A platform that extends tailored financing and technical assistance to emerging entrepreneurs, and small and growing businesses across South and central Asia.
Pakistan
Joined October 2019
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Introducing: Proof of Possible🏔️
In 2021, Pakistan ranked 153rd out of 156 countries for gender equality. In Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, isolation, restricted mobility, and a pandemic that wiped out jobs overnight made the odds even steeper for women.
But an entrepreneur can grow when the soil around her lets her. So the soil was changed: communities were engaged, skills and confidence were built, and doors to finance and markets were opened.
Now, the seeds have grown.
Proof of Possible is a series showcasing entrepreneurs from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral who refused to accept the limits placed on them. From education to tech, they are creating jobs, lifting incomes, and proving what this region can become.
They didn’t wait for the odds to change. They changed them.
As we celebrate 10 years of Accelerate Prosperity, these stories are the ripple effect we’ve created together: one entrepreneur, one business, one community at a time.
Stay tuned for stories and more to come from the north!
#ImpactInvestment #ImpactStories #Innovation #GilgitBaltistan #AccelerateProsperity
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
More young women are entering professional careers, expanding the market.
Pakistan makes western wear for the world. Now it needs brands for its own working women.
Watch: youtu.be/gFVaAHAZsYI
Produced by Pakistan & Counting with @ApProsperity, funded by BMZ through KfW.
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
More young women are entering professional careers, expanding the market.
Pakistan makes western wear for the world. Now it needs brands for its own working women.
Produced by Pakistan & Counting with @ApProsperity, funded by @BMZ_Bund through @KfW_int
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
Pakistan has 21.41 million working women — up from 8.2 million in 1998.
Yet their professional wardrobes are often pieced together from tailors, imported brands and casual western wear.
The potential market? 2.1–2.7 million urban professional women.
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
👇 Learn how a daycare centre brings teachers and parents together to nurture young children in Gilgit-Baltistan, supported by Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan.
@ApProsperity
Read more here: the.akdn/en/what-we-do/gener…
Accelerate Prosperity Pk & @SEDFgovofsindh have teamed up to make finance more affordable for Sindh’s startups and SMEs. The first businesses backed are Karachi’s @Bioniksorg (AI-powered prosthetics) and @AsaniIo (smart IoT for water, power and gas). More to come. 🚀 #Sindh #SMEs #Startups
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
Pakistan’s next agricultural opportunity may not be about growing more.
It may be about growing better, storing smarter, and capturing the value we already leave on the table.
Produced by Pakistan & Counting with @ApProsperity, funded by @BMZ_Bund through @KfW_int
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
🌱 A new hub for green innovation has opened in northern Pakistan.
@ApProsperity and @OfficialKIU have inaugurated the Centre for Green Innovation in Gilgit, a dedicated space supporting entrepreneurs, innovators and emerging businesses developing solutions to environmental and economic challenges in the region.
Supported by the European Union, the Centre combines KIU's academic and innovation ecosystem with Accelerate Prosperity's expertise in entrepreneurship development, business support and investment readiness.
It will provide a platform for co-working, collaboration and enterprise development, helping innovators transform locally developed ideas into sustainable businesses and practical solutions.
Focused on challenges including climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, energy, natural resource management and sustainable economic development, the Centre will strengthen connections between innovation, entrepreneurship and investment across the region.
The inauguration brought together His Excellency Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the EU to Pakistan; Prof. Dr. Abdul Razaq, Acting Vice-Chancellor of KIU; Akhtar Iqbal, CEO of AKF Pakistan; and Zahir Sakhi, Country Director of Accelerate Prosperity, alongside representatives from partner organisations and the local innovation ecosystem.
📈 Accelerate Prosperity is an initiative of @akdn, led by AKF and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. Working across Central and South Asia, it supports entrepreneurs to build sustainable enterprises that generate social, environmental and economic impact while delivering strong financial returns.
#GreenInnovation #Entrepreneurship #AccelerateProsperity
Accelerate Prosperity, in collaboration with @OfficialKIU has officially inaugurated the Centre for Green Innovation (CGI) in Gilgit. Funded by the European Union, the Centre for Green Innovation will serve as a hub for entrepreneurs, innovators and young people to develop solutions to the region's environmental and economic challenges, while strengthening the ecosystem for innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable business growth.
The inauguration was graced by H.E. Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan; Prof. Dr. Abdul Razaq, Acting Vice-Chancellor, KIU; Akhtar Iqbal, CEO, Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan; and Zahir Sakhi, Country Director, Accelerate Prosperity.
