Pakistani startup RLabs has won the best startup award at the Silicon Valley November Summit in California, with the government hailing the achievement on Saturday as a sign of the growing strength of the country’s startup ecosystem.
RLabs, incubated at the National Incubation Centre for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT), is led by Harris Ahmed, a 2018 graduate of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). The startup won the GOAL Startup Award at the summit, held from November 2 to 5 and organised by Plug and Play, the innovation platform and venture capital firm.
RLabs was among 18 startups from around the world chosen to pitch their ideas at the summit under Plug and Play’s Global Overseas Acceleration and Learning (GOAL) programme. Dawn reported the win on Saturday, after Ahmed shared a photo of himself with the award on LinkedIn.
What Pakistani startup RLabs builds
Ahmed presented RLabs’ work on XR (extended reality) simulators, synthetic data and machine training. “Had the opportunity to present our work on XR (extended reality) simulators, synthetic data and machine training on a platform that brought together more than 3,000 attendees, including founders, venture capitalists, corporate executives, innovation leaders, and government partners,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Ahmed said he “spent the last decade teaching humans how to operate complex machines in XR”. “Now we use the same human experience to train machine instincts. (Launching in the US soon),” he added.
According to NICAT, RLabs has been training a proprietary large language model to power a modular, cross-platform simulation engine that cuts development time by 75 per cent. The engine is the core of the pitch: instead of building each simulator from scratch, the same system can be adapted across platforms and uses.
The summit centred on artificial intelligence and deep tech, featuring live demonstrations and pitches from more than 300 startups across over 20 industry programmes.
Government hails the win
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja welcomed the award in a statement posted on LinkedIn and shared by the government’s official X account. “From Pakistan to Silicon Valley — a proud moment for our nation!” she wrote.
She termed the achievement a “moment of immense pride” for her ministry and its tech innovation arm Ignite, reflecting the “extraordinary potential of Pakistani talent and the growing strength of our startup ecosystem”.
“Seeing our homegrown startups earn international recognition reinforces our commitment to nurturing innovation, creating global opportunities, and empowering the next generation of Pakistani entrepreneurs,” the minister said. She reaffirmed the government’s vision that “Pakistani startups should not just compete globally, but help shape the future of technology.”
Part of a wider push for Pakistani startups
The win lands a month after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally inaugurated the renamed Daanish IT Park (National Technology Park) on October 10. The facility brings incubation centres, innovation hubs, small and medium enterprises, startups and industry leaders under one roof, and the prime minister hailed it as the country’s first national technology facility.
Fresh funding is also on the way. The World Bank, under the Pakistan Entrepreneurship and Private Investment Catalyst Project expected to be approved by its executive board in early 2027, would help the government set up a $50 million Fund of Funds to support the country’s young innovation and venture capital ecosystem.
Pakistan has set a target of training one million AI professionals by 2030, and the pipeline of young talent is already showing results. The Higher Education Commission honoured 23 Pakistani students for their achievements at international science olympiads this week, while OpenAI has partnered with Pakistani firm Hacktron on AI security.
The recognition is not limited to one company. Earlier this year, the co-founders of Singapore-based Plouton AI secured a spot in the finance and venture capital category of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. The venture, co-founded by Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai and Sarfraz Shahid Hussain, was described as an agentic automation platform that helps midmarket companies automate finance workflows. For RLabs, the award also opens a door, with Ahmed saying the company is launching in the United States soon.
Frequently asked questions
What is RLabs?
RLabs is a Pakistani startup incubated at the National Incubation Centre for Aerospace Technologies. It builds XR simulators and works on synthetic data and machine training.
Who leads RLabs?
Harris Ahmed, a 2018 graduate of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
What award did RLabs win?
The GOAL Startup Award at the Silicon Valley November Summit, organised by Plug and Play.
When and where was the summit held?
The summit ran from November 2 to 5 in Silicon Valley, California, and centred on artificial intelligence and deep tech.
What is the GOAL programme?
Plug and Play’s Global Overseas Acceleration and Learning programme, under which 18 startups pitched at the summit.
