Future Fest 2025 recognizes top tech minds with NICAT awards

Lahore: Future Fest 2025, held at the Expo Center Lahore from January 24-26, celebrated Pakistan’s top tech innovators with the NICAT Innovation Awards.

The event, organized with the National Incubation Center for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT), recognized individuals making significant contributions in various sectors of technology.

NICAT highlighted its commitment to honoring those who show remarkable innovation and have a positive impact on their fields.

A panel of experts, including Muhammad Umar (CEO, Relymert), Mehroz Azam (COO, Ejad Labs), Syed Ali Mehdi (CFO, Deaf Talk), and Umair Arshad (Founding Member, PEA), selected the winners from over 450 nominees.

The winners of the NICAT Innovation Awards 2025 were: Tabinda Islam of Arfa Kareem Foundation, Mudaser Iqbal of TheHash, Waleed Najam of Rankistan, Rana Umar Majeed of Datics AI, Vikram Kumar of SharkLabs, and Yasir Shaukat of Techleadz.

The awards ceremony featured Dr. Amjad Saqib, a well-known philanthropist and founder of Akhuwat, the world’s largest interest-free microfinance program. Dr. Shafqat Ayaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Science and Technology, spoke about how the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s support could benefit such initiatives.

The event emphasized NICAT’s ongoing support for Pakistan’s startup ecosystem by offering resources, mentorship, and industry connections. The collaboration between Future Fest and NICAT highlights a shared goal of advancing innovation in fields like AI, SaaS, E-commerce, Blockchain, Health, and Finance. The event recognized the hard work of all the award winners and emphasized Pakistan’s growing role in the global tech scene.