#GreenInnovation #Entrepreneurship #GilgitBaltistan #Sustainability #Innovation #AccelerateProsperity
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
💸 AKF is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Bank of Syria and Overseas to expand access to debt financing for startups and small and growing businesses across #Syria.
These efforts will be delivered through @ApProsperity – an AKF and Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development initiative.
The partnership with BSO will co-design tailored financing solutions to help businesses grow, create jobs, innovate and build resilience.
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Syria’s private sector and creating greater opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly youth and women, to turn ideas into sustainable businesses.
This work is part of AKDN’s deep commitment to the Syrian people, with the Network implementing projects valued at more than €100 million during 2026 and 2027.
Through Accelerate Prosperity, AKF and AKFED continue to support a more inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem in Syria, helping businesses thrive and contribute to the country’s long-term economic development.
🔗 Learn more: akf.org/article/akf-partners…
#AKF #AccelerateProsperity #Entrepreneurship #EconomicResilience
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
Unlocking Growth returns with research-backed explainers for entrepreneurs in Pakistan — covering market size, entry costs, unit economics and where the money is made.
Produced by Pakistan & Counting with @ApProsperity ; funded by BMZ through @KfW_int.
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
Big things happen when the best in the ecosystem unite!
We are thrilled to unveil the official partners fueling the National AI Hackathon 2026, powered by atomcamp! Together with these visionary organizations, we are empowering the next wave of AI innovators, builders, and problem-solvers across Pakistan.
A massive shoutout to our incredible partners joining us:
Implementation Partner: Accelerate Prosperity (@ApProsperity )
Strategic Partners: Ignite - National Technology Fund (@IgniteNTF ) | Ministry of IT & Telecom (@MoitOfficial )
Industry Partner: S&P Global (@SPGlobal )
Network Partner: Nayatel (@nayatelofficial )
University Partners: FAST University, Islamabad Campus | FAST University, Lahore Campus | Imsciences, Peshawar | BUITEMS, Quetta | KSBL, Karachi
Are you ready to build the future? Stay tuned as we bring this national movement to life!
Accelerate Prosperity 🌏 retweeted
Pakistan grows millions of tonnes of produce, but cold chain gaps mean lost value—and a business opportunity.
Watch the full Unlocking Growth episode. Produced by Pakistan & Counting with Accelerate Prosperity, funded by BMZ through KfW.
@ApProsperity @JiqbalPK
🎙️In conversation with the founders of ORA Studio, we explore why sustainable construction isn’t just an option, it’s the future.
By reducing reliance on concrete and steel, they’re creating spaces that are cooler, healthier, and deeply connected to local culture in Gilgit-Baltistan. From rammed earth walls to stabilized mud blocks, their vision is simple: construction that saves costs, protects the environment, and works with real climates, not against them.
🍿 Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtu.be/6MHuGck0smE
#SustainableConstruction #GreenBuilding #ClimateSmart #MudHomes #PakistanArchitecture
Discover how ORA Studio (AKA Rural Architecture Studio) is redefining modern living through ancient architectural wisdom. From rammed earth walls to stabilized mud blocks, they are building homes that are sustainable, cost-effective, and designed for real climates, not just trends.
By reducing reliance on concrete and steel, ORA is creating spaces that are cooler, healthier, and deeply connected to local culture in Gilgit-Baltistan.
This isn’t going backward, this is building smarter for the future 🌍
🍿 Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtu.be/6MHuGck0smE
#MudHomes #SustainableArchitecture #RammedEarth #GreenBuilding #PakistanArchitecture
In this episode of Innovation in Action, we spotlight Posture Pro, a physiotherapy clinic in Gilgit that provides diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services for individuals recovering from injuries and managing pain.
Mr. Saleem Shahzad, founder of Posture Pro Rehabilitation, commenced this journey to make professional physiotherapy accessible to locals, so patients no longer have to travel far from home for quality treatment and rehabilitation.
Watch full video on YouTube: youtu.be/rNWPYSE9t8o?si=Si_p…
#InnovationInAction #BusinessFounder #AccelerateProsperity #Physiotherapist #posturepro
In this episode of Innovation in Action, hear from the founder of Posture Pro Physiotherapy Clinic, Mr Saleem Shahzad, as he breaks common myths around posture and joint pain.🩺
Too often, oil massages are seen as the solution but do they really address the root cause? Discover how science‑based approaches can make a lasting difference.
Watch full video on YouTube: youtu.be/rNWPYSE9t8o?si=Si_p…
#InnovationInAction #BusinessFounder #AccelerateProsperity #Physiotherapist #posturepro