A Pakistani startup working at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) and machine training has won international recognition at the Silicon Valley November Summit 2026. RLabs, founded by Harris Ahmed and incubated at Pakistan’s National Incubation Centre for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT), received the GOAL Startup Award at the event organised by Plug and Play.
The summit was held from November 2 to November 5 and brought together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, innovation leaders and government representatives. RLabs was among 18 startups from across the world selected to pitch their ideas under Plug and Play’s Global Overseas Acceleration & Learning (GOAL) programme.
The recognition has also drawn attention to Ahmed’s work in developing XR-based simulation technologies and exploring how human experience in virtual environments can be used to train machines.
Who is Harris Ahmed?
Harris Ahmed is a Pakistani technology entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of RLabs. He has more than 12 years of experience in extended reality, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and immersive simulation technologies.
His professional background spans simulation engineering, immersive applications and the development of virtual environments. According to his LinkedIn profile, Ahmed worked as a simulation engineer at Islamabad-based Centre for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) between August 2018 and June 2020.
He later co-founded Aiyin Inc., a US-based company that developed VR and AR applications for desktop, mobile and web platforms. Its work included immersive educational systems, architectural simulations, CAVE environments and specialised VR content for people with hearing impairments.
Ahmed studied computer engineering at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Pakistan, where he completed his bachelor’s degree between 2014 and 2018.
He has also been associated with TEDx as a speaker and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community as a member.
What is RLabs and what does the Pakistani startup do?
RLabs is a Pakistan-origin technology startup incubated at the National Incubation Centre for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT). Led by Ahmed, the startup is working on XR simulators, synthetic data and machine training, with a focus on applying immersive simulation technologies to help machines learn and develop capabilities.
What did Harris Ahmed say after winning the award?
Sharing a photograph of himself with the award on LinkedIn, Ahmed said he was honoured to receive the recognition at the Silicon Valley November Summit.
He highlighted the opportunity to present RLabs’ work on XR simulators, synthetic data and machine training to an audience that included more than 3,000 attendees.
The gathering brought together founders, venture capitalists, corporate executives, innovation leaders and government partners.
Ahmed said the summit provided a platform to showcase the startup’s approach to using human experience in extended reality to develop machine-training capabilities. He also indicated that RLabs would be launching in the US soon.
Ahmed described the company’s approach in a LinkedIn post after receiving the award.
“I’ve spent the last decade teaching humans how to operate complex machines in XR. Now we use the same human experience to train machine instincts,” he wrote.
The statement points to RLabs’ effort to take technologies traditionally used to train people in simulated environments and apply them to machine learning and training.
What is the GOAL Startup Award won by RLabs?
RLabs received the GOAL Startup Award at Plug and Play’s Silicon Valley November Summit 2026. Pakistan’s Federal Minister for IT and Telecom, Shaza Khawaja, also described the recognition as the Best Startup Award in her congratulatory message.
The startup was one of 18 international ventures selected to pitch their ideas at the summit through Plug and Play’s Global Overseas Acceleration & Learning (GOAL) programme.
The November summit, held between November 2 and November 5, focused on artificial intelligence and deep technology. It featured live demonstrations and pitches from more than 300 startups across over 20 industry programmes, according to Ahmed.
Plug and Play is an innovation platform and venture capital firm that works with startups, investors and established companies. Its programmes connect emerging businesses with potential investors, corporate partners and opportunities to expand into international markets.
For RLabs, the award marks recognition at a major global startup gathering and could help the company build visibility among investors and technology partners.
How did Pakistan react to RLabs’ Silicon Valley win?
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for IT and Telecom, Shaza Khawaja, congratulated Ahmed and the RLabs team, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the country.
In a post, Khawaja said the recognition reflected the potential of Pakistani talent and the growing strength of the country’s startup ecosystem.
She also credited the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Pakistan and Ignite – National Technology Fund for their role in supporting innovation and creating opportunities for homegrown startups.
“Pakistani startups should not just compete globally, but help shape the future of technology,” she said.