Category: Newsroom

Dhaka, July 31, 2025 — In a compelling move to channel the passion and potential of Bangladesh’s youth, Startup Bangladesh Limited, under the ICT Division, hosted a powerful seminar titled “Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators” at its headquarters in the ICT Tower, Agargaon.

Held against the backdrop of the July 2024 youth-led civic movement, the seminar was a timely and energizing platform for students, startup enthusiasts, and young changemakers. The recent revolution—hailed as a turning point for youth engagement in governance and civic responsibility—has galvanized an entire generation. This event sought to build on that momentum and help shape Bangladesh’s innovation ecosystem by engaging youth where they are most impactful: at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and purpose.

The seminar featured two keynote sessions by celebrated Bangladeshi entrepreneurs who themselves began as youth pioneers.

Sadia Haque, Co-Founder & CEO of ShareTrip, shared her transformative journey from idea to one of the country’s leading travel-tech platforms. In her session titled “Innovation as a Tool for Social Impact”, Sadia spoke passionately about the challenges she faced as a young founder, the importance of resilience, and how technology can become a force for inclusive growth.

Adnan Imtiaz Halim, Founder & CEO of Sheba Platform Ltd., addressed “The Role of Youth in Nation Building”. His session underscored the urgency of nurturing leadership, digital skills, and purposeful entrepreneurship to build a prosperous, equitable future. “Bangladesh’s youth are not the leaders of tomorrow—they are the innovators of today,” he asserted.

More than just a lecture series, the seminar created a dynamic space for dialogue. Students from university entrepreneurship clubs, finalists from the Youth Innovation Challenge, and grassroots startup founders engaged in thought-provoking Q&A sessions with the speakers. Discussions ranged from bootstrapping ventures to policy changes needed for youth entrepreneurship to thrive.

The seminar was honored by the presence of Mr. Shish Haider Chowdhury, NDC, Chairman of Startup Bangladesh and Secretary of the ICT Division, as the Chief Guest. In his address, Mr. Chowdhury emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering a startup-friendly ecosystem and empowering the youth as a critical force in the Digital Bangladesh agenda.

“Innovation does not wait for age or experience. We must listen to our youth, invest in their ideas, and create space for them to lead,” he said.

One of the event’s standout achievements was its success in building a network among young innovators across universities and regions. Students connected with peers, mentors, and startup ecosystem leaders, strengthening a community that will fuel future collaborations.

By the close of the event, the message was clear: the youth of Bangladesh are ready—not just to participate in the nation’s progress, but to lead it.

The seminar is a cornerstone in Startup Bangladesh’s broader mission to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship as vehicles for sustainable development, social impact, and national transformation.

Dhaka, May 24, 2025 — Today, the ICT Division hosted a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting to present the “Startup Ecosystem Enablers Report & Roadmap,” developed by Startup Bangladesh Limited, the flagship venture capital company under the ICT Division. The session, chaired by Shish Haider Chowdhury,ndc, Secretary of the ICT Division and Chairman of Startup Bangladesh, brought together leading ecosystem stakeholders to discuss strategic actions to unlock Bangladesh’s innovation potential.

Held at the ICT Division, the meeting marked a pivotal step toward mobilizing and strengthening the country’s startup ecosystem. Discussions focused on seven key enablers identified in the report: Accelerators/Incubators, Challenge Funds, Local LP Engagement, Fund Manager Training, Nation Branding, Regulation Advocacy, and Startup Summits.

Despite promising early-stage activity, the report highlighted the pressing need to address gaps in the ecosystem. The roadmap outlines a comprehensive action plan tailored to Bangladesh’s context, aligning with global best practices and supported by designated implementation leads including Startup Bangladesh and the ICT Division.

Speaking at the event, Shish Haider Chowdhury, ndc remarked:“This roadmap is not just a strategic document—it is our commitment to building a thriving, resilient, and globally competitive startup ecosystem. The coordinated efforts of government, investors, enablers, academia,  corporates, and development partners will be crucial in transforming our vision into reality.”

