Jobs
Press ReleasesThink your university is doing the craziest tech work in the country? Prove it.
Some of our readers at Green & White have funded university-based startups or student projects in the past, so here’s what we’ll do.
You guys tell us about your project (use “Request Coverage” above), and we’ll add some perspective and cover it here with your contact info.
Then you tell us if you get connected.
When a 19th century romantic French writer by the name of Victor Hugo said “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come” he obviously could not envision Pakistani bureaucracy. Not only can it reduce an idea to nothing more than its meager skeletal remains squirming in its own vile, it too often does.
Come 2004, the IT bubble is about to burst in a military run, democratic, American influenced politically independent subcontinent country by the name of Pakistan. It is here in our story that along comes an idea. It is a simple idea yet revolutionary in every way, the idea to prepare this country for the…
Read more →
The past whole week I was really excited about going to the exhibition on 5th and 6th at expo center Lahore since the theme read “home expo and super car expo”. I was counting on seeing some innovative home solutions, fancy cars and a lot of appliances for both. As I entered the arena, an ear piercing heavy bike engine race greeted me. Oh wow nice, we have bikes here too… and lots of them, but let’s see if we have the actual products that are expected.
First cars!! Honda Launched its new City Aspire at the event. This attracted a lot of young crowd who wanted to check it…
Read more →
NOTE: This is a sponsored post
Football. The most popular sport in the world. That may be hard to believe, we being a die-hard cricket nation, but there are many amongst us who get their blood pumping whenever our favorite team kicks some balls (pun intended). There’s excitement in the air, and the airwaves for that matter, when Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona are about to have a face-off on the field. Manchester United or Chelsea? The answer could incite either jeers or cheers, depending on who you’re surrounded by. It feels like you belong to an exclusive club really, not to mention how convenient it is to…
Read more →
There are two main things that are currently causing out growth in ICT to stall. One is the lack of original ideas, so most of the entrepreneurs either copy what is already around internationally or locally (same ideas of online shopping, online bidding) we still have not hit the jackpot with someone creating some thing like instagram or drawsomething and being acquired by one of the big names.
The second issue always lamented by entrepreneurs is lack of any funding sources in Pakistan. Over the years we have seen efforts being made to create funds which would help but what ended happening that most of these funds either did…
Read more →
We all know about the 7 layers of the OSI model. This is the framework by which computer networks are defined. Starting with the physical layer, going through the transport layer and finally culminating in the application layer where end user applications reside. I believe that this should be redefined to include and additional layer – the Social Layer. From the current vantage point, the Social Layer lies right above the Application layer – hence it is served by the Application layer.
The 90s witnessed a boom in what is now referred to as web 1.0. This consisted of static applications hosted over the web. Static applications meant that…
Read more →
Pakistani IT industry has been progressing rapidly over the last few years. It is heartening to see that the industry players are innovating and working in different areas to establish their expertise.
Recently, TenPearls, one of the leading IT companies of Pakistan, launched “Carumba!”, a 3D car racing game for iPhone and iPad. Carumba! has been designed and developed by TenPearls’ innovation labs. Launched as a free game, Carumba! allows users to earn coins during the race, and redeem them to unlock other cars and tracks or to get additional nitro boosts. It has also been integrated with Apple’s Game Center.
The game has received very good response from…
Read more →
‘Rethinking Pakistan’ [and my expression goes LOL and I will explain why] was the theme of the conference which took place at margalla hills Islamabad on March 31st 2011 organized by TEDx, lets just summarize here what TEDx is; before we further dig into the “theme” and happenings of this conference.
TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) and ’x’ denotes the independently organized events under the TED umbrella, mission is “Ideas worth spreading” and this events basically brings together individuals, communities and organizations with the opportunity to excite dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level (geographically). The programs combine live presenters, performers and pre-recorded talks from some of the most brilliant…
Read more →
ICT R&D Fund aims to provide graduating students a chance to really make their final projects counts. I have always felt that students in their final year some times product excellent products which due to lack of any infrastructure and proper guidance plus funding just go in the Universities Libraries.
Seems ICT R & D fund is giving these students a chance to take their projects to the next level by acquiring funding, if you are a final year student doing a project all you need is to get this form filled and submitted through your head of department .
Last date for submission for forms is 31st…
I wanted to discuss the Thiel Fellowship and sort of run the idea among our readership to figure out if it was justified or not. Bay Area hedge fund manager Peter Thiel started a Fellowship program in his name about a year ago trying to capitalize not on start ups, but the smart kids who may actually come up with the next billion dollar idea.
Let there be no mistake. Innovation solves problems. Bankers, lawyers and hot shot executives are good for only one thing: managing an existing infrastructure. It is the innovators who turn existing ideas on to their heads and enable breakthroughs. Considering the point above, it…
Read more →
Twitter
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Stumble
Reddit
7:28 pm
Somehow, I get the feeling that the folks at Green & White feel that they are ultra-smart, highly-educated and well-linked guys while the rest of the world is very dumb and needs guidance every once in a while.
I wonder what the last line—Then you tell is if you get connected—means!
I would be a very happy reader if Green & White’s focus is more towards real world stories and discussion on them by CEO’s and the high-ups.
7:35 pm
Not to be too harsh or anything. I like some parts of what Green&White has been doing, but I do agree with Jaywalker. You guys should focus on what existing companies are doing rather. I doubt that anyone who thinks they have a “killer project” will share it here.. lets talk about what these universities are offering and how can they improve, lets talk about how startups are functioning, how established companies are functioning, this will help future startups to organize better, learn from others mistakes and make better decisions.
7:47 pm
Ah Jaywalker you’re right… so let me give some guidance here! kidding.
Here’s the deal – you guys are forgetting that most successful startups begin as good university-based projects that grow into companies — a certain company with two G’s and an OO in the middle comes to mind.
There are people that I know read Green & White who’ve offered upwards of $100k to university based killer projects – that’s funding that most good startups would kill for here.
I’m not asking for your average MIS system – I want to get those guys funded — read: “connected with funders”.
If you guys dont know of any, be patient! We’ll come to you when the investors are ready to come to you (i.e. when you can demonstrate a successful prototype that you dont abandon after showing it off initially).
Another tip: Dont think that just showing a small demo and going into hiding is going to get you funding or support – building traction and trying to scale out might. Proving that you can make money will.
If you guys have any recent customer successes to share from your products feel free and we’ll highlight them.
In the meantime, let other people who deserve the funds, get the funds, eh?
12:20 am
Osama: You mention in the post “Some of our readers at Green & White have funded university-based startups or student projects in the past”.. i personally haven’t seen any mention of such companies in your blog (and i have been following your blog for a while now).. it will be great if you can highlight these companies and what they do.. i am excited to see Pakistan grow and would love to know about these companies and others.
No one said that your idea was bad, the suggestion was to focus more on what the current startup and other mature-companies are doing in Pakistan and maybe highlight their achievements and failures..
3:10 pm
Yes Obaid I haven’t mentioned them, because they have not wanted coverage yet.
There is a lot of angel activity in this country but most of it is still very hush hush.
7:22 pm
Yes the angel investment scene is really big (at least that’s what i have been experiencing so far) .. hopefully i will have some good news to share with you by early next year