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Shah Venture Fund Announces “Asian Women in AI, a Shah Fellowship” to Train and Back 100 Female Engineers Across South Asia

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DALLAS, Texas—July 7, 2025 — Shah Venture Fund, the early-stage investment arm of Shah Equity, today unveiled a major talent program aimed at narrowing one of technology’s most stubborn gaps: the under-representation of women in advanced artificial-intelligence engineering. Branded “Asian Women in AI, a Shah Fellowship,” the initiative will recruit, train and fund 100 high-potential female AI engineers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines during its inaugural 2025-2026 cohort.

The announcement marks the first public social-impact deployment of capital by Shah Venture

Fund since the vehicle’s US $10 million self-financed launch in January. Parent company Shah Equity says the fellowship aligns squarely with its long-term thesis that “talent arbitrage,” not capital scarcity, will decide the next decade of AI hardware, edge computing and medical-diagnostic breakthroughs.

“In every emerging market we study, the most overlooked undervalued asset is female technical talent,” said Noorullah Shah Hussaini, founder and CEO of both Shah Equity and Shah Venture Fund. “The math is simple: if a startup can hire a brilliant woman who has been systematically excluded from top roles, its cost curve drops and its innovation velocity climbs. That is arbitrage we can—and should—capture for shareholders, for communities and, frankly, for history.”

A region-wide gender gap hiding in plain sight

According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics, women make up less than 18 percent of AI professionals in South Asia. In Pakistan the share falls to single digits; in India, where overall tech employment exceeds five million, only 12 percent of staff working on machine-learning infrastructure are female. The shortfall is more acute at the senior level: fewer than 3 percent of principal engineers at India’s nine largest AI product companies are women.

Shah Equity’s in-house research team, which tracks salary and equity trends across 16 emerging-market cities, estimates that closing half of the region’s gender gap could unlock US $42 billion in annual productivity gains. “For us, this isn’t charity,” said Hussaini. “It’s a miss-priced growth asset.”

Fellowship package: cash, compute and career leverage

Each fellow will receive:

  • US $15,000 in unrestricted living and travel stipends, disbursed in quarterly tranches.
  • 3,000 GPU hours on Shah Equity’s soon-to-open 20,000-square-meter Doha data center—enough to train a 7-billion-parameter model multiple times.
  • health-insurance allowance benchmarked to local leading-tech-employer standards.
  • Direct equity options in Shah Venture Fund’s portfolio companies where fellows contribute code or research, vesting over three years.
  • Co-author credit on any peer-reviewed paper, patent or open-source contribution emerging from fellowship work.
  • Visa-facilitation support for short-term residencies in Dallas, Abu Dhabi or Shenzhen, the three engineering hubs of Shah Equity.

Selection methodology: hackathon first, interview second

Applications open September 1 on Kaggle, the Google-owned machine-learning competition site. Candidates will tackle a two-week “medical-imaging triage” challenge using an anonymized endoscopy dataset donated by Shah Health Partners. The top 300 leaderboard scores will then move to a panel interview with Shah Venture Fund engineers and external reviewers from MIT-IBK Islamabad and IIT-Hyderabad.

Final selection will weight Kaggle scores (50 percent), collaborative code-quality metrics (20 percent), and a 10-minute personal pitch (30 percent) outlining how each candidate intends to apply AI in her home market.

“We’re not interested in résumé pedigree,” noted Amina Rahman, principal data scientist at Shah Venture Fund and chair of the selection committee. “We care about code, curiosity and community impact.”

Long-term upside: building equity, not merely granting scholarships

Once fellows graduate, they will be funneled into three tracks:

  1. Portfolio placement — full-time roles at Shah-backed startups in micro-LLM acceleration chips, edge-vision IoT modules and drug-discovery software.
  1. Research affiliate — fully funded Ph.D. or post-doc positions at partner universities; fellows retain compute credits for personal projects.
  1. Founders-in-Residence — a pre-seed path that offers US $250,000 in safe-note funding plus 5 percent equity buy-back rights if a fellow’s company later raises institutional capital.

In every track, option pools entitle fellows to as much as 1 percent of fully diluted equity, a figure modeled on Y Combinator’s alumni payouts but with a specific female-founder tilt.

UN Women endorsement and regional partnerships

UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific issued a letter of support, calling the fellowship “a scalable template for market-based gender inclusion.” Memoranda of understanding have also been signed with:

  • Digital India Foundation, to cross-list Shah competition winners in India’s National AI Fellowship roster.
  • Pakistan Software Export Board, providing wage-subsidy vouchers for fellows joining export-oriented startups.
  • Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, granting duty-free import status for any hardware prototypes born of the program.