To unlock the full potential of Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem, the recently presented roadmap calls for a dual focus: increasing the number of startups entering the pipeline and improving their ability to scale and succeed. Drawing on global best practices, the strategy centers around seven key enablers—accelerators, challenge funds, fund manager training, local investor engagement, nation branding, regulatory reform, and startup summits. Together, these pillars aim to create a more dynamic, supportive environment for innovation, positioning Bangladesh as an emerging hub in the global startup landscape.

With the stakeholder feedback from today’s session, Startup Bangladesh will begin rolling out priority initiatives in alignment with fiscal and operational planning for the next phase.

Other links:
https://www.saradin.news/news/213517

https://computerbichitra.com/

https://digibanglatech.news/154085

https://www.dainikeidin.com/

https://techvision24.com/

ICT Division is hosting Youth Startup Summit 2025 which is being organized by Startup Bangladesh Ltd. to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh. Scheduled to be held all throughout the month of February 2025, the Summit will take place in five segments throughout all divisions. 

The event will consist of three core components, Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to Spread knowledge and awareness and Exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents. 

The Youth Startup Summit 2025 has launched Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition at Chittagong Independent University, Chittagong on February 22, 2025 to inspire and engage young innovators. The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh’s most pressing challenges allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security. The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models. 

After receiving a good number of applications, 8 selected teams – LoopBag, Ezygo, Groccii, RoadBook BD, Khelboo, UniApp, BIT and Todvob pitched their impactful solutions to the panel of judges The judge panel was represented by key professionals from relevant sectors. 

The event featured a master class on Startup Fundamentals: Mastering the Essentials of Building and Scaling a Business by Mirza Salman Hossain Beg, Founder, EnduringX, Co-founder & ex COO, 10 Minute School. The event presented a panel discussion on From Idea to Scale: The Startup Journey which was conducted by the moderator,  Arafatul Islam Akib,Founder,Startup Chattogram. And the panelists were A.K.M Fahim Mashroor, Co-Founder and CEO, Bdjobs.com Ltd., Nabila Nowrin, Co-founder & CEO, Moar Space Ltd.,  Fahad Ifaz, Co-founder and CEO, iFarmer and  Anayet Rashid, Founder & CEO, TruckLagbe.

The competition ended with the winner announcement at the prize giving ceremony where Chief Guest  Shish Haider Chowdhury, NDC, Secretary, ICT Division and  Guest of Honor, Dr. Syed Manzur Quader, Dean, CIU Business School, Chittagong Independent University announced winners. 

Secretary of ICT Division Shish Haider Chowdhury said, Youth Startup Summit has already been held in Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna and lastly in Chittagong today. The final round of the summit will be held on February 28 at BICC in Dhaka.We encourage our youth to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation rather than seeking traditional employment. I request the young minds to explore the vast opportunities that the digital age offers. 

The winning team UniApp got the prize money of 3,00,000 BDT for presenting their idea about Simplifying University Application System in Bangladesh

Team Ezygo received 2,00,000 BDT for being first runner-up, presenting the solution. Ezygo impressed the judges by their solution that demonstrated a strong understanding about future green delivery services. The team RoadBook BD received 1,00,000 BDT for being the second runner-up who presented a solution for safer, hassle free, fast and affordable transport for women.  

By recognizing the best solutions, the competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh’s development.

The event highlighted interactive seminars focused on startups & entrepreneurs, pitching competition among local, university student startups, showcasing & recruitment in the exhibition zone as opportunities for students. The event also inspired spreading knowledge, strengthening connectivity, showcasing homegrown innovations and fostering opportunities. It is a groundbreaking event for students, fresh graduates, aspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Through engaging seminars, competitions, and networking opportunities, the summit was designed to educate, empower, and connect young talent with the tools and resources needed to launch a successful venture.

The summit offered exceptional networking opportunities to the attendees. They had the chance to engage with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs fostering collaboration and mentorship that can guide the young enthusiasts. 

