LCE Opens Applications for Slingshot Acceleration Programme to Support Revenue-Generating Start-ups Ready to Scale
Applications are now open for the LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship (LCE)’s Slingshot Acceleration Programme, a dedicated programme designed for revenue-generating start-ups that are ready to strengthen their businesses, overcome growth challenges, and scale.
Unlike programmes designed for early-stage ventures, Slingshot is built for founders who have already established their businesses and are now navigating the complexities of growth. The programme brings together mentorship, expert knowledge, investor access, and strategic connections to provide start-ups with an ecosystem built for growth.
An Ecosystem Built Around the Needs of Growing Start-ups
At the heart of Slingshot is a needs-based approach to acceleration. Start-ups selected for the programme are matched with experienced industry professionals and seasoned founders based on their specific business challenges and growth priorities. Through multiple one-on-one mentorship sessions, founders can work through roadblocks with mentors who bring relevant, practical experience to the table.
The programme also features expert-led workshops covering areas critical to growth-stage businesses, including financial requirements, start-up valuation, investor relations, fundraising, legal considerations, and pitching. These sessions complement the individual mentorship by helping founders strengthen the knowledge and capabilities needed to make informed decisions as they scale.
Slingshot also creates opportunities for founders to connect with investors, venture capitalists, industry experts, and other ecosystem stakeholders. The programme culminates in an Investor Summit, where selected graduating start-ups have the opportunity to present their ventures, growth potential, and vision to investors and industry leaders. The Summit provides a platform for founders to receive feedback, explore potential investment and partnership opportunities, and expand their networks.
Building on a Growing Community of LCE Ventures
The Slingshot programme builds on LCE's growing portfolio of ventures that have progressed beyond the early stages of entrepreneurship. Previous Slingshot participants include VoltShare, DAT AI Systems, and Zero Waste Solutions, among others.
DAT AI Systems, co-founded by LUMS alumnus Muhammad Abubaker Umer, has developed a WhatsApp-based platform designed to help organisations manage and communicate with large field-based workforces, addressing challenges associated with digital literacy, smartphone access, and connectivity. DAT AI has worked with major public and private sector clients, most notably the Lahore Waste Management Company, in Pakistan, where their AI anomaly-detection engine reduced field staff ghosting from 14% to under 1%.
Zero Waste Solutions, a Pakistan-based environmental venture, provides integrated waste management services including collection, segregation, recycling, and safe disposal, while developing solutions aimed at advancing circular economy practices. The company describes its mission as transforming waste into resources and building more sustainable approaches to waste management.
VoltShare is working in the electric mobility space, developing solutions around EV charging and access to charging infrastructure. VoltShare has currently raised a six-figure investment from a Canadian investor as it gears up for expansion across North America.
Together, these ventures represent the range of businesses that Slingshot is designed to support, from technology and AI to sustainability and clean mobility, and demonstrate the breadth of innovation emerging from Pakistan's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Applications Now Open
LCE is inviting applications from revenue-generating start-ups with demonstrated traction and a clear ambition to scale. The programme is intended for founders who are ready to move beyond establishing their business and focus on strengthening their operations, expanding their networks, preparing for investment, and unlocking new avenues for growth.
With its combination of tailored mentorship, expert knowledge, investor access, and ecosystem connections, Slingshot aims to give growth-stage founders not just the tools to scale, but the people, expertise, and opportunities to help them scale effectively.
Application link: https://gust.com/programs/lce-slingshot-accelerator-program-c3
Applications are open until August 31, 2026.
For more information and to apply, visit the LCE Slingshot Acceleration Programme page.
