The Founder Institute– a Silicon Valley based early-stage startup accelerator and global launch network started its operation in Bangladesh later last year. The Institute has started its first batch of Dhaka Chapter in early 2015 which is now about to graduate. According to participants the program, which is first of its kind in Dhaka, is quite rigorous and global dropout rate and success rate both are quite high. This mentorship driven program helps aspiring entrepreneurs to come into the program with just an idea and build it over the time. The Institute believes that the best way to learn is “by doing” and is a strong proponent of a philosophy that asserts: “Great People + Expert training + Collaboration=exponentially better chance of success”.
The Institute believes that the best way to learn is “by doing” and is a strong proponent of a philosophy that asserts: “Great People + Expert training + Collaboration=exponentially better chance of success”.
Recently we have contacted with few insiders of the program to know the outcome of this four month long part time program and this is what we have got: five startups are coming out of the program’s first batch of Dhaka Chapter. Here is the list:
Styline Collection is a ecommerce platform that offers modest fashion items starting from Hijab. The startup started its operation last months is having quite good traction. The market size for modest fashion is quite big in Bangladesh and the market is largely unexplored. Executed the startup has a real chance of success.
TapStar is multiplatform gaming startup that offers a breadth of localized games combining fun with social features on mobile platform. The startup aims to become the leading creators of localized games for the $15 billion Asian mobile game market, starting with Bangladesh and India, a soon to be 300 million smartphone users market. The startups aims to give irresistible games that touch gamers emotionally and can be played in all platforms: Android, iPhone/iPad, PC and Mac, Facebook."
SmartKompare.com is a comparison website for financial products like bank loans, insurances etc. this is a big market and there is almost no player. SmartKompare.com aims to help users to compare different financial products and choose one that meets their criterion. Here is an one minute video pitch.
Tutor71 is a cloud based micro-tutoring platform. The service will be available via app with alternative channels like Website, Direct Phone Call and SMS. The vision is to break the private tuition market in Bangladesh. The Platform allows students to get free answers quickly on any difficult topics from a relevant crowd sourced subject teacher at the time and place when it is urgently needed especially before exam day or assignment deadline apart from schooling. Students can have chapter wise Q&A section and learn from content available online and from previous discussions. Students can call for getting answers from a teacher directly. Direct call can be useful for any students particularly students in rural areas and students with no Smartphone. Students can also participate in topic wise assessment to test their learning. Teachers participating in this platform with an agreement will have alternate earning source by providing teaching through direct phone call and answering questions pose by students at their convenient time. Schools can participate in this platform as a School Partner which will be benefited for them by getting Mini School Management System apart from other features. Teachers and students of a School Partner institution can have the option to customize and prioritize the service in their own group.
HandyMama.co is Web and Mobile based platform with a Call Center in place where people can outsource their everyday household tasks that they don’t want to do (cleaning, laundry, dish washing, toilet cleaning, deep cleaning, etc.) and the tasks that need help with tools and skills (electrical, plumbing, sanitary, fixing home appliance, computer servicing, and many more.) The startup set to test-launching on May 10, 2015 in the city’s Mohammadpur, Dhaka area. The startups claim to have 50+ freelance taskers on board with a list of potential customers to test the service.
Credit: Image Studio Wash