Why Shah Equity—and why now?

Although Shah Equity remains best known for its healthcare roll-ups and the 200-percent-plus annualized returns of Shah Quantum Fund, Hussaini says the firm’s next compounding engine will be “equity in human capital.” The parent company already allocates 40 percent of its venture arm’s US $10 million balance to recruitment packages. The forthcoming US $50 million follow-on fund, slated for Q1 2026, is expected to double that percentage.

“This is not a diversity-dashboard stunt,” Hussaini told analysts on a June strategy call. “Every fellowship slot is a call option on the most under-deployed cognitive resource in emerging markets.”

Independent voices weigh in

Dr. Priya Srinivasan, dean of computer science at IIT-Madras, believes Shah’s approach could alter venture norms. “Traditional VCs view talent spend as SG&A. Shah Venture Fund books it as capex, amortized over patents and product cycles—accounting jiu-jitsu, but rational.”

Mai Nguyen, partner at Ho Chi Minh City-based Ascend Capital, sees the equity clause as game-changing. “Giving fellows stock makes them stakeholders, not beneficiaries. That flips the power dynamic.”

Next steps and timeline

  • Aug 15: Fellowship handbook and eligibility FAQ published.
  • Sep 1–15: Kaggle challenge window.
  • Oct 10: Final interview shortlist announced.
  • Nov 5: Cohort onboarding in hybrid ceremony (Doha + livestream).
  • Dec 2025: First interim research showcase at Shah Equity’s annual AI & Healthcare Summit, Dallas.

Shah Venture Fund will publish anonymized demographic and salary data after each cohort to measure improvements in pay parity and promotion velocity.

ABOUT SHAH VENTURE FUND AND SHAH EQUITY

Shah Venture Fund, launched in January 2025 with self-funded capital from Shah Equity, invests in AI hardware, IoT form factors and data-driven healthcare. Parent firm Shah Equity manages US $42 million in third-party assets, operates 19 clinics through Shah Health Partners, and deploys proprietary trading capital via Shah Quantum Fund.

Media Contact
Company Name: 
Shah Equity
Contact Person: Omar Khan, Director of Communications
Email: info@shah-equity.com
Phone: +1 866-603-0609
Country: United States
Website: https://shah-equity.com

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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The Business and Peace Gala to Illuminate New York in 2026

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A Global Convergence of Visionary Leadership, Strategic Dialogue, and Future-Defining Collaboration

New York, NY, 7th July 2025, ZEX PR WIREIn January 2026, the city of New York will host the highly anticipated Business & Peace Gala, co-hosted by the Global Business & Peace Organization and the Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America.


Business & Peace Gala

As one of the most distinguished gatherings in the global business and cultural calendar, the Gala will convene a rare assembly of visionary leaders, pioneering entrepreneurs, innovators, and influential voices from various sectors. This extraordinary gathering brings together individuals whose achievements embody excellence and a deep commitment to shaping a more compassionate and purpose-driven world. The Gala is not merely a celebration, but a platform where generosity drives meaningful action, leadership is grounded in vision, and shared values inspire enduring impact.

In an era shaped by unprecedented transformation, the Gala serves as a platform for advancing values-driven collaboration, global connectivity, and innovative breakthroughs. It recognizes the importance of multi-sector cooperation in addressing complex global challenges—where economic progress, social responsibility, and human insight must evolve together. The evening will highlight those whose work transcends boundaries: individuals and institutions who are driving sustainable innovation, building inclusive ecosystems, and shaping business models that uplift communities and create long-term societal value. From emerging technologies to cultural diplomacy, and from capital strategy to educational advancement, the Gala will catalyze bold conversations that chart the course for collective action and global influence.

Beyond the Gala evening, select partners and honorees will be invited to take part in a thoughtfully curated series of private strategic meetings, international networking opportunities, and cultural exchanges, designed to foster trust, deepen collaboration, and accelerate long-term partnerships.

For event or media inquiries, please contact: info@businesspeace.org

About the Hosts

The Global Business & Peace Organization is dedicated to advancing ethical leadership, peace-building, and global dialogue through cross-sector collaboration and visionary initiatives.
The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women through self-empowerment, media advocacy, resource equity, and international collaboration. The organization is committed to advancing public awareness, fostering shared values, and contributing meaningfully to community development and societal well-being.

