Connecting StartUps Bangladesh
Connecting Startups to markets and investors - Providing mentoring and incubation to promising Startups by providing space, logistic support, and training; organizing opportunities through exposure to VCs and other funds; creating opportunities for access to markets. Dedicating space at Hi-Tech parks and STPs across the country as incubators for Startups. Startups can apply for the space, and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and products that meet a certain criteria will be awarded the space at nominal cost. The incubators are not only for providing space for Startups at nominal cost but also to nurture them through training and exposure to markets and investors. Through a Startup competition by which we will select 5 Startups at idea stage and 5 startups at growth stage and provide them 6 months of free-of- cost incubation at Hi-Tech parks/STP, starting with the Janata Tower STP. The competition will focus on two types of startups – those at idea stage and those at growth stage. At idea stage, individuals or group of individuals have an idea but have not materialized it yet. Any idea that can be transformed into a business, for profit or non-profit, will be eligible to be a part of the competition – the only thing required is the commitment and dedication from the entrepreneur. At growth stage, the entrepreneur has already materialized the idea and has a product or service that is ready to be offered to clients. The entrepreneur now needs financial, management and other support for scaling up. What will be the process of the competition? All interested Startups will apply through a Website. A Committee will go through the applications and score them. The top applications in each category will be called for presentation from which 10 from the idea category and 10 from the growth stage category will be chosen for a final presentation in front of a high powered panel that will include investors/VCs. The top 5 from each category will then be chosen for mentoring and incubation at the Hi-tech park/STP. Who will participate in the Competition?
1. Individuals or group of individuals who have an idea that they plan to materialize into a product or service.
2. Startups that have an existing product or service at the growth stage and need support for scaling up
