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021Disrupt, Pakistan’s premier technology and entrepreneurship conference by The Nest I/O, is all set to take place virtually from November 30 – December 5. Running in its 4th year, the upcoming edition will host over 5000 disruptors in the entrepreneurial, technology, and digital ecosystem of Pakistan.

This year, 021 Disrupt is virtual that brings the opportunity to expand the horizons of this conference beyond borders. So, whether it is a panel that offers a window in the minds of international pioneers or an investor meeting that changes the course for a startup, the conference will be a guide into a brave new future.

021 Disrupt 2020 is bringing 60+ international and local speakers from diverse industrial sectors. 30+ investors and mentors are also joining in to have one-to-one conversations with more than 500 startups across Pakistan. Be it workshops, curated panels, or round-tables, the conference has everything for startups, professionals, and students.

Joining the speaker lineup, the global voices include Guy Kawasaki – Chief Evangelist Canva, Mary Grove – Managing Partner, Bread and Butter Ventures, Chris Yeh – Cofounder, The Global Scaling Academy, Mudassir​ Sheikha – CEO & Co-Founder Careem, Durdana Achakzai – Group Director Digital Transformation & Chief Digital Officer, Vodaphone UK, William Bao Bean – General Partner SOSV, and various other venture capitalists!

Pakistani voices at the forefront of disrupting local industries include Muhammad Aurangzeb – President & CEO HBL, Ghias Khan – CEO & President, Engro Corporation, Amir Paracha – CEO & Chairman, Unilever Pakistan, Muneeb Maayr, – Founder & CEO Bykea, Rabeel Warraich – Founder & CEO Sarmayacar, Aatif Aawan – Founding Managing Partner Indus Valley Capital and Mashhood Rastgar – Chief Technology Officer, SastaTicket.pk.

The previous year, 021 Disrupt hosted 1100+ attendees, which included over 600+ startups engaging with 55+ investors in Office Hours. Each investor brought along ticket sizes ranging from $20,000 to $7 million. The conference garnered a digital reach of 90 million audiences across social media platforms.

President [email protected] and Founder The Nest I/O, Jehan Ara, shares, ​“After several months of intense activity, we’re really excited to launch 021Disrupt 2020. It is our flagship yearly event and a lot of passion, love, and effort goes into making it a reality. Each year we’re humbled and grateful for the response we get from our community. This year has been a challenging year for startups and professionals alike.”

“As responsible citizens, we made a decision early on to make 021Disrupt 2020 a virtual event. This will not only keep our participants and speakers safe, it will also enable participation from all over the world making it an even more vibrant event. We can’t wait to have you join us,” she adds.

Supported by HBL, 021Disrupt is ready to provide a virtual, albeit immersive experience to all the attendees with an opportunity to engage, partner, co-create, and invest in the future of technology and innovation in Pakistan.

Stay tuned with The Nest I/O on ​Twitter​, ​Facebook​, and ​Instagram to experience the conference remotely!

Get. Set. ​Disrupt!

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The PKR-USD parity saw a volatile week in the interbank market.

In the interbank market today, the rupee weakened by 0.19 paisas to 159.46 versus the greenback, falling by 0.12 percent during the session, whereas it had closed at 159.26 on Thursday.

According to Capital Stake, the Rupee has so far gained 0.50 percent or 0.79 paisas against the US Dollar during November. During the current week, the Rupee fought hard and appreciated by 0.79 percent or PKR 1.26 against the greenback. This is a recovery of Rs. 8.97 per USD from its 52 week low of 168.4353 per USD, which was seen on August 26.

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Pakistani Rupee Maintains Position After Sharp Recovery Against the US Dollar

Comparing to the beginning of the year, the US Dollar is stronger by 2.98 percent against the Rupee.

A.A.H Soomro, Managing Director at Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Securities, while commenting on the Rupee said,

Oscillation around Rs. 160sh to continue. FX reserves are strengthening day by day. The second lockdown would further reduce demand for USD. PKR to remain firm while SBP reserves to improve.

The increase in the foreign exchange reserves is strengthening the local currency against the greenback. According to the data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the foreign currency reserves currently held by the SBP on November 20 were recorded at $13.415 billion, registering an increase of $484 million as compared with $12.931 billion.

Foreign exchange inflows continued to maintain a positive trend in the last few weeks. The government not only received loans from various agencies, but inflows of foreign exchange also came from the Roshan Digital Account, wherein substantial value of investments were received from expatriate Pakistanis.

The smooth supply of USD from Remittances, Roshan Digital Account, and other measures by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has kept the overall exchange rate from dropping too low, too quickly.

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Roshan Digital Bank Account: A Promising Avenue of Possibilities

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also approved a $300 million policy-based loan to help promote macroeconomic stability in Pakistan by facilitating improved trade competitiveness and export diversification.

The demand for the Dollar is projected to remain controlled now, with no foreseeable major hike as per the payment scheduled by the government and the importers.

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As far as the folding Smartphone industry is concerned, the South Korean smartphone maker, Samsung, is in the lead. The company has already launched foldable phones in two form factors (Galaxy Fold and Z Flip).

Reportedly, the Korean company is working on other possible form factors for foldable phones and has recently teased a smartphone with a triple folding display and a rollable display.

The company has revealed these designs as a concept for now. However, a few months back, a Samsung patent for a Galaxy foldable smartphone with a ‘Z’ shaped triple folding display was approved. Hence, there is a good chance that the company is actually considering the design.

Reports about a ‘Zig-Zag’ Samsung phone in the works have been surfacing on the internet for a while now. Some analysts believe that the next Galaxy Fold will have a triple folding display, but, as of now, there is no evidence for that.

The second device teased by Samsung is a product with a long cylindrical body which houses a flexible display that can be unfurled. The animated image shared by the company reveals that the product is more likely to be aimed towards professionals and users who require a portable device with a large display.

Samsung has refused to shed more light on either of the products. Hence, we are unsure whether either of them will make it as a commercial product or not.

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