The competition had some criteria to be met by the participants to be eligible for application. Each team consisted of 3 young aspiring members who were students. Besides, the solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle i.e. financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security. The participating teams also had to ensure that the ideas submitted must be original, and not a direct copy of existing solutions. 

The CUET Career Club & Chittagong Independent University joined the event as campus partner and Startup Chattogram joined as Community Partner. Knowledge partner at the event was Lightcastle Partners.

For more information, please visit http://www.yss.startupbangladesh.vc.

ICT Division is hosting Youth Startup Summit 2025 which is being organized by Startup Bangladesh Ltd. to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh. Scheduled to be held all throughout the month of February 2025, the Summit will take place in five segments throughout all divisions. 

The event will consist of three core components, Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to Spread knowledge and awareness and Exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents. 

The Youth Startup Summit 2025 has launched Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition at Khulna University premises on February 17, 2025 to inspire and engage young innovators. The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh’s most pressing challenges allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security. The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models. 

The event was commended by Sami Ahmed, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh. The event presented panel discussion on From Idea to Scale: The Startup Journey which was conducted by moderator Kazi Ridwan Ahmed, Co-founder, Skoot, and the panelists were Qazi Bouland, Co-founder & CEO, Agroshift; Adnan Imtiaz Halim, CEO & Co-founder, Sheba Platform Ltd; Zia Ashraf, Co-founder & COO, Chaldal and Erad Kawsar – Executive Director, BUILD Bangladesh

Out of a vast pool of applications, 8 teams were selected to pitch their startup concepts to the panel of judges. The teams are AQUASENSE BD, Thirst Relief, Eco Sentinels, Agro Assistant, Swatez, Impact X, Agro Care and iStudy. The judge panel was represented by key professionals from relevant sectors. 

The competition ended with the winner announcement at the prize giving ceremony where Professor Dr. Anwarul Haque Joarder, Pro- Vice Chancellor, Northern University of Business and Technology, Khulna announced the winners. 

The winning team Eco Sentinels gets the prize money of 3,00,000 BDT for pitching a solution to the case Addressing Climate Challenges and Building Resilience in Bangladesh. They presented their idea about transforming salinity-affected areas into vibrant agricultural and ecological hubs.

Team AQUASENSE BD receives 2,00,000 BDT for being first runner-up, presenting the solution of the case Food Security in Bangladesh- Ensuring Affordable Nutrition for All. AQUASENSE BD impressed the judges by their solution that demonstrated a strong understanding of the challenges of Bangladesh’s food system and offered a practical and scalable approach by Transforming Fisheries with IoT, Data, and Expert Support.

The team Thirst Relief receives 1,00,000 BDT for being the second runner-up who presented a solution for the case Addressing Climate Challenges and Building Resilience in Bangladesh.  They demonstrated their product Thirst Relief Rain – in a box making access to renewable energy, improved health and making life of women easier.

By recognizing the best solutions, the competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh’s development.

The event highlighted pitching competition among local, university student startups, showcasing & recruitment in the exhibition zone as opportunities for students. The event also inspired spreading knowledge, strengthening connectivity, showcasing homegrown innovations and fostering opportunities. It is a groundbreaking event for students, fresh graduates, aspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Through engaging seminars, competitions, and networking opportunities, the summit was designed to educate, empower, and connect young talent with the tools and resources needed to launch a successful venture.

The summit offered exceptional networking opportunities to the attendees. They had the chance to engage with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs fostering collaboration and mentorship that can guide the young enthusiasts. 

The competition had some criteria to be met by the participants to be eligible for application. Each team consisted of 3 young aspiring members who were students. Besides, the solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle i.e. financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security. The participating teams also had to ensure that the ideas submitted must be original, and not a direct copy of existing solutions. 

The Khulna University Innovation Club, Northern University of Business and Technology Khulna, KUET Career Club was the campus partner and Startup Khulna and Startup Khulna were the Community Partner at the event.  Knowledge partner at the event was Lightcastle Partners.

