What OPEN Islamabad does

OPEN Islamabad is a chartered local chapter of OPEN (Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs), a global non-profit network founded in 1998 in Boston that operates across 13 cities including Silicon Valley, New York, London, and Islamabad. The Islamabad chapter received its charter in 2014 and is headquartered at the Software Technology Park, I-9/3, hosted by Discretelogix (Private) Limited. It operates as a volunteer-driven community organization serving Pakistani entrepreneurs, professionals, business leaders, venture capitalists, scientists, academics, and students in the Islamabad region. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors and an elected Executive Team, with the presidency rotating on roughly a two-year cycle; Sidra Jalil is the current President and Dr. Arshad Ali serves as Chairman.

The chapter delivers its value through four core programs: quarterly Networking Events, domain-specific Special Interest Groups (SIGs) covering Leadership Drive, Design Thinking, PostgreSQL, and Emerging Technologies, a one-on-one CEO Coaching program for established organizational leaders, and a Legal Clinic offering free advisory sessions with legal, tax, and accounting experts. Membership is structured in three tiers: Student (subsidized), Associate (PKR 5,000/year), and Charter (PKR 25,000/year, requiring nomination by existing Charter Members and board approval). Since its charter, the chapter has hosted 60+ events and built a roster of 35+ Charter Members and 5,000+ subscribers.

Revenue mechanics are limited to annual membership subscriptions and in-kind corporate sponsorships from partners including Google, Telenor, Jazz (Mobilink), Careem, Nestle, the US Embassy, Code for Pakistan, 2ndQuadrant, Sybrid, and others. There are no funding rounds, no external institutional investors, and no proprietary technology platform; the organization's website provides basic membership registration, event listings, and social-login onboarding. OPEN Islamabad does not operate as a commercial enterprise and has no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

OPEN Islamabad

Legal name

OPEN (Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs)

Website

https://openislamabad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OPEN Islamabad is a volunteer-run, non-profit chapter of OPEN Global that serves Pakistani entrepreneurs and professionals in Islamabad through networking events, Special Interest Groups, CEO Coaching, a Legal Clinic, and tiered annual memberships. Founded in 2014, it operates as part of a 13-city global network of Pakistani professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Islamabad

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: OPEN Islamabad generates revenue through tiered membership fees. Associate Membership is priced at PKR 5,000 per year and provides access to events, member profiles, and content. Charter Membership is priced at PKR 25,000 per year and requires nomination by existing charter members followed by board approval. Student membership provides subsidized access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OPEN Islamabad is a chartered chapter of OPEN (Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs) Global and operates a community-based membership platform that connects Pakistani entrepreneurs and professionals in Islamabad through quarterly Networking Events, Special Interest Groups (Leadership Drive, Design Thinking, PostgreSQL, Emerging Technologies), one-on-one CEO Coaching, and a Legal Clinic offering free advisory on company structure, taxation, and contracts. Members subscribe via tiered annual fees (Student subsidized, Associate PKR 5,000/year, Charter PKR 25,000/year) to access events, mentorship, and peer-learning programs.

