Code for Pakistan
Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic technology organization founded in 2013 that partners with Pakistani government departments — primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — to develop and deploy open-source AI, IoT, and mobile solutions that digitize public services and improve citizen-government interactions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersAustralian Capital Territory, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Code for Pakistan does
Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic technology organization founded in 2013 by Sheba Najmi, modeled on Code for America and operating under a dual legal structure — Foundation for Civic Tech (Section 42 non-profit under Pakistan's Companies Act 2017, registration #0186688) and Tech for Change (a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit, EIN# 47-1458866) — which together enable both domestic Pakistani engagement and international donor access. The organization is headquartered in Islamabad with additional offices in Peshawar and Karachi, and is a member of the international Code for All civic tech network.
Its core product is the KP Government Innovation Fellowship, a paid fellowship co-funded by KP IT Board and the World Bank that has run since 2014 and graduated 156 fellows across multiple cohorts, supported by the Civic Innovator Program (launched November 2024 as a tri-party government-academia-industry collaboration), the Women Civic Digital Internship, and D4WEE digital skills training. Technical output includes 82 solutions deployed across 51 government departments spanning mobile apps (RAABTA traffic, Safa Pekhawar, Public Toilet Finder), web platforms (Open Data Portal on CKAN, PDMA emergency app), IoT systems (smart waste bins, on-farm water management, SCADA water monitoring), AI-enabled products (GovGPT, Agri-Alert plant disease detection, SmogNet air quality analytics), and blockchain supply chain prototypes — all released as open source on GitHub.
The revenue model is structured around grants, donations, and government partnership contracts rather than commercial sales; citizens access solutions at no cost, fellows receive stipends funded by KP IT Board and the World Bank, and a small paid core staff of 4-5 in Islamabad is supplemented by a large volunteer community. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven through civic hackathons, datathons, town halls, and fellowship cohorts, with distribution via direct government partnership deployment and open-source channels.
Code for Pakistan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Code for Pakistan
- Legal name
- Foundation for Civic Tech
- Website
- https://codeforpakistan.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic technology organization founded in 2013 that partners with Pakistani government departments — primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — to develop and deploy open-source AI, IoT, and mobile solutions that digitize public services and improve citizen-government interactions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Code for Pakistan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Technology
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), National Security and International Affairs (9281), Public Finance Activities (921130)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coding & Programming Learning Platforms (EDAFANAA)
Keywords
Where Code for Pakistan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Australian Capital Territory
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Code for Pakistan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation Funding: Code for Pakistan is a registered nonprofit organization operating under Foundation for Civic Tech as a Section 42 non-profit under Companies Act 2017 in Pakistan, and as Tech for Change a 501(c)(3) California not-for-profit corporation in the United States. Revenue comes primarily from grants, donations, and institutional funding.
- Government Partnership Contracts: Partnerships with government bodies like KP IT Board and World Bank to run fellowship programs and develop civic technology solutions for public service improvement.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Code for Pakistan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic technology organization that develops open-source digital solutions for Pakistani government departments, including AI chatbots, IoT systems, mobile apps, and open data portals. It operates fellowship, internship, and university collaboration programs that place technologists inside government agencies to co-create technology solutions addressing public service delivery, citizen engagement, transparency, and disaster response.
Product overview
Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic tech organization that offers a portfolio of programs and digital products focused on bridging the gap between government and citizens. The core offerings include the KP Government Innovation Fellowship (paid fellowship for developing government tech solutions), the KP Women Civic Digital Internship Program, the Civic Innovator Program (tri-party university-government-industry collaboration), D4WEE (digital skills for women), Civic Hackathons, and Civic Innovation Labs. The product portfolio includes AI-powered solutions like GovGPT for government information delivery and Agri-Alert for plant disease detection, IoT solutions for waste management and water systems, open data platforms built on CKAN, and citizen-facing applications including the RAABTA traffic app. These products work together to improve public service delivery, citizen engagement, and government transparency across Pakistan.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KP Government Innovation Fellowship A paid fellowship program placing technologists inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government departments to co-develop digital solutions for public service challenges. Co-funded by KP IT Board and the World Bank since 2014.
- KP Women Civic Digital Internship Program Internship program focused on building digital skills and financial agency for women participants, conducted in partnership with government stakeholders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Quantifiable outcome
- 82 civic technology solutions deployed across government departments
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Code for Pakistan
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Code for Pakistan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature3 records
Code for Pakistan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KP IT Board (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board)corePrimary government technology partner that funds and supports the KP Government Innovation Fellowship program. Provides workspace at Durshal, funding for stipends, and facilitates access to government departments for civic technology projects.
- Higher Education Commission (HEC)minorRegulatory body whose requirements for final-year student projects are fulfilled through the Civic Innovator Program, enabling students to gain practical civic innovation experience.
- CECOS PeshawarminorUniversity partner in the Civic Innovator Program where students work on civic technology projects as part of their academic requirements.
- IMSciences PeshawarminorUniversity partner in the Civic Innovator Program providing student talent and faculty supervision for civic technology projects.
- Iqra National UniversityminorUniversity partner in the Civic Innovator Program enabling students to fulfill final-year project requirements through civic innovation work.
