STARTUPS
“Godmother of AI” raises USD 230 mln for AI startup
An artificial intelligence researcher, Fei-Fei Li also nicknamed as the “Godmother of AI” has raised USD 230 million for AI startup “World Labs” along with her three colleagues to develop AI technology that can comprehend how the three-dimensional physical world works, the company announced on Friday.
Bangladeshi Stanford graduate’s AI startup receives $750K funding
Story Engine Inc., an AI startup co-founded by Bangladeshi Stanford graduate Sheikh Srijon, has received $750,000 in pre-seed funding from the reputed venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z). The startup, founded by Sheikh Srijon, Zhizhuo Zhou, and Wanrong He, aims to revolutionise the realm of webtoon and anime creation through generative AI technology.
Press Release / Optimizely earns 'Great Place To Work' certification
Optimizely earns 'Great Place To Work' certification, celebrates culture of innovation and employee well-being
AI startup by OpenAI co-founder raises $1 bln
Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a new AI startup co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist and co-founder at OpenAI, has raised $1 billion in cash. In an interview with Reuters, SSI announced its goal to build "safe AI systems that far surpass human capabilities".
Bangladeshi-born founder’s Australian startup acquired for $16 bln
AirTrunk, a data centre group founded by Bangladeshi-Australian entrepreneur Robin Khuda, is set to change hands in a USD 16.1 billion (AUD 23 billion) deal.
Footsteps co-founder Shah Rafayat named Asia 21 Next Generation Fellow
Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, co-founder of the social venture organisation Footsteps, has been selected as one of the 38 young leaders to join the Asia 21 Next Generation Fellows for 2024.
2 Bangladeshi startups in Forbes Asia 100 To Watch list
Two Bangladeshi startups - Tiger New Energy, a company offering battery-swapping technology for electric vehicles (EV), and iFarmer, an agritech platform - has recently made it to the Forbes Asia's 100 to Watch list for 2024.
Shikho was blacklisted from government funding, says CEO
Shahir Chowdhury, the founder and CEO of the Bangladeshi edtech startup Shikho, recently stated in a Facebook post that his company had been blacklisted from receiving government funding. According to Chowdhury, Shikho was close to securing an investment, which included BDT 5 crore from Startup Bangladesh Limited (SBL) as part of a larger USD 1.5 million funding round. However, SBL abruptly withdrew its support just before the agreement was to be signed, citing political reasons.
Internet Society Bangladesh Chapter elects new executive committee
Internet Society Bangladesh Chapter has elected a new executive committee for the term 2024-25. Mohammad Nadir Bin Ali, Registrar of Daffodil International University, was elected as President; and Md. Baraktul Alam, Head of Operations of Dour Broadband, was elected as General Secretary.
7 Bangladeshi startups in Holon IQ's top 100 edtechs in South Asia
Seven Bangladeshi startups have been named in Holon IQ's 2023 list of top 100 edtech startups in South Asia: 10 Minute School, Apar's, Shikho, and Sohopathi for the 'tutoring and test prep' category; Science Bee and CodersTrust for the 'STEAM' category; and Edutechs in the 'Management Systems' category.
Pathao co-founder Elius’ new startup raises USD 3.8 mln
Wind.app, a fintech startup founded by Hussain Elius, former CEO and co-founder of the Bangladeshi ride-sharing platform Pathao, has recently received USD 3.8 million in pre-seed funding.
Bangladeshi startup Drutoloan raises USD 125k in pre-seed round
Druto Fintech Limited, a Bangladeshi fintech startup, has recently secured USD 1,25,000 in a pre-seed funding round. The investment comes from both local and foreign backers such as Ridwan Hafiz, CEO of GoZayaan, and Razy Shah, co-founder of Singapore's 2Stallions Digital Marketing Agency, as well as other investors.
Orange Corners Bangladesh hosts investor meet
Orange Corners, an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, has recently hosted its first-ever Investors Meet, jointly organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and SAJIDA Foundation.
Cybersecurity company EIC selected for Stanford seed program
Enterprise Infosec Consultants (EIC), a Bangladeshi cybersecurity service provider, has been selected to participate in the Stanford Seed Transformation Program. According to a press release, the program is recognised for its curriculum and insights sourced from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
ShareTrip launches ST Pay; gets new round of investment
ShareTrip, an online travel agency in Bangladesh, has launched a new financial service called ST Pay (ShareTrip Pay). A new round of investment in ShareTrip from Startup Bangladesh was also announced alongside the new feature.
Edtech startup Interactive Cares raises $100k funding
Interactive Cares, a Dhaka-based ed-tech startup, has $100,000 in funding from a seed round in the 9th cohort of Accelerating Asia's accelerator program.
Startup Bangladesh to invest Tk 100cr in 46 startups
Startup Bangladesh Limited, a government-backed venture capital firm, is set to inject Tk 100 crore into 46 selected startups, aiming to strengthen the country's startup ecosystem. Since its establishment in 2020, the company has actively approved investments totaling Tk 73.50 crore across 28 companies, dispersing Tk 64 crore. These investments span critical sectors such as healthtech, agritech, edtech, logistics, fintech, e-commerce, and renewable energy.
Registration now open for Shark Tank Bangladesh Season 1
The internationally acclaimed business reality show, Shark Tank, has officially opened the doors to its Bangladeshi adaptation, inviting enterprising individuals from across the nation to participate in its first season.