In the eighth and most recent edition of Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia Class of 2023, five Bangladeshi businesses have been recognized for their exceptional performance and developing unique and impactful ideas.
The prestigious publication published the list on Thursday, highlighting seven young Bangladeshis who represent five institutions.
With 30 individuals selected for each of the ten categories, the list features youthful entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers from across Asia, all of whom are under 30 years old.
The Bangladeshis who made this year's list are Aziz Arman, founder of Jatri, and Diptha Saha, co-founder of Agroshift Technologies, under the category of Consumer Technology; Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin, founders of Markopolo.ai, under Media, Marketing and Advertising; and Jahnnobi Rahman, co-founder of Relaxy, and Anowar Sayef and Saraban Tahura, founders of Turtle Venture Studio under the Social Impact category.
From 2016 to 2020, a total of nine Bangladeshis made the list. In 2021, nine Bangladeshis made the list for their work, while in 2022, seven people made it to the list.
Jatri
Using technology, Arman co-founded Jatri to assist in resolving the chaotic transportation problem in Bangladesh. The Dhaka Bus Owners' Association consented to use the startup e-ticketing system for 5,650 public buses operating in the capital city last year, a move that is expected to ensure consumers receive fair pricing.
Jatri also offers chartered and car rental services. In 2021, the company raised $1.2 million pre-seed series A from investors like Reflect Ventures, Brain-Too-Free Ventures and SBK tech venture, which brings its total funding to $5.25 million to date.
Aziz Arman, founder of Jatri ForbesAgroshift Technologies
Saha is cofounder and COO of Agroshift Technologies, an agricultural supply chain platform, established in 2022. Agroshift enables businesses to source directly from farmers, thereby reducing costs for consumers and helping farmers to 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 $1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Shorooq Partners and Anchorless Bangladesh, reportedly the largest such funding in the country so far.
In his reaction, Saha narrated the implication of the recognition on his Facebook profile. “It will give exposure to a regional and later global platform to represent Bangladesh. That's a big deal for me.
“If you go to a global platform like Forbes, there will be an opportunity to tell these stories, there will be an opportunity to represent Bangladesh in front of the world. Waiting to tell that story!”
Diptha Saha, co-founder of Agroshift Technologies ForbesMarkopolo.ai
Markopolo.ai provides digital marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, enabling firms to generate ad copy rapidly and cross-post on social media without difficulty. The subscription-based app of the company, founded by Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin, employs machine-learning models that can recognise patterns to predict an ad's performance and optimal posting conditions.
In addition, it has a massive consumer database to assist businesses in automating and optimising social media advertisements, creating content, and reaching receptive audiences. In 2022, the company raised $700,000 in a pre-Series A round led by Singaporean venture capital firm Accelerating Asia.
Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin, founders of Markopolo.ai ForbesRelaxy
Jahnnobi Rahman, a recent computer science graduate, cofounded Relaxy to offer a convenient digital solution to the increasing number of young Bangladeshis struggling with mental health issues. Relaxy offers free options such as mood check-ins and meditations, but generates revenue from reasonably priced on-demand virtual therapy sessions.
The company intends to implement subscription services on its app to accommodate users' schedules and requirements. Its programme was recently named second runner-up in Huawei's ICT Incubator 2022 in Bangladesh, and over 15,000 users have downloaded it.
Jahnnobi, a former student at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet), suffered from depression for several years until the end of 2021, when she founded Relaxy and began offering free sessions, with the belief that no one should have to endure such suffering.
“Those of us who struggle continuously, those of us who are crazy, need a safe space. In July 2022, Relaxy was launched on the Play Store as a non-judgmental safe space. Till 2023, Relaxy has been downloaded more than 18,000 times; some 17,000 people have chosen Relaxy as their safe, nonjudgmental mental place. Issues have been shared more than 5,000 times in anonymous posts,” she said on Facebook.
Jahnnobi Rahman, co-founder of Relaxy ForbesTurtle Venture
Tahura and Sayef, a Bangladeshi couple, co-founded Turtle Venture, the first venture studio in the country that supports and encourages local entrepreneurs. Since 2018, it has assisted 90 entrepreneurs in raising over $15 million in seed funding.
In addition to operating accelerator programmes for women in technology, Turtle Venture operates a programme called "Young Turtle" that promotes entrepreneurship among college students.
Tahura celebrated the achievement with her husband in a Facebook life-event. “From sleepless nights to Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia. A journey of grit, passion, and relentless pursuit. Honored and humbled to be recognized among the region's brightest young entrepreneurs. This is just the beginning of an extraordinary story,” she wrote.
Anowar Sayef and Saraban Tahura, founders of Turtle Venture ForbesPrevious honourees
The 2022 honourees were Shah Rafayat Chowdhury and Mohammad Taqi Yasir, co-founders of Footsteps; Reyasat Chowdhury and Jawwad Jahangir, co-founders of Shuttle; Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury and Mir Shahrukh Islam, co-founders of Bondstein Technologies; and Shuvo Rahman, founder of Alice Labs.
In 2021, Forbes listed nine Bangladeshis. They are Gaze co-founders Shehzad Noor Taus Priyo and Motasim Bir Rahman; Cramstack founder Mir Sakib; Awareness 360 co-founders Shomy Chowdhury and Rijve Arefin; Obhizatrik Foundation Founder Ahmed Imtiaz Jami; Hydroquo+ co-founder Rizvana Hredita and Md Zahin Rohan Razeen; and Pickaboo co-founder Morin Talukder.
Earlier, Pathao co-founder Hussain Elius and cartoonist Morshed Abdulla Al made it onto the list in 2019, in its fourth year. Elius was listed in two categories -- Consumer Technology and Big Money Startups, while Morshed was named in the category of Media, Marketing and Advertising.
Bangladeshis on Forbes
Last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ranked 42 on Forbes' 19th annual list of the 100 most powerful women. In 2021, her rank was 43. Sheikh Hasina, the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, is currently serving her fourth term -- and her third consecutive term -- in office.
Muhammed Aziz Khan, chairman of Summit Group, was named the 42nd richest man in Singapore on Forbes' list for 2022. His net worth was stated to be $1 billion.
