i2i Ventures Secures $3 Million to Boost Early-Stage Startups in Pakistan

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested $3 million in i2i Ventures, Pakistan’s pioneering women-led venture capital fund, as part of its Startup Catalyst Programme designed to support innovative early-stage startups. The IFC, which focuses on advancing economic development, creating jobs, and improving lives in developing countries, is channeling these funds to back founders through investments in pre-seed and seed-stage startups.

i2i Ventures, a startup accelerator and venture capital firm founded by Kalsoom Lakhani and Misbah Naqvi in 2019, is dedicated to supporting early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The firm offers crucial early-stage financing and hands-on support to its founders.

The IFC highlighted that its catalyst program invests in incubators and accelerators in underserved markets, with i2i Ventures playing a significant role in extending extensive support to early-stage startups in Pakistan. According to an IFC statement, the financing includes up to $2 million from IFC’s account and up to $1 million from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), which aids women-owned and led firms and builds the capacity of women entrepreneurs to manage high-growth businesses.

Source: Hasaan Ali Khan / Arab News