Hamza Tariq Presents AI Carbon-Tech Platform in Lahore at SEE Pakistan 2026

By Zafar Chishti, Bureau Chief Punjab, Pakistan

LAHORE: A UK-based digital technology founder has taken an artificial intelligence-powered carbon intelligence venture from Worcester to an international startup platform in Lahore, presenting a vision for making emissions intelligence more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Muhammad Hamza Tariq, Founder and Director of ChainScope AI Ltd, represented the United Kingdom after being selected as a finalist in the SEE Pakistan World Startup Championship 2026. He presented EchoChain during the competition’s Final Evaluation Round and later showcased the venture alongside 45 international startups during the exhibition programme.

The finalist selection marked an important milestone for Tariq, whose venture addresses a challenge at the intersection of climate policy, industrial operations and supply-chain pressures. SMEs are increasingly expected to provide credible emissions data, but many lack dedicated sustainability specialists and cannot justify the cost of conventional carbon-management consultancy.

During the final evaluation, Tariq presented the problem, technology, target market, unit economics and development roadmap to a judging panel. EchoChain is designed as an integrated platform that calculates Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, identifies emissions hotspots and supplier risks, forecasts future emissions and recommends practical reduction measures. It also prepares draft reporting outputs and uses live electricity-grid information to support operational insights.

The presentation required more than technical expertise. Tariq had to explain a complex climate and data challenge in commercial terms, respond to questions and demonstrate how the digital product could serve SMEs, maintain technical credibility and develop into a scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) business.

His role as founder encompasses product strategy, defining user problems, feature design, commercial positioning, external validation and communicating technical value to non-specialist audiences. This end-to-end leadership has helped ChainScope AI progress from a research-informed concept towards a working, product-led technology venture.

“Founder leadership means taking responsibility for the vision and being prepared to have it tested,” Tariq said in a proposed statement for publication. “Representing the UK on an international platform was an honour, but it also required me to explain clearly why this problem matters, listen carefully to expert feedback and show how ChainScope AI can turn climate ambition into practical business action.”

Tariq’s entrepreneurial journey is shaped by an interdisciplinary academic background. He trained as a chemical engineer at the University of the Punjab before completing an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Worcester. He has combined these disciplines with research into machine learning, industrial decarbonisation, sustainable supply chains and green hydrogen, providing the company with a foundation that connects engineering systems with commercial decision-making.

ChainScope AI has developed a working version of EchoChain and is progressing through early industry validation, including a pilot in the UK chemical sector. The company is also participating in the National Climate Tech Accelerator, delivered through a joint programme involving Barclays Eagle Labs and Sustainable Ventures.

Through the programme, the company is developing EchoChain Plus, a future version intended to integrate Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-based operational data collection and near-real-time carbon intelligence.

The venture’s progress has been accompanied by recognition of Tariq’s entrepreneurship and professional contributions. He is an IdeaRise Startup Challenge winner, a recipient of a 2026 Global Recognition Award and a Business Awards UK 2026 Regional Award, and was nominated for Best Entrepreneur at the PBC Business Summit & Awards 2026.

He has also presented research at international engineering and technology conferences and addressed professional and academic audiences through engagements including the British Computer Society’s Hereford & Worcester Branch, ICET 2026, QAHE Global Connect and ICAIII 2026. In addition, he contributes as a volunteer AI facilitator with the Global Innovation Hub.

The SEE Pakistan experience gave Tariq an opportunity to exchange ideas with founders, technology executives and industry professionals from different markets. The exhibition allowed him to demonstrate EchoChain, hear questions from potential users and compare the climate challenges addressed by his venture with problems being tackled by other international startups.

His achievement was selection as a finalist and participation in the Final Evaluation Round. This distinction highlights the opportunity for the Worcester-based company to present its technology and commercial vision on an international competitive platform.

For ChainScope AI, the next challenge is execution: converting recognition and feedback into stronger validation, customer adoption and measurable environmental value. For its founder, representing the UK in Lahore marked another step towards his broader ambition of building a globally relevant, product-led digital technology company capable of supporting industrial decarbonisation and the transition to Net Zero.