Seven Bangladeshi youths on Forbes 30 Under 30 2022 Asia list

Seven Bangladeshi youths have made the 'Forbes 30 Under 30' Asia class of 2022. Launched in 2011 by the prestigious business magazine Forbes, the '30 under 30' lists the thirty movers and shakers under the age of thirty. From 2016 to 2021, a total of eighteen Bangladeshis got on the list for their outstanding work.

This year, seven Bangladeshis under the age of thirty got listed for their work in three sectors: Enterprise Technology, Social Impact and Industry, Manufacturing & Energy.  

Here's who made the list this year:

Category: Enterprise Technology

Shuvo Rahman, Founder, Alice Labs

Shuvo Rahman is the founder of Alice Labs, an AI-based multi-channel customer service platform for online businesses.

Alice Labs' flagship product MyAlice allows e-commerce platforms to automate their customer service across different mediums.

Currently, it has over 50 clients in Asia, with brands like Coca-Cola and Unilever receiving their services.

Alice Labs raised USD 500,000 in a seed round by Anchorless Bangladesh and HOF Capital last year.

Category: Social Impact

Reyasat Chowdhury and Jawwad Jahangir, Cofounders, Shuttle

Reyasat Chowdhury and Jawwad Jahangir are the Cofounders of the popular mass-transit startup, Shuttle.

Shuttle started as a safe transportation solution for women in Dhaka before expanding to offer its services to a bigger customer base.

More than 20,000 women have registered for the 'Shuttle for Women' services to date. The company has completed over a million rides since its establishment in 2018.

Shuttle raised $750,000 in its seed round led by Accelerating Asia last year. Shuttle also received a follow-on funding from Accelerating Asia earlier this month. Overall, it has raised a total funding of USD 1 million to date.

Shah Rafayat Chowdhury and Mohammad Taqi Yasir, Cofounders, Footsteps Bangladesh

Shah Rafayat Chowdhury and Mohammad Taqi Yasir are the Cofounders of Footsteps Bangladesh, a Non-Profit Organisation (NGO) designing social ventures through community building.

Established in 2013, Footsteps Bangladesh aims to empower marginalised communities in Bangladesh to have access to clean water and proper sanitation methods.

Footsteps collaborated with Shawn Mendes Foundation last year to provide safe drinking water to schoolchildren in rural areas of the country.

Shah Rafayat mentioned in a Facebook post, "We will not only be dedicating but also utilizing this recognition from Forbes for the young entrepreneurs struggling to achieve their goals and ambitions because of being undervalued. We at Footsteps will stride towards our journey of empowering communities and changing livelihoods, better and brighter than ever before, till every community is resilient and free from the shackles of poverty." 

Category: Industry, Manufacturing & Energy.

Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury and Mir Shahrukh Islam, Cofounders, Bondstein Technologies

Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury and Mir Shahrukh Islam are the Cofounders of Bondstein Technologies, an IoT company based in HiTech City Kaliakoir, Gazipur, Bangladesh. Bondstein Technologies offers vehicle tracking and monitoring technology used by companies like Unilever and Walton to improve cost efficiency and reduce traffic accidents.

Bondstein won APICTA's Asia Pacific IoT Champion award in 2019. 

Last year, Bondstein Technologies raised $1 million led by Runner Trading Limited.