For more information, please visit http://www.yss.startupbangladesh.gov.bd

ICT Division is hosting Youth Startup Summit 2025 which is being organized by Startup Bangladesh Ltd. to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh. Scheduled to be held all throughout the month of February 2025, the Summit will take place in five segments throughout all divisions. 

The event will consist of three core components, Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to Spread knowledge and awareness and Exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents. 

The Youth Startup Summit 2025 has launched Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology University premises, Shahjalal on February 13, 2025 to inspire and engage young innovators. The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh’s most pressing challenges allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security. The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models. 

The event was commended by Sami Ahmed, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh. Quamrun Naher Siddiqua, Additional Secretary (Administration Wing), ICT Division inaugurated the event. The event featured master class on Startup Fundamentals: Mastering the Essentials of Building and Scaling a Business by Mirza Salman Hossain Beg, Founder, EnduringX, Cofounder & ex COO, 10 Minute School and fire side chat on The Startup Journey: An Inspiring Story of Building a Business from the Ground Up by A.K.M Fahim Mashroor, Co-Founder and CEO; Bdjobs Ltd. and Md Shahjahan Jewel, Founder & CEO, AuthLab. The event presented two panel discussions on From Idea to Scale: The Startup Journey which was conducted by moderator Sami Ahmed, MD, Startup Bangladesh and Panelist, Shahir Chowdhury, Founder and CEO, Shikho; Md. Mubir Mahmud Chowdhury, Founder and MD, Sokrio Technologies Limited; Ershadur Rahman Talukder, Co-founder, Inverse AI, Syed Rezwanul Haque, Co-founder & MD, TechNext, Farhat Shafi Chowdhury, Chief Operating Officer, Staff Asia Ltd. The other panel discussion was on From Pitch to Investment: Navigating the Funding Landscape; which was conducted by moderator Md. Altamis Nabil, Head of Advisory Board, Startup Sylhet, Co-Founder & CEO, Youth Upskill Network – YUNet

and the panelists were A. K. M Fahim Mashroor, Co-Founder and CEO, Bdjobs Ltd. Nazim Farhan Choudhury, Managing Director, Adcomm Ltd. Mirza Salman Hossain Beg, Founder, EnduringX, Co-founder & ex COO, 10 Minute School  and Shahir Chowdhury, Founder and CEO, Shikho. 

Out of a vast pool of applications, 8 teams were selected to pitch their startup concepts to the panel of judges. The teams are InclusiCare, Pritilata, AutoMAMA, Game Changer, SignTalk, Synerbotics ,Electric and Daricomma. The judge panel was represented by key professionals from relevant sectors. 

The competition ended with the winner announcement at the prize giving ceremony where Professor Dr. A. M. Sarwaruddin Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor, (SUST) and Professor Dr. Md. Shajedul Karim, Pro Vice Chancellor, (SUST)  announced the winners. 

The winning team Sign Talk gets the prize money of 3,00,000 BDT. Team Inclusicare receives 2,00,000 BDT for being first runner-up and team Daricomma receives 1,00,000 BDT for being the second runner-up.  

By recognizing the best solutions, the competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh’s development.

The event highlighted interactive seminars focused on startups & entrepreneurs, pitching competition among local, university student startups, showcasing & recruitment in the exhibition zone as opportunities for students. The event also inspired spreading knowledge, strengthening connectivity, showcasing homegrown innovations and fostering opportunities. It is a groundbreaking event for students, fresh graduates, aspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Through engaging seminars, competitions, and networking opportunities, the summit was designed to educate, empower, and connect young talent with the tools and resources needed to launch a successful venture.

The summit offered exceptional networking opportunities to the attendees. They had the chance to engage with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs fostering collaboration and mentorship that can guide the young enthusiasts. 

The competition had some criteria to be met by the participants to be eligible for application. Each team consisted of 3 young aspiring members who were students. Besides, the solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle i.e. financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security. The participating teams also had to ensure that the ideas submitted must be original, and not a direct copy of existing solutions. 

