Karachi (GNP): Wafi Energy Pakistan Limited, through its Tameer social investment program, partnered with NED University of Engineering & Technology to sponsor the regional round of the World Startup Championship – SEE Pakistan 2026.
The World Startup Championship is an annual international entrepreneurship competition that gives students and young innovators a platform to develop their business ideas.
The regional round brought together more than 300 student-led startups from universities across Sindh, offering participants the opportunity to pitch their ideas, connect with industry professionals, receive mentorship, and compete for a spot in the national competition.
Wafi Energy’s Focus on Youth Investment
The partnership reflects Wafi Energy Pakistan’s broader commitment to investing in the country’s youth and supporting ideas with potential for lasting impact. As Pakistan’s startup ecosystem continues to grow, collaborations between academia, industry, and emerging businesses play a key role in helping innovative concepts develop into sustainable ventures.
Imran Qureshi, Director of Corporate & Government Affairs at Wafi Energy Pakistan, said the country’s young entrepreneurs bring the ideas and determination needed to address major national challenges, and that the company is committed to giving them access to platforms that can help turn those ideas into viable businesses.
He described the partnership with NED University and SEE Pakistan as a reflection of the company’s belief that investing in young innovators today supports Pakistan’s long-term economic growth.
Through the Tameer program, the company continues to support emerging entrepreneurs working to build businesses, create jobs, and develop solutions aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s economy.
Formerly known as Shell Pakistan, Wafi Energy Pakistan is one of the country’s longest-established energy companies, operating in Pakistan since 1947 as the exclusive licensee of Shell fuel and lubricant products.
The company operates a network of more than 680 Shell retail sites, along with nationwide oil terminal facilities and a lubricants blending plant, and is the largest private investor in the White Oil Pipeline operated by Pak-Arab Pipeline Company.
The company’s roots in the region trace back even further, to when Asiatic Petroleum first began importing kerosene into the subcontinent — a legacy marked by a storage tank dating back to 1898 that remains standing today.
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In November 2024, UAE-based Wafi Energy Holding acquired an 87.78% stake in Shell Pakistan Limited, marking its formal entry into the Pakistani market and bringing fresh capital and long-term investment to the country’s energy sector.
A related Wafi Holding company also serves as the exclusive representative of the Shell brand for fuel stations in Saudi Arabia. The acquisition builds on Shell’s 79-year presence in Pakistan, supported by a retail and terminal network that includes key storage facilities in Karachi’s Keamari port area and a high-capacity terminal serving northern Pakistan.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