Product overview

OPEN Islamabad is a chapter of the Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN) global network, offering a platform for Pakistani entrepreneurs and professionals to connect, network, collaborate, mentor and support each other. The organization operates several interconnected programs: Networking Events as the core community engagement activity, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) covering Leadership Drive, Design Thinking, PostgreSQL, and Emerging Technologies for domain-specific knowledge sharing, CEO Coaching for one-on-one mentorship of established leaders, and Legal Clinic providing free expert advisory on business legal matters. Membership tiers include Student Members (subsidized access), Associate Members (PKR 5,000/year for networking and skill development), and Charter Members (PKR 25,000/year for high-profile entrepreneurs and industry leaders who serve as mentors). The organization hosts 60+ events and has grown to 35+ charter members and 5000+ subscribers since its charter in 2014.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Networking Events Quarterly in-person events where accomplished entrepreneurs, seasoned professionals, and students interact, learn from each other, and build the OPEN Islamabad community. 60+ events have been hosted since inception.
• Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Regular domain-specific meetups, talks, and workshops for OPEN Islamabad members covering Leadership Drive, Design Thinking, PostgreSQL, and Emerging Technologies.
• CEO Coaching One-on-one mentorship program pairing established organizational leaders with experienced mentors who provide guidance, expertise, and advice to help take their businesses to the next level.
• Legal Clinic Free advisory sessions offering top-quality advice from legal, tax, and accounting experts on company structure, partnership agreements, taxation, employee contracts, and other business transactions. Available to OPEN Islamabad members.
• Associate Membership PKR 5,000/year membership tier for entrepreneurs and professionals seeking to polish skills, network with seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs, and attend high-quality events.
• Charter Membership PKR 25,000/year elite membership tier for high-profile successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders who contribute to the community by sharing experiences and time. Requires nomination by one or more existing Charter Members, subject to board approval.
• Student Membership Subsidized or free membership tier providing students access to all content, member profiles, and learning opportunities about business ideas, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Code for PakistanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCode for Pakistan is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad events and programs, supporting the entrepreneurial community ecosystem.
• BentleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBentley is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad, supporting the organization's events and programs.
• Discretelogix (Pvt.) Ltd.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiscretelogix serves as the host organization for OPEN Islamabad's office (c/o Discretelogix). CEO Farrukh Malik is a former President and active board member of OPEN Islamabad. It is one of the founding organizational supporters.
• Sabaq FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSabaq Foundation is listed as a partner/sponsor supporting OPEN Islamabad events and programs.
• Express NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExpress News is listed as a media partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad, providing coverage for events.
• TelenorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelenor is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad, supporting the entrepreneurial community.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• CareemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCareem is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• Mobilink (Jazz)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMobilink (Jazz) is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• NestleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNestle is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• US EmbassyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUS Embassy is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• SybridminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSybrid is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• 2ndQuadrantminorGTM or Marketing Partner2ndQuadrant is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad's PostgreSQL SIG.
• Second CupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSecond Cup is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• Ideate InnovationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIdeate Innovation is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.
• 1969 & Time Goes OnminorGTM or Marketing Partner1969 & Time Goes On is listed as a partner/sponsor of OPEN Islamabad.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global membership community for founders and CEOs with peer-learning events, chapter meetings, and curated member experiences. Directly comparable to OPEN Islamabad's CEO Coaching and quarterly networking format, but more selective and globally scaled.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Premier peer network for chief executives and business leaders with chapters, forums, and curated learning programs. Comparable to OPEN Islamabad's Charter Membership tier, which targets accomplished entrepreneurs and senior professionals.
• Startup Grind: Global startup community running local-chapter events, fireside chats, and mentorship for early-stage founders. Closely mirrors OPEN Islamabad's networking events, SIGs, and community-led growth model, though operating worldwide rather than restricted to Pakistani diaspora.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): Global non-profit fostering entrepreneurship through local chapters, mentoring, and networking events — same category as OPEN Islamabad (regional entrepreneur community), with overlapping target audience of South Asian founders and a similar chapter-based operating model.
• OPEN (Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs) Global: The parent organization of OPEN Islamabad; operates13 city chapters worldwide on the same membership-and-events model targeting Pakistani entrepreneurs. Directly comparable because OPEN Islamabad is a chartered chapter of this network.

Emerging players

• Startup Weekend: Community-organized weekend hackathon events for aspiring entrepreneurs, run through local chapters globally. Overlaps with OPEN Islamabad's event-driven entrepreneurship programming and target audience of early-stage founders.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and founder-training program with local chapters that support early-stage entrepreneurs through structured cohorts. Comparable to OPEN Islamabad's focus on first-generation founders and student outreach, but operates as a formal accelerator rather than a community.

Regional players

• Code for Pakistan: Pakistan-focused civic and tech community organization that convenes technologists and entrepreneurs around public-interest projects. Comparable as a Pakistan-based community leveraging diaspora networks and partner ecosystems, with overlapping sponsor footprint.
• Invest2Innovate (i2i): Pakistan-based organization supporting entrepreneurship and SME growth through accelerator programs, research, and convening of founders and investors. Comparable to OPEN Islamabad in supporting Pakistani entrepreneurs, but with a stronger investor/scale-up orientation.
• Nest I/O: Karachi-based tech startup incubator and community hub supporting Pakistani entrepreneurs through events, mentorship, and coworking. Comparable as a Pakistan-focused entrepreneur community with overlapping programming (mentorship, events) and target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openislamabad
• Facebookfacebook.com/openislamabad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openislamabad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OPEN Islamabad