Founder Institute partners with Pathao for pre-seed accelerator programme

The Founder Institute (FI), world's largest pre-seed accelerator, announced on Wednesday that its upcoming Bangladesh Virtual 2020 programme is accepting applications.

In an effort to ensure the health and safety of the programme's mentors, partners, and participants, the Founder Institute cohort will be held completely online, allowing anyone to build a business alongside some of Dhaka's top entrepreneurs and investors from the comfort of home, said a press release.

Any aspiring entrepreneur or team interested in building a technology business is invited to apply to the Bangladesh Virtual 2020 Founder Institute at http://fi.co/apply/dhaka, or attend a free online startup event in Dhaka at http://fi.co/events/dhaka.

Since launching in Dhaka in 2015, the programme has created 16 promising technology companies in the region like HandyMama – leading e-services company, Styline -leading modest fashion e-commerce and many more. The Dhaka Chapter will once again be led by local startup leaders: Bijon Islam, founder and CEO of LightCastle Partners; Minhaz Anwar, founder and chief story-teller of BetterStories; and Sajid Amit, associate professor and director of Center for Enterprise and Society (CES) at ULAB.

The implementing organizations for FI in Bangladesh are BetterStories Limited, Center for Enterprise and Society, ULAB and LightCastle Partners.

This year's accelerator will feature many of the region's top startup investors, founders, and executives as mentors . Sajid Rahman, co-founder and CEO of Digital Health Services; Tina Jabeen, investment advisor at Startup Bangladesh and Anita Ghazi Rahman, founder and partner at The Legal Circle are the three Senior Directors of the Semester in Dhaka

This semester will be backed by Pathao and Shohoz, who will offer their CXOs' time as virtual CFOs, CMOs, CTOs for example; access to their apps for products ready to serve with or sell, and a pack of support toolkits including marketing, tech, and legal so that the founders can focus fully on building their business.

Shohoz Founder and Managing Director Maliha Quadir said: "Any startup ecosystem thrives best when we work together to help build the next wave of success stories. What Shohoz has - the best of talents in the region and the best of experience of building a startup from the ground up - will all be at the disposal of the freshly anointed founders. If you are aiming to go big - Bangladesh is the right market for you. Come, join the league!"

Welcoming the new batch of Founders, Pathao Founder and CEO Hussain Elius said: "We are ready to bet on the best founders in the country and provide all the support you need to get you traction. There is no better time than now to bring your solutions to Bangladesh. Join FI and let's build the next Pathao together!"

This semester of FI in Dhaka will feature the "PraavaHealth Impact Fellowship" for a deserving impact entrepreneur accepted into the cohort.

Announcing the fellowship, the founder of PraavaHealthSylvana Q Sinha has said: "Praava is excited to be a part of the journey of Bangladesh's next generation of entrepreneurs, who will help to build a better future for all of us. In healthcare in particular, the Covid 19 crisis sweeping the world, has highlighted the weaknesses in our health systems and a need for new ways of thinking and delivering care".

The Founder Institute Bangladesh Virtual 2020 pre-seed accelerator programme will began from August 27.