ducational institutions and professional training institutes often step forward to address a society’s pressing challenges. The National Incubation Centre, Peshawar, operates in that same spirit, identifying problems, nurturing solutions and guiding young innovators towards creating meaningful impact.

In the bustling Board Bazaar area of Peshawar, sunlight pours through the glass façade of National Incubation Centre, Peshawar (NIC-Peshawar), illuminating rows of young founders hunched over laptops, sketching ideas on whiteboards or pitching concepts in hushed tones. The atmosphere inside feels noticeably different from the city’s rhythm, as if innovation has found a permanent home.

Established under the Ministry of IT and Telecom and Ignite, the NIC-Peshawar is part of Pakistan’s national network of incubation centres.

In a province where tech infrastructure and investment opportunities were historically limited, the centre has played a transformative role. For the first time, with it establishment, the KP had an institutionalised pipeline for ideation, product development and investor readiness.

NIC-Peshawar’s regular activities - from hackathons and mentorship sessions to graduation ceremonies - have helped position KP startups on the national stage. Startups emerging from the centre are no longer outliers; they are part of a growing wave of businesses creating jobs, securing investment and generating revenue.

In its early years, most founders lacked professional networks, industry mentorship and investor access. NIC-Peshawar bridged these gaps by connecting KP’s emerging talent with national investors, trainers and experts.

Workshops on finance, legal compliance, sales and product design equipped founders with skills they had rarely encountered before. Since its inception, NIC-Peshawar has offered support and resources to many startups from all over the province.

Some of these businesses have raised millions of rupees in funding, created employment opportunities for local youth and developed digital products tailored to regional needs.

Shafeeq Gigyani, programme manager at NIC-Peshawar, describes the space as much more than an incubator. “We are a vibrant community hub. We host book circles, hackathons, movie nights and a range of creative and educational activities. Our goal is to nurture innovation, collaboration and a strong entrepreneurial culture in the region,” he says.

Despite its many successes, NIC-Peshawar continues to face challenges unique to the KP. Investor presence remains limited, forcing some startups to seek capital from major cities elsewhere. The shortage of technically skilled co-founders and regulatory complexities also slows growth.

For dozens of startups, NIC-Peshawar has been a turning point. What began as side hustles or passion projects have evolved into structured businesses with teams, customers and revenue. The credibility of being an NIC graduate often opens doors to partnerships and investors that once felt out of reach.

The KP needs greater investor presence, stronger industry linkages, more technical talent development and regulatory reforms to strengthen the ecosystem. NIC-Peshawar may have laid the groundwork, but sustaining this momentum will require collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Sudais Khan, founder of Dekord says, “NIC-Peshawar feels like the best place in the city for any startup to grow. The environment is supportive, open and full of people who genuinely want to see you win. For us, at Dekord, it has been the perfect place to build, learn and stay motivated. NIC-Peshawar brings real energy to the city’s tech scene, it’s where ideas feel possible and founders feel backed.”

Khizar Bakhtiar, co-founder of PQC Labs, echoed the sentiment. “I’m seriously impressed with the energy at NIC-Peshawar. The mentorship here is the real deal, they don’t just give advice, they also connect you with people who actually help you scale. If you’re a startup in the KP, you have to be here.”

The writer is a multimedia roducer. He tweets @daudpasaney.