Category 08
Emerging Young Stars
Early-career developers and engineers already shipping real products — the fresh faces of Pakistan's next tech generation.
Opens Sunday, September 13, 2026 ← All categories
Who should apply
- Students (college/university) building real projects on their own time
- Self-taught teenagers with GitHub portfolios and app store releases
- Bootcamp graduates showing exceptional drive and initiative
- Open-source contributors under 25 with meaningful commits
- Career changers with less than 2 years in tech but outsized impact
What judges look for
- Potential over polish — raw talent, hunger, and learning velocity
- Projects built despite limited resources, funding, or formal training
- Self-learning trajectory: what did they teach themselves and how fast?
- Community involvement: helping peers, organizing study groups, mentoring others
- Boldness to try, fail, and try again — resilience and grit
Eligibility
Universal criteria
Experience & leadership
3–5+ years in technology, mid-tier (non-CXO) roles, proven leadership and impact.
Innovation & creativity
Demonstrated problem-solving and creative solutions within your field.
Growth & mentorship
Continuous learning plus developing others through mentorship or training.
Adaptability & resilience
Proven resilience through crises or significant organizational change.
Ethics & responsibility
High ethical standards, diversity & inclusion, community and sustainability work.
Candidates
Nominees in Emerging Young Stars
Showing 36 of 125 applicants
Muhammad Irtiza
NomineeMuhammad Moiz
NomineeMuhammad Qutubuddin Siddiqui
NomineeMuhammad Rajab Hussain
NomineeMuhammad Rauf Mughal
NomineeMuhammad Saim
NomineeMuhammad Shahzaib Khan
NomineeMuhammad Shariq
NomineeMuhammad Umar Uddin
NomineeMUHAMMAD YASIR SOOMRO
NomineeMuhammad Zain Zahid
NomineeMuhammad Zainulabdin
NomineeMuneeb Ahmed
NomineeMustafa Mukhtar solangi
NomineeNajaf Ali
NomineeNoor Sahar
NomineeNoor-ul-ain Siddiqui
NomineeNouman Ahmed
NomineeOsama Bin Zamir
NomineeRafia Fareed Uddin
NomineeRaza Rafiq
NomineeRehan Nawaz
NomineeRehmat Khalid
🏆 WinnerRubab Fatima
NomineeRumesa Fatima
Nomineesagar hussain
NomineeSakeena Majeed
NomineeSalik Ahmed
NomineeSaman Muhammad Hanif
NomineeSameer Parvez
NomineeSamiya Asghar
NomineeSanaam khan
🏆 WinnerShafaq Afreen
NomineeShaheer Sheraz
NomineeShakeel Ahmed
⭐ FinalistShoaib Ahmed
🏆 WinnerCommon questions
FAQ
I have no professional experience — can I still apply?
Absolutely. This category is specifically for very young people with raw potential. Personal projects, hackathon wins, open-source contributions, and self-taught skills all count.
Applications open Sunday, September 13, 2026
Know someone who deserves this?
Urge them to apply or nominate someone you know
Help us find the best talent. Apply yourself or nominate a colleague — every great candidate starts with someone who believes in them.
Share this category and help us discover more amazing candidates.