IBA-CED hosts Pakistan’s first, largest in-person mental health hackathon

In a move to confront Pakistan’s deepening mental health crisis, the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) at IBA Karachi, in collaboration with Synapse – Pakistan Neuroscience Institute, hosted the country’s first and largest in-person interdisciplinary “Mental Health Hackathon 2025” at the IBA City Campus on June 19–20.

The two-day event brought together almost 70 participants spread out in 15 teams—including mental health professionals, entrepreneurs, technologists, and thought leaders—to collaboratively design real-world solutions for some of Pakistan’s most urgent mental health challenges.

Structured around three core themes—Mass Mental Health Literacy, Early Intervention and Prevention, and Accessibility and Affordability of Care—the hackathon offered participants a platform to explore, innovate, and pitch practical interventions.

Winning teams were awarded cash prizes of Rs100,000, Rs75,000, and Rs50,000 for the most impactful ideas, as well as, incubation at IBA-CED worth almsost four million.
Inaugurated by Dr. Lalarukh Ejaz, Director of IBA-CED, she highlighted the overlooked emotional toll within Pakistan’s burgeoning startup ecosystem.

Dr Lalarukh said that there is a dire need to foster mental health solutions in Pakistan and this gap cannot be filled just by mental health professionals—students, entrepreneurs, and the entire ecoystem needs to join hands to bring about meaningful change.

Dr. Ayesha Mian, Founder & CEO of Synapse, called attention to the urgency of the crisis, noting: “There is a urgent need — the time to act is now.” She stated that the theme doosri nazar se was chosen to encourage creativity and innovative thinking so that young people develop powerful mental health solutions.

Dr Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director of IBA Karachi, in the closing remarks said “The work IBA Karachi has done over the past year in the mental health realm is just a precursor and we endeavour to create further impact through the many opportunities we provide to the community.”