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FS Weekly No. 41: The best definition of man

“When darkness fell, we were all brought to the barracks, where we were locked in for the night. I always found it hard to go back to our barrack from outside. It was a long, low, and stuffy room, dimly lit by tallow candles, with a heavy, stifling smell. I don’t understand now how I survived for ten years in it. Three planks on the bunk: that was all my space. Some thirty men shared the same bunk in our room alone. In winter they locked up early; it was a good four hours before everybody fell asleep. Meanwhile—noise, din, guffawing, swearing, the clank of chains, fumes and soot, shaven heads, branded faces, ragged clothes, everything abused, besmeared . . . yes, man survives it all! Man is a creature who gets used to everything, and that, I think, is the best definition of him” writes great Russian novelist, short story writer, and essayist Fyodor Dostoevsky in From Notes from a Dead House. 

We all go through dark times. Difficult days. But as long as you keep going, you will survive and come out stronger. 

On to today’s update. 

I. Doctor Koi raises $500,000 in seed investment, plans to expand the business, and launch new value-added services

Dhaka-based digital healthcare startup Doctor Koi announced that it has raised US$500,000 in seed investment from Verge HealthTech Fund, an early-stage healthcare tech venture capital fund focusing on the Asia-Pacific, the Middle-East, and North Africa regions. First reported by Mobihealthnews, the round was also joined by undisclosed industry and local investors. Read

Relevant reads from our archive: 

  1. Startup Memo: A Brief Look Into DoctorKoi’s Business, Prescription Writing Software and Online Consultation Market Landscape In Dhaka
  2. Startups to watch: These startups look to take digital healthcare services mainstream in Bangladesh 

II. Ayman Sadiq: The making and evolution of 10 Minute School, and the psychology of entrepreneurship (Part I)

Ayman Sadiq is the founder and CEO of 10 Minute School, one of the largest edtech startups in Bangladesh. Ayman has received several awards for his work. 10 Minute School started as a small bootstrapped operation in 2015. The company has since experienced phenomenal growth and become one of the most important online education technology companies in Bangladesh. Early this year, 10 Minute School raised its first external investment from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge program. How 10 Minute School has come this far is a fascinating story and offers invaluable insights into entrepreneurship and building things from scratch. In this interview, we’ve tried to demystify that. Read

Relevant reads from our archive: 

  1. Future Startup Innovators Under 35 For 2016: Young People Shaping The Future Of Bangladesh 
  2. 7 EdTech Startups Looking to Take Online Education Mainstream In Bangladesh
  3. Bangladesh Tech Briefing: 12 Observations About EdTech Market in Bangladesh
  4. More coverage of edtech and education here and here

III. Humans of GoZayaan: How GoZayaan has built a culture of passion and resilience

GoZayaan is a travel tech startup rapidly becoming a strong contender in the Bangladeshi tourism industry. The company has been in the headlines since the beginning of this year with the acquisition of a foreign company. The secret to this success can only be attributed to “the resilient group of people who have been working tirelessly to build the company”, says Ridwan Hafiz, Founder of GoZayaan. Read.


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Others interesting ideas 

Pran-RFL food delivery service. Link

TikTok, 10 Minute School online learning campaign. Link

How To Understand Things. Link

Don’t Surround Yourself With Smarter People. Link

Shein: The TikTok of Ecommerce. Link


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AmarLab brings the diagnostic lab to the doorsteps of people. Learn more.

Green Grocery introduces grocery subscription service. Lean more. 

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Mohammad Ruhul Kader is a Dhaka-based entrepreneur and writer. He founded Future Startup, a digital publication covering the startup and technology scene in Dhaka with an ambition to transform Bangladesh through entrepreneurship and innovation. He writes about internet business, strategy, technology, and society. He is the author of Rethinking Failure. His writings have been published in almost all major national dailies in Bangladesh including DT, FE, etc. Prior to FS, he worked for a local conglomerate where he helped start a social enterprise. Ruhul is a 2022 winner of Emergent Ventures, a fellowship and grant program from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He can be reached at ruhul@futurestartup.com

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