Asia Web3 Alliance: The Asia Web3 Alliance Japan (AWAJ) hosted a high-level summit in Tokyo to strengthen technology, investment and startup collaboration between Pakistan and Japan.

The event took place at the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo and brought together government officials, startup founders, venture capital investors and technology leaders from both countries.

AWAJ President Hinza Asif said the alliance aims to bridge the gap between governments, startups and investors. She said stronger cooperation among the three groups can accelerate innovation and create more cross-border business opportunities.

Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Digital Affairs, Kawasaki Hideto, Pakistan’s Federal Secretary for IT and Telecommunication Zarrar Hasham Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Japan Abdul Hameed, and Trade and Investment Counsellor Madiha Ali attended the summit.

South Air: Airline Launches Scheduled Domestic Flight Operations in Pakistan

Industry experts Jonathan T., a mentor at 500 Global, and Tomoko Takasaki of Ibex Japan KK and Antler Ibex also joined discussions on startup investment and technology partnerships.

Asif highlighted Pakistan’s growing technology sector and encouraged startups to explore opportunities in Japan. She pointed to Japan’s Startup Visa programme and the country’s rising demand for skilled technology professionals.

Kawasaki outlined Japan’s latest digital reforms, including updated data laws, stablecoin initiatives and changes to financial regulations for digital assets. He said stronger cooperation with Pakistan could help build a new digital partnership between the two countries.

Speaking through a video message, Zarrar Hasham Khan said Pakistan’s IT exports are on track to exceed $4.5 billion. He also highlighted $1.1 billion in freelance earnings, more than 26,000 IT companies and over 75,000 technology graduates produced each year.

Pakistan offered Japanese companies opportunities in remote services, offshore software development and skilled technology talent.

Ambassador Abdul Hameed said Pakistan’s young and English-speaking workforce complements Japan’s digital transformation goals and offers strong potential for future collaboration.

The panel discussion focused on startup funding, cross-border investment and corporate innovation. Speakers also discussed Japan’s projected shortage of IT engineers by 2030 and identified Pakistan’s growing technology workforce as a valuable resource.

AWAJ said it plans to continue supporting cross-border investment, startup partnerships, talent mobility programmes and government cooperation to strengthen the Pakistan-Japan innovation corridor.