiers designed and assembled entirely at the Makers Lab using CO2 laser cutters and woodwork tools.

These custom-built purifiers were deployed across the Plug and Play Co-working Space and LCE offices. The team is now working on integrating microprocessors to enable real-time air quality monitoring and automatic fan adjustment.

Anyone interested in a custom air purifier for their space can reach out to the Makers Lab at makerslab@lums.edu.pk.

U.n.I, Idea Launch Cohort 1 emerged as one of the top 3 start-ups at the prestigious Red Bull Basement Competition held in Karachi. U.n.I is a Secure, closed-loop social networking platform designed exclusively for university students to connect and network safely within their campus community.

Govx, a research initiative under Celystik Labs, Idea Launch Cohort 1, has been selected for funding from Optimism Foundation. Their project, the Retro Funding Voting Design Evaluation Framework, is a groundbreaking effort to enhance decentralised governance.

Adlytic AI, Slingshot Cohort 1, won two Bronze Awards at the prestigious Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) 2024 Awards held in Brunei; Bronze in Start-up of the Year Category and Bronze in Retail and Distribution Category. Adlytic AI transforms ordinary CCTV cameras into smart analytics tools, providing physical retail stores with actionable insights into customer behaviour, sales trends, and store performance.

Carbotech Dynamics, Idea Launch Cohort 1, was second place at the IBA INVENT competition, as part of their Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations. Pioneering advancements in aerospace and automotive composites, Carbotech Dynamics addresses challenges like buckling and impact damage through cutting-edge manufacturing.

Voltshare won the Shell Tameer Award in the Clean Energy Solutions category. Voltshare Technologies, Slingshot Cohort 1, connects EV drivers to real-time charging stations, reducing range anxiety in Pakistan.