GSMA Offers Pakistani Startups Grants of Up to £250,000 for AI Finance Solutions

Pakistani startups leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance financial health have an opportunity to secure grants of up to £250,000 from the GSMA Innovation Fund for AI-Enabled Financial Health. The fund, supported by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), will provide selected companies with grants ranging from £100,000 to £250,000 each. Applications are open until December 17, 2026.

Eligibility extends to for-profit, private small and growing businesses operating in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Pakistan is among the eligible countries, along with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, and others. Applicants must already have users and revenue, and companies running projects in Pakistan must be registered and operating in the country. They are also required to contribute matching funds of at least 25% of the grant requested, and projects will run for 15 to 18 months.

GSMA is seeking AI solutions that help people manage financial shocks, make better financial decisions, and build long-term savings and income. Examples include AI-powered fraud detection, personalized financial coaching in local languages, market and price information, job matching, and savings tools. Special preference will be given to applications from companies serving women, girls, and people with disabilities, as well as locally led firms and businesses that mobile operators could help scale.

In addition to the grant, winners will receive technical assistance, access to investors, and publicity through GSMA events and publications. GSMA noted that account ownership in low- and middle-income countries has surged from 42% in 2011 to nearly 80% in 2024, largely driven by mobile money. However, only about one in four of the world’s 2.3 billion registered mobile money accounts is used every month.

This is not the first such GSMA fund for Pakistan. In 2021, the GSMA Innovation Fund awarded Rs. 146 million to three startups. The organization has also urged Pakistan to reduce telecom taxes to support digital growth.