Seven Bangladeshis have ranked in the 2023 list of entrepreneurs and social changemakers under the age of 30 in Asia, prepared by the US magazine Forbes. For several years, Bangladeshi youths have consistently secured spots on the list.
Forbes has been publishing the list since 2011. This year, the seven Bangladeshi youngsters have been recognised for their contributions in the fields of consumer technology; media, marketing, and advertising; and social impact.
Aziz Arman, founder of Jatri
Arman co-founded Jatri to help solve the chaotic transportation problem in Bangladesh with the help of technology. Last year, the Dhaka Bus Owners' Association agreed to use the startup's e-ticketing system for 5,650 public buses operating in the capital city, a move expected to ensure fair pricing for consumers.
Jatri also offers chartered and car rental services. In 2021, the company raised USD 1.2 million in pre-seed series funding from investors, bringing its total funding to USD 5.25 million to date. Arman secured the 25th position under the consumer technology category.
Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin, co-founders of Markopolo.ai
Markopolo.ai offers digital marketing solutions for small and mid-sized enterprises, enabling firms to quickly generate ad copy and seamlessly cross-post on social media.
The company's subscription-based app uses machine learning models that can recognise patterns to make predictions on an ad's performance and identify peak conditions for posting.
Markopolo.ai also has a massive consumer dataset to help businesses automate and optimize social media ads, create content, and reach receptive audiences. They jointly placed at the 27th spot in the media, marketing, and advertising category.
Jahnnobi Rahman, co-founder of Relaxy
Rahman, a recent computer science graduate, co-founded Relaxy to provide a convenient digital solution to a growing number of young Bangladeshis dealing with mental health issues.
Relaxy offers free options like mood check-ins and meditations but earns revenue from on-demand virtual therapy sessions at an affordable price. Its app was recently named the second runner-up in Huawei's ICT Incubator 2022 in Bangladesh and has been downloaded by over 15,000 users. She ranked 24th in the social impact category.
Diptha Saha, co-founder of Agroshift Technologies
Diptha Saha is the co-founder and COO of the agricultural supply chain platform, established in 2022. Agroshift enables businesses to source directly from farmers, reducing costs for consumers and helping farmers get a fair price.
Last year, the agritech company won H&M's STITCH for RMG Global Innovation Challenge, which aims to improve the livelihoods of women in the garment sector. In October, it raised USD 1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Shorooq Partners and Anchorless Bangladesh. He ranked 27th in the consumer technology category.
Anowar Sayef and Saraban Tahura, co-founders of Turtle Venture
Tahura and Sayef co-founded Turtle Venture, Bangladesh's first venture studio that supports and encourages local entrepreneurs. Since 2018, it has worked with 90 startups, helping them raise over USD 15 million in seed capital.
In addition to running accelerator programmes for women in technology, Turtle Venture also runs a programme called "Young Turtle" that promotes entrepreneurship among university students. Tahura was ranked 26th, while Sayef was ranked 29th in the social impact category.