Government plans seven national AI hubs to back 560 startups
The IT ministry has issued a request for proposals for hubs in seven cities, with seed grants for 150 AI startups over two years.
Pakistan's Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication plans to set up seven National AI Hubs, according to official documents seen by ProPakistani on 29 July 2026. The hubs fall under the National AI Advancement Initiative, part of the National AI Policy.
The hubs are planned for Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit. ProPakistani said each would offer office space, high speed internet and laboratories for research and entrepreneurship.
Over two years the programme aims to incubate 560 AI startups and give seed grants to 150 of them. TechJuice reported that the grants are non dilutive, meaning founders do not give up equity, and that the ministry funds them separately from the hub operator. It also reported 40 startups would join each hub every year.
Who runs it
The ministry has already issued a request for proposals. TechJuice said the grants would be paid out against milestones. The two outlets differ on the length of the operating contract, so that detail remains unclear.
The plan also includes two national AI hackathons and four awareness sessions. Selected startups are to be linked with venture capital firms, incubators and international technology networks.
The focus sectors are healthcare, agriculture, education, fintech and smart cities, and TechJuice added public sector governance. Including women and people from underserved and rural regions is a mandatory part of the project, according to the reports.
Neither report quoted an official, and no bid deadline was published. Whether the hubs deliver will depend on who wins the contract and how quickly the grants reach founders.
Reported from ProPakistani and TechJuice, based on ministry documents.