The SUST Career Club was the campus partner and Startup Sylhet was the Community Partner at the event.  Knowledge partner at the event was Lightcastle Partners.

For more information, please visit https://yss.startupbangladesh.gov.bd

 

 

ICT Division is hosting Youth Startup Summit 2025 which is being organized by Startup Bangladesh Ltd. to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh. Scheduled to be held all throughout the month of February 2025, the Summit will take place in five segments throughout all divisions.

The event will consist of three core components, Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to Spread knowledge and awareness and Exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents.

The Youth Startup Summit 2025 has launched Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition at Rajshahi University premises, Rajshahi on February 6, 2025 to inspire and engage young innovators. The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh’s most pressing challenges allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security. The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models.

The event was kicked off by Sami Ahmed, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh. Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib, Vice-Chancellor, University of Rajshahi inaugurated the event. The event featured master class on Startup Fundamentals: Mastering the Essentials of Building and Scaling a Business by Shubho Al-Farooq, CEO of Zantrik and fire side chat on The Startup Journey: An Inspiring Story of Building a Business from the Ground Up by Mahir Ashef, General Secretary of Startup Rajshahi & Co-founder/COO of Youth Upskill Network (YUNet) and Waseem Alim, CEO of Chaldal. The event presented two panel discussions on From Idea to Scale: How Ecosystem Enablers Can Accelerate Your Startup which was conducted by Dewan Adnan, Investment Manager, Startup Bangladesh, Bijon Islam, CEO, Lightcastle Partners, Nayem Hossain Saikat, Managing Director, Dubotech, Md Ahsan Habib, CEO, Area71 Venture Limited and Rafidul Islam, Vice president, Startup Rajshahi. And the other one on From Pitch to Investment: Navigating the Funding Landscape which was conducted by Shubho Al-Farooq, CEO, Zantrik, Startup Bangladesh Limited, Waseem Alim, CEO, Chaldal, Sadia Haque, CEO, ShareTrip, Bijon Islam, CEO, Lightcastle Partners, Shubho Al-Farooq, CEO, Zantrik.

After receiving a good number of applications, 8 selected teams – SystemSage Solutions, Healthlink, ACE, Anondopath, ECO PEDAL, AlgaeN, GuideNao, SkinCare AI pitched their impactful solutions to the panel of judges The judge panel was represented by key professionals from relevant sectors.
The competition ended with winner announcement at the prize giving ceremony where, Professor Mohammad Main Uddin, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration), University of Rajshahi, Professor Md. Farid Uddin Khan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic), University of Rajshahi announced winners.

The winning team Anondopath gets the prize money of BDT 3,00,000. SystemSage Solutions team receives BDT 2,00,000 for being first runner-up and team SkinCare AI receives BDT 1,00,000 for being the second runner-up.

By recognizing the best solutions, the competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh’s development.

The event highlighted interactive seminars focused on startups & entrepreneurs, pitching competition among local, university student startups, showcasing & recruitment in the exhibition zone as opportunities for students. The event also inspired spreading knowledge, strengthening connectivity, showcasing homegrown innovations and fostering opportunities. It is a groundbreaking event for students, fresh graduates, aspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Through engaging seminars, competitions, and networking opportunities, the summit was designed to educate, empower, and connect young talent with the tools and resources needed to launch a successful venture.

The summit offered exceptional networking opportunities to the attendees. They had the chance to engage with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs fostering collaboration and mentorship that can guide the young enthusiasts.

The competition had some criteria to be met by the participants to be eligible for application. Each team consisted of 3 young aspiring members who were students. Besides, the solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle i.e. financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security. The participating teams also had to ensure that the ideas submitted must be original, and not a direct copy of existing solutions.

The Rajshahi University Career Club (RUCC) joined the event as campus partner and Startup Rajshahi joined as Community Partner. Knowledge partner at the event was Lightcastle Partners.
For more information, please visit http://www.yss.startupbangladesh.vc/