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Ahmed Malik Responds to E-Commerce Disillusionment with Infrastructure-First Amazon Investment Model

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Michigan, US, 7th July 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, As the Amazon FBA ecosystem grapples with mounting skepticism, sparked by overpromising “automation gurus,” compliance shutdowns, and unreliable service providers, Ahmed Malik, CEO of Smart Sellers Academy Inc., is stepping forward with a bold alternative. With over $600 million in client-generated revenue and more than 200 Amazon stores under active management, Malik’s vertically integrated model starkly contrasts the flash-and-fade trend that has plagued the e-commerce investment space.

“There’s a reckoning happening in our industry,” says Malik. “People are tired of sales pitches that don’t deliver. What they want now is infrastructure, execution, and measurable outcomes. That’s exactly what we’ve built.”

Malik’s firm, Smart Sellers Academy (SSA), has emerged as one of the only full-stack e-commerce operations platforms offering capital-backed investors a legitimate and scalable way to build passive Amazon income, without the usual hype. While many so-called automation services operate with thin teams and third-party contractors, SSA controls its fulfillment centers in Ontario, California, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. It maintains a global sourcing pipeline spanning Shenzhen, Yiwu, Lahore, Delhi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

This in-house ecosystem allows SSA to offer custom-built Amazon stores tailored to each client’s risk profile, capital base, and income goals. Unlike DIY courses or unreliable “done-for-you” options, SSA takes responsibility for every operational layer, from product sourcing and compliance to logistics and advertising. Many stores managed by SSA now generate between $150K and $400K per month, with profit margins ranging from 25% to 40%.

In recent months, the FBA industry’s credibility problem has come to a head. Multiple exposés have highlighted investor losses from underdelivered store automation packages and poor inventory forecasting. “The narrative that Amazon is a turnkey ATM has finally worn thin,” Malik notes. “It’s not passive unless you’ve built the infrastructure to make it passive.”

SSA’s infrastructure-driven strategy is built on transparency, performance, and protection. Clients receive:

  • Attorney-reviewed partnership agreements and FTC-compliant Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)

  • Escrow-backed capital protection and real-time dashboards

  • Direct access to proprietary supplier networks and product catalogs

  • Fully staffed brand management teams, including sourcing agents, quality control experts, and PPC specialists

Over 40 private-label brands have been launched through SSA’s system, many of which are now cross-listed on Shopify, TikTok Shop, and Walmart Marketplace. SSA’s success rate, achieving profitability within 6–9 months, currently stands at 85%, a figure virtually unheard of in the saturated Amazon services space.

“We don’t sell dreams,” Malik says. “We deliver real logistics, real data, and real results. If we can’t document it, we don’t offer it.”

Malik, who also leads a private equity firm (Xpansion Capital) and a luxury car rental business (Drive Dream Exotics), attributes SSA’s rapid growth to a disciplined, founder-led mindset and a relentless focus on customer outcomes. “Our clients aren’t just investors, they’re partners. Many are doctors, athletes, executives, and public figures who don’t have time for fluff. They need silent-income vehicles with substance.”

He also believes that the era of generic, one-size-fits-all automation is over. SSA stores are custom-built based on the investor’s capital, expectations, and long-term plans. Some enter with $30K; others deploy six figures. In either case, Malik’s team structures the business around sustainable, defensible income, not short-term spikes.

Looking ahead, SSA is developing new systems to support content-driven commerce, a space Malik is especially bullish on. “With platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon Inspire, creators can build empires overnight, but only if they have the backend to support it. That’s where we come in. We don’t chase virality, we engineer for it.”

In a time when many e-commerce investors are asking, “Who can I really trust?”, Ahmed Malik is inviting scrutiny. SSA publishes video testimonials, store dashboards, and franchise-style business models upfront, with no ambiguity, hidden fees, or bait-and-switch.

“The market is shifting,” Malik says. “People want accountability. They want clarity. They want partners, not pitchmen.” With Smart Sellers Academy, he’s offering all three.

About Ahmed Malik Ahmed Malik is the Founder and CEO of Smart Sellers Academy Inc., a $600M+ Amazon FBA infrastructure firm managing over 200 client stores worldwide. A serial entrepreneur with interests in e-commerce, luxury vehicles, and private equity, Malik is known for his data-driven approach, infrastructure-first mindset, and unshakable focus on transparency and performance.

