Islamabad, August 22, 2024 – In a historic milestone for Pakistan’s technology sector, the National Incubation Center for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT) partnered with Meta, the Ministry of IT and Telecom Pakistan, and Ignite – National Technology Fund to host the first-ever Meta Llama Pitchathon in the Asia-Pacific region. The event, which began on July 19, 2024, and culminated in a final pitch competition on August 13, highlighted the immense potential of artificial intelligence (AI) through the application of Meta’s cutting-edge Llama 2 and Llama 3 models.
The competition attracted 112 submissions, with seven innovative teams shortlisted by e27 and Meta officials for the final pitch. The finalists presented their groundbreaking solutions to a distinguished panel of judges, including Muhammad Rashid Mukhtar, Dr. Muhammad Usman, Zeeshan Qedwaee, Ammar Jaffri, Barira Hanif, and Dr. Adnan Ul-Hasan. The projects were meticulously evaluated based on technical feasibility, potential impact, and the responsible use of AI.
The top three companies were selected for the final round, graced by the presence of the honorable Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunication, as the Chief Guest. In her address, she emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering technological advancement and innovation in Pakistan.
“This Pitchathon is a testament to Pakistan’s growing capabilities in AI and technological innovation. The government is dedicated to creating an environment that nurtures talent and encourages the development of cutting-edge solutions that address both local and global challenges. Events like these are crucial in our journey to position Pakistan as a leader in the global digital economy,” said Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The winners of the competition, Traversaal.ai, proposed UrduLLama, a large language model (LLM) tailored for the Urdu language, aimed at addressing educational inequality and illiteracy in Pakistan. The runner-ups, Answer AI and Qazi AI, were also recognized for their innovative contributions. Traversaal.ai will now proceed to Singapore in October 2024 to compete for a prize pool of up to $100,000.
Mr. Simon Milner, Meta’s Vice President of Public Policy for the Asia-Pacific region, presented certificates to the winners and praised the innovative ideas emerging from Pakistan’s developer community. “Meta is committed to supporting the AI ecosystem in this region, and I’m thrilled to see such diverse and impactful ideas emerging from Pakistan. This first APAC Accelerator event sets a new precedent for innovation, and we believe it will pave the way for the next wave of technological breakthroughs in both Pakistan and the broader region,” Milner stated.
The event also featured remarks from key figures in the tech community. Mr. Adeel Aijaz Shaikh, CEO of Ignite National Technology Fund, shared his excitement: “We are thrilled to host an event that pushes the frontiers of AI innovation! The Meta Llama Pitchathon offers creators a unique chance to develop solutions with real business and community benefits. We look forward to seeing the remarkable projects that will come to life as a result of this initiative.”
Mohan Belani, CEO and Co-founder of e27, added, “The APAC AI Accelerator program is an exciting platform for AI companies and developers to leverage the open-source power of Llama to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. We are honored to be Meta’s regional program partners across 10 countries in APAC and are looking forward to an exciting line-up of initiatives in Pakistan.”
Imran Jattala, Project Director at NICAT, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “This Pitchathon is a transformative event for the region, providing a unique platform for innovators to push the boundaries of AI. The Meta Llama Pitchathon is an unparalleled opportunity to create solutions with significant economic and social impact. We eagerly anticipate the groundbreaking projects that will emerge from this competition.”
As Pakistan’s leading Aerospace and DeepTech incubation center, NICAT continues to be at the forefront of technological innovation. Located within the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP), NICAT is committed to advancing AI technologies that have the potential to revolutionize industries and drive economic growth. The success of the Meta Llama Pitchathon is a testament to Pakistan’s vibrant tech ecosystem and its potential to lead AI innovation on the global stage.
