Telenor Velocity collaborates with Google to bring its first gaming cohort in Pakistan

Telenor Pakistan’s digital startup accelerator programme, Telenor Velocity, signed a contract with Google to launch its first ever gaming cohort aimed at accelerating the game developers. Game Launcher is a programme for top indie game studios who are looking to build, scale & monetize best-in-class mobile games.

Like most developing technology areas, game development requires learning and mentoring. To bridge the gap, Telenor Pakistan has joined hands with Google to bring in the world’s top gaming gurus to speak and mentor at game development workshops. Most of these training sessions will be held at Telenor Pakistan Campus 345 which serves as an innovation hub and has been recognized for its enabling and inclusive working environment.

There will be 4 workshops hosted by Telenor Velocity’s Game Launcher in which gurus from Google and global gaming industry will educate Velocity’s gaming cohort on how to develop games and monetize them. Telenor Velocity and Google are targeting Pakistan’s aspiring and upcoming game developers to uplift their skills and bring the next multi-million dollar games from Pakistan.

“We, at Telenor Pakistan, have been at the forefront of bringing technological interventions and innovative solutions for various segments of the society. This collaboration with Google to enable the game developers and enthusiasts in the country is a testament to our commitment to provide best in class solutions and platforms to our people” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan and Head of Emerging Asia Cluster. “Together, we aim to revolutionize gaming as a career and eventually place Pakistan on the international game developers map.”

Telenor Velocity’s Game Launcher program has opened for applications through online registration after which 25 teams will be shortlisted. There will be three rounds over a period of 8 months and in every round, a few teams will be eliminated with the rest proceeding to the next level. At the end of the program, top 7 teams will travel to Singapore Google HQ to pitch their games to potential investors.

“We’re glad to be pitching in with Telenor Pakistan to help grow the overall digital ecosystem in the country and look forward to unearthing hidden gems together from Pakistan’s game developers’ community,” said Farhan Qureshi, Country Manager South Asian Frontier Markets at Google.

Telenor Velocity’s first thematic AgriTech cohort on boarded three startups in April 2019. Picked out of 64 applicants, these finalists include Pak Zar Zameen, Good Earth, and Pak Agri Market.

Pak Zar Zameen provides low-cost precision agriculture services and crop health analyses making early detection of crop stress, identification of intra-field variability, monitoring of effects of specific tasks possible among other things. Good Earth provides a digital ecosystem for farm mechanization offering tracker services and doorstep delivery of farming machinery, and trainings and certifications of service providers. Pak Agri Market provides a directory for agri shops across Pakistan offering a centralized shop and product directory with reviews and ratings, ensuring farmers’ access to quality, tested products at competitive pricing. By being a part of Velocity’s agri-tech cohort, these startups will be getting access to the necessary tools and insights to scale their ventures.

Velocity is Telenor Pakistan’s startup accelerator program aimed at developing and boosting the local digital ecosystem. With the AgriTech and Gaming cohorts, Telenor Velocity is helping in the development of specialized digital solutions targeting specific focus areas.