Invest2Innovate
Invest2Innovate is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at Invest2Innovate.
Invest2Innovate is a company.
Key people at Invest2Innovate.
Key people at Invest2Innovate.
Invest2Innovate (i2i) is a research-first ecosystem builder founded in 2011, dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation in Pakistan and other emerging markets through business support, investor connections, market insights, and research.[1][2][3] It operates as a sister entity to i2i Ventures, a standalone early-stage VC fund launched in 2019 that invests $250K–$500K in pre-seed and seed-stage companies, focusing on bold founders tackling large market opportunities in Pakistan across sector-agnostic domains like fintech and logistics.[2][3][4] i2i Ventures emphasizes post-investment support in fundraising, strategy, hiring, and user insights, bolstered by recent $3M backing from IFC's Startup Catalyst Program, amplifying its impact on underserved startups and women-led ventures.[2][3]
The duo's mission centers on addressing talent shortages, providing data-driven decisions, and fostering gender diversity, with a philosophy prioritizing great founders who think big and collaborate.[2][3] Their work has shaped Pakistan's startup ecosystem by bridging early-stage capital gaps, supporting portfolio firms like Oraan (fintech for women), Abhi (salary advances), and Truck It In (logistics), while Invest2Innovate's Insights team fuels research-led growth.[2][3]
Invest2Innovate was founded in 2011 by Kalsoom Lakhani, a pioneer in Pakistan's startup scene, initially focusing on business support for entrepreneurs, investor matchmaking, and market research to tackle ecosystem challenges.[2][3] Lakhani's decade-plus experience with local startups informed this launch, positioning i2i as one of the earliest players in a nascent market.[2][3]
In 2019, Lakhani co-founded i2i Ventures with Misbah Naqvi, both leveraging their deep insights from Invest2Innovate to create Pakistan's first female-led VC fund.[2][3][4] This evolution separated VC investing (i2i Ventures) from ecosystem programs and research (Invest2Innovate), with the fund closing its debut vehicle in July 2024.[2][4] Early traction included deals like Oraan, highlighting their hands-on role in scaling startups amid limited early-stage capital.[3]
Invest2Innovate and i2i Ventures ride Pakistan's booming startup wave, fueled by fintech, logistics, and inclusion trends amid a young population and rising digital adoption.[2][3] Their timing aligns with acute early-stage capital shortages in emerging markets, where they fill gaps via research, support, and female-led investing—critical as Pakistan's ecosystem matures post-2011 pioneers.[1][3]
Market forces like talent scarcity and fragmented industries (e.g., trucking) favor their hands-on model, influencing the ecosystem by de-risking founders, boosting women entrepreneurs (e.g., Oraan's 2M+ users), and attracting IFC-scale validation.[2][3] They amplify local innovation, connecting global capital to homegrown solutions for big problems.
i2i Ventures eyes fund expansion post-2024 close, doubling down on pre-seed/seed bets amid Pakistan's talent and traction growth, while Invest2Innovate scales Insights for deeper ecosystem mapping.[2][4] Trends like AI-driven fintech, logistics digitization, and gender-lens investing will propel them, potentially evolving into regional players as emerging markets converge.
Their founder-first ethos—born from 2011 grit—positions them to lead Pakistan's next unicorn wave, turning research into enduring ecosystem impact.
