Onto the 4th Cycle: Plan9 Holds Launchpad Lahore

If you have been following The AppJuice, you probably know about Plan9’s event that targeted Social Entrepreneurs. However, the main focus of Plan9 are the Tech Startups and the incubator held a launchpad to choose new teams for its fourth cycle. Like the previous event, this session saw great response and a total of 84 teams made it to the Launchpad.

The judges panel featured Khurram Samad,Salim Rehman, Qaisar Ansari and Abbas Yousafzai among others. The panelists were impressed with the talent exhibited, remarking that thinking big and then being willing to work for the idea is the key to success. Plan9’s Launchpad also featured various notable personalities from the tech industry. These included Tune.pk‘s CEO, Jahanzaib Hassan who delivered a motivational talk titled “Made in Pakistan” and communication expert, Selina Rashid from Lotus who shared valuable tips with the participants. Each team was then given a total of five minutes to present which were further divided into a three minute presentation and two minutes question and answer session. As the clock ticked away, many teams demonstrated comprehensive, applicable plans for their respective startups. However, only a few were shortlisted.

While many ideas initially impressed the judges in the five minutes they were gives, subsequent screening and detailed analysis helped the judges come up with a final list of winners who were shortlisted for a coveted spot in the Plan9’s 4th Cycle. The ideas that were shortlisted today included WaysAll Technologies, Appsow Inc, MONEVS, JumpSmart, DSSSW Engineering Solutions, Do It Yourself Geeks, Group Mutaj’sis, SnapShot, Tutors Earth, logics.do, Phone Market, Dollar Design, Holy Grail, Market Eagle, Blowing that, Hikkup, aPointed, yarnpak, Quartz Robotic and TexSum..

These startups had good ideas with significant application in real world. Code On, for example aims to be a platform for freelancers where they can come together to find work. Blowing that, if realized, could be the next event planning platfrom: a single place that brings planners, vendors and customers together. Similarly Murammat can provide online facilities regarding repair and maintenance of home appliances and villagerx can help citizens of rural areas reach the market and enjoy better sales of their crafts. Another appealing idea was Dollar Design, an online marketplace where graphic resources and designs would be available for only $1 each. These could then be used by the companies for various purposes.

It’s true that the ideas have potential but the journey has only begun. There are more Launchpads to come and finally these will compete to get incubation at Plan9 and access to some of the best facilities that a startup can ask for. There is lots more to come so stay tuned!

(Edited by: Qurat Zafar)