Pakistan’s Business Bonanza: 3 Days to Launch Your Success at ChaiCon
Get ready to jumpstart your entrepreneurial journey! ChaiCon returns to Karachi on May 10–12, 2024 at the Karachi Expo Centre, bringing together the essential ingredients for any aspiring founder: capital, customers, mentors and a thousand cups of doodh-patti.
What is ChaiCon?
ChaiCon is Pakistan's largest startup, franchise and SME convention. Born out of the unstoppable chai-shop culture of Karachi, the event has grown from a small business meet-up in 2019 into a three-day flagship gathering that now draws more than 25,000 visitors, 300+ exhibitors and investors from the GCC, the UK and Southeast Asia.
Why this edition matters
Pakistan's macro picture remains noisy, but for early-stage founders the underlying tailwinds have never been stronger:
- Roughly 64% of the population is under 30 — a young, mobile-first consumer base.
- Retail digitisation is finally moving from urban centres to tier-2 cities like Hyderabad, Sialkot and Bahawalpur.
- The State Bank has eased outbound payment routes for SaaS companies, so building for global markets from Karachi has never been more practical.
Day-by-day highlights
Day 1 — Franchise & SME
If you've ever dreamed of opening a Cinnabon, OPTP or a local brand like Karachi Halwa Puri Co., this is the day to walk the floor with your shortlist and meet master franchisees face to face. Expect on-the-spot LoI signings.
Day 2 — Tech & Startup
Pitch competitions, investor speed-dates and panels on the Pakistani SaaS playbook. The headliners this year include teams from Bazaar, Trax, Tazah and Educative, with at least three regional VCs running office hours.
Day 3 — Made in Pakistan
A celebration of manufacturing, agritech and exportable consumer brands — from Sialkot surgical instruments to Karachi-made halal cosmetics. If you sell physical product, this is your day.
How to prepare
- Have a one-line pitch ready — investors at ChaiCon shortcut everything to the elevator test.
- Bring printed cards. Yes, in 2024. The booth crowd is still old-school.
- Pre-book mentor slots on the ChaiCon app the moment registration opens — they vanish within minutes.
"You don't need a perfect product to be at ChaiCon — you need the courage to talk to 200 strangers in three days." — Hira A., ChaiCon 2023 alumna
The bottom line
Pakistan's economy is rewriting itself in real time, and ChaiCon is the closest thing we have to a national town hall for builders. Block your calendar, charge your power bank, and we'll see you over a paper cup of chai at the Expo Centre.