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Inside Tearline’s FlowAgent: A Modular AI Agent Bridging the Execution Trust Gap

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British Virgin Islands, BVI, 7th July 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Enterprise-level adoption of AI agents has reached a critical turning point, yet the majority of implementations fail at the execution layer. While current AI agents excel at understanding intent, they consistently struggle to deliver reliable, auditable actions across fragmented multi-chain ecosystems. FlowAgent, developed by Tearline, represents a fundamental breakthrough in bridging this execution gap through transparent, verifiable automation.

It is more than a Web3 automation layer. It’s a transparent, modular, programmable coordination engine — turning high-level intent with natural languages into structured, verifiable action across decentralised networks. And more importantly, it lays the groundwork for a new class of software-native agents: collaborative, auditable, and ready for distributed production.

Execution Infrastructure for the Intent Economy

FlowAgent rethinks how agent systems interface with real-world protocols. Built around a state-visible execution pipeline, it translates user intent into stepwise, auditable workflows. Each operation is encoded as a directed acyclic graph (DAG), enabling developers and users alike to observe and verify execution logic in real time.

Unlike black-box AI systems that provide no visibility into decision-making processes, FlowAgent’s architecture ensures complete transparency through its state-visible execution pipeline. Each operation generates immutable audit trails, enabling real-time monitoring and post-execution analysis. This transparency is crucial for enterprise adoption, regulatory compliance, and building user trust in autonomous systems.

Modular Workflows, Composable Behaviour

At the heart of FlowAgent lies a graph-native task orchestration engine, powered by reusable subgraphs. These subgraphs represent self-contained logic units — for example, bridging, staking, swapping, or minting — that can be flexibly composed into cross-chain execution plans.

The system supports:

  • Composable Intelligence: Developers can chain together on-chain operations as structured, state-aware modules.

  • Dynamic Graph Scheduling: Workflows can adapt in-flight based on context, failure state, or cross-agent input.

  • Protocol Extensibility: New chains or components can be integrated without re-architecting the agent runtime.

This design makes FlowAgent not only scalable but also developer-aligned, treating workflows as version-controlled, testable, and upgradeable software functions.

From Isolated Prompts to Agent Networks

Most AI agents in Web3 today rely on brittle prompt pipelines or static scripting. They lack memory, delegation, and coordination. FlowAgent is engineered for operation within a Model Context Protocol (MCP) — a multi-agent framework enabling:

  • Distributed task planning

  • Contextual state and memory sharing

  • Scoped authority and permission-aware delegation

This allows agents to coordinate across long-horizon tasks — spanning dApps, wallets, and smart contracts — with built-in mechanisms for retry, validation, and agent-to-agent messaging.

By moving beyond single-agent sandboxes, FlowAgent enables structured cooperation across agents, protocols, and ecosystems — unlocking complex, cross-domain automation with real-world utility.

Engineering Breakthrough: Orchestration at Scale

One of FlowAgent’s most significant engineering achievements is its dynamic task graph engine, now capable of orchestrating hundreds of modular Web3 operations out of the box, including token bridging, LP management, and other wallet interactions.

These are not mere API calls — they are composable primitives that can be reorganised on the fly, enabling agents to operate like distributed microservices in a trustless environment.

This modular abstraction layer reduces the overhead of integrating new chains, protocols, or execution environments — a key requirement for scaling agent infrastructure beyond early demos.

From Web3 Automation to System-Level Intelligence

FlowAgent is more than just a toolkit for crypto automation — it is Tearline’s another step toward a unified execution layer for agent-native computing. By combining auditability, modularity, and intelligent coordination, FlowAgent creates an interface layer between intent and infrastructure.

As systems become more autonomous and users shift from scripting to expressing outcomes, FlowAgent provides what most AI layers lack: trust in execution.
With FlowAgent, Tearline positions itself at the forefront of intelligent, autonomous system design — starting with Web3, and scaling toward a more composable, agent-driven digital future.

About Tearline 

Tearline is a full-chain AI agent platform that transforms user intentions into seamless on-chain execution. Through advanced multi-agent coordination, composable workflows, and an envolving incentive economy, Tearline enables the next generation of autonomous, intelligent, and reliable Web3 infrastructure. Its growing product suite includes:
  • Chatpilot – An intent-centric AI chatbot deployed on BNB Chain, Sui and TON, streamlining user onboarding and on-chain actions via natural language.
  • GhostDriver – An execution-focused agent that automates web-based tasks across both Web2 and Web3 environments.
  • FlowAgent – A newly launched task orchestrator enabling multi-agent coordination and smart contract execution.

 Website: tearline.io

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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