ISLAMABAD: Pakistani education fintech startup EduFi bagged first place at an international competition held recently during the four-day LEAP 2025 tech conference in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s state television said on Thursday, bagging $250,000 as cash prize after beating over 2,000 competitors.
The international tech conference was held from Feb. 9-12 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in Malham. Among the highlights of the conference was the Rocket Fuel Pitch Competition for startups, which provides entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase innovative ideas to a global audience of investors and industry leaders.
EduFi streamlines the borrowing process for students, helping them finance their education. It does its own credit-vetting, then pays tuition for approved students who repay the loan on a monthly basis as they study. It won first prize at the Rocket Fuel Pitch Competition last week.
“Aleena Nadeem from Pakistan has won first place and a cash prize of $250,000 at the International Information Technology Exhibition leap held recently in Saudi Arabia,” Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a report.
“This is the First time in the history of the Rocket Fuel Pitch International competitions that Pakistan has achieved this honor,” the state-run media said, adding that EduFi beat 2,000 competitors to win first prize.
EduFi’s founder and CEO Aleena Nadeem received the award at the ceremony held last week in Riyadh. An MIT graduate who interned at McKinsey during college and then worked in London for Goldman Sachs and Ventura Capital, Nadeem has been involved in education issues since she was in high school, as per Forbes.
She was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2024 for her work with EduFi.
Pakistani startup EduFi wins first prize at LEAP 2025 in Riyadh
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Pakistani startup EduFi wins first prize at LEAP 2025 in Riyadh
- EduFi wins Rocket Fuel Pitch International Competition by beating over 2,000 other companies
- Education fintech streamlines borrowing process for students, helping them finance education
Three militants killed in intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s southwest — military
- The operation was conducted in Panjgur district of insurgency-hit Balochistan province
- Sanitization operations being conducted to eliminate any other threat, the military says
ISLAMABAD: Security forces on Sunday killed three militants in an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, the military said.
The operation was conducted in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on reported presence of “Indian-sponsored militants,” according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Three militants, including their local commander, were killed in an exchange of fire during the operation, with security personnel recovering weapons, ammunition and explosives from the scene.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
There was no immediate response from India to the statement.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the site of a low-level insurgency involving Baloch separatist groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF).
Pakistan accuses India of supporting these separatist militant groups and describes them as “Fitna Al-Hindustan.” New Delhi denies the allegation.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s counterterrorism police said they had killed five militants, who were planning to block the Quetta–Sibi highway and target security forces.
Officials found seven hand grenades, five sub-machine guns with live rounds and three motorcycles from the scene, according to a CTD statement.
“Search and combing operations are underway to apprehend the fleeing terrorists and dismantle the remaining network,” it read.