- FAST NUCES IslamabadminorAcademic partner hosting the AI for Civic Innovation Hackathon, providing venue and student participation for the civic technology competition.
- Grey SoftwareminorTechnology partner collaborating on the AI for Civic Innovation Hackathon to develop AI-powered civic solutions.
- ScrimbaminorEducational technology partner supporting the AI for Civic Innovation Hackathon with learning resources and technical mentorship.
- Durshal MardanminorIncubation center co-hosting the Guftugu Civic Town Hall event with Code for Pakistan, providing venue and local coordination for climate dialogue initiatives.
- UET MardanminorUniversity partner providing venue and academic expertise for the Guftugu Civic Town Hall, contributing to climate action research and student innovation.
- WSSC MardanminorWater and Sanitation Services Company contributing technical expertise and local context to civic dialogue on climate challenges.
- Code for AllcoreInternational civic technology network connecting Code for Pakistan with similar organizations across America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
- OPEN IslamabadminorPartner in launching Islamabad Civic Innovation Lab and supporting civic hackathon events with full logistical support and community engagement.
- P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association)minorIndustry association partner supporting hackathons through blogger and volunteer arrangements, event promotion, and industry connections.
- T2F (The Second Floor)minorKarachi cultural center that hosted Pakistan's first civic hackathon in 2013, providing venue, staff, equipment, and administrative support.
- LUMS Technology for the People InitiativeminorAcademic initiative hosting Lahore Civic Hackathon, providing mentorship to project teams and handling event logistics.
- Peshawar 2.0minorLocal technology community partner supporting Peshawar civic hackathons and initiatives to improve public service delivery.
- JAZZminorTelecom partner collaborating with KPITB and Code for Pakistan on Digithon hackathon and civic technology initiatives.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Code for Pakistan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Code for All: International network connecting Code for Pakistan with sister civic-tech organizations globally. Comparable as a coordinating body for civic-tech capacity, knowledge sharing, and standards across the Code for X affiliates.
- NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority): Pakistan's federal digital identity and civil registration authority. A much larger domestic incumbent that CfP occasionally complements (or competes with) on citizen-facing government digital services.
- Open Knowledge Foundation: Larger global nonprofit behind CKAN, which Code for Pakistan uses for its Open Data Portal. Relevant peer on open-data infrastructure and standards for government transparency.
- World Bank GovTech/Global Platform for Sustainable Cities: Co-funder of CfP's KP Fellowship, the World Bank also runs its own GovTech and digital government programs that compete for and complement CfP's deployment pipeline.
Direct peers
- SMEX: Lebanon/MENA-based civic-tech and digital rights nonprofit that combines government accountability, open data, and digital literacy programs — comparable in scope to CfP's GovTech-plus-rights positioning.
- Code for America: Direct peer and the explicit inspiration for Code for Pakistan (founder Sheba Najmi was a Code for America fellow). Same nonprofit civic-tech model: building digital services with and for government, supported by a fellowship and volunteer community.
- Code for Africa: Sister civic-tech nonprofit in the Code for All network with comparable mission, fellowship-style programs, investigative civic data projects, and government partnerships. Direct analog operating in a different emerging-market context.
- Tactical Tech: International NGO working on civic technology, data literacy, and advocacy tools targeting citizens and civil society. Overlaps with CfP on capacity building and educational/civic-engagement tooling.
- Code for Japan: Code for All affiliate focusing on civic tech in Japan, including disaster response tech (Sinsai.info) and open data initiatives. Operationally very similar: volunteer-driven, government-facing civic tech nonprofit.
Emerging players
- Halaal Ventures / Pakistani GovTech startups: Emerging for-profit Pakistani GovTech and civic-tech startups that increasingly compete for the same government department digital-service contracts that CfP currently wins via grant-funded models.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Code for Pakistan social profiles
Digital presenceCode for Pakistan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Code for Pakistan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Code for Pakistan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Code for Pakistan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Code for Pakistan
What does Code for Pakistan do?
Code for Pakistan is a nonprofit civic technology organization that develops open-source digital solutions for Pakistani government departments, including AI chatbots, IoT systems, mobile apps, and open data portals. It operates fellowship, internship, and university collaboration programs that place technologists inside government agencies to co-create technology solutions addressing public service delivery, citizen engagement, transparency, and disaster response.
Is Code for Pakistan a public or private company?
Code for Pakistan is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Code for Pakistan founded?
Code for Pakistan was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Code for Pakistan based?
Code for Pakistan is headquartered in Australian Capital Territory, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Code for Pakistan make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Foundation Funding is the primary driver. The others are government Partnership Contracts.
Who are Code for Pakistan's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Code for All, NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority), Open Knowledge Foundation and World Bank GovTech/Global Platform for Sustainable Cities. Direct peers are SMEX, Code for America, Code for Africa, Tactical Tech and Code for Japan. Halaal Ventures / Pakistani GovTech startups is listed as an emerging player.
Does Code for Pakistan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Code for Pakistan.
What industry is Code for Pakistan in?
Code for Pakistan's product category is Civic Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAL, Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance, with a secondary code of EDAFANAA, Coding & Programming Learning Platforms. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8741.