Eleven alumni enterprises from the first cohort of Orange Corners Bangladesh, an initiative commissioned by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, have unlocked the first tranche of funding worth more than Tk65 lakh, which is equivalent to €51,998 as matching grants to grow their business.
Orange Corners Bangladesh hosted the much-anticipated Track I Award Ceremony at Impact Hub Dhaka on Sunday.
The event celebrated the remarkable achievements of eleven enterprises, which successfully navigated the intensive six-month incubation program.
Representatives from the award-winning enterprises include Vertical Innovations, Countree Agro, BD Recycle Technologies Limited (BRTL), Mastercourse, Hydrosense, CarboBang, Togumogu, Drip Irrigation BD Limited, TOYO, Ecolery, and Boichitro shared their experiences at the event.
Vertical Innovations mentioned in their speech that as this is the first cohort, they will always wear Orange Corners as a badge and take pride in it.
It is not just the funding opportunity here that they appreciate, but access to the network and support from the partners, the representative from the enterprise said.
The ceremony kicked off with a warm welcome from Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, managing director of implementing partner YY Ventures, who said: “In our first cohort, we invited 14 promising enterprises spanning diverse sectors - but all driving a positive social and environmental impact, of which nine were led by women. Today, 11 out of 14 enterprises in Cohort 1 received matching grants worth over Tk65 lakh to grow their businesses. If they can show significant progress in a few months, they can win a combination of grants and soft loans up to €50,000 each through Track II funding.”
Sara Van Hoeve, first secretary, Economic Affairs and Private Sector Development, Embassy of the Netherlands, said: “The Netherlands supports young entrepreneurs through 22 Orange Corners Hubs across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In Bangladesh, the program kicked off in 2023. It is about more than merely a training program fostering entrepreneurship. Orange Corners is building a foundation for economic growth and innovation, making social impact and creating new and quality jobs.”
Partner representatives from the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center and SAJIDA Foundation also spoke at this event.
SAJIDA Foundation also facilitated a session with Cohort 1 alumni to collect feedback on their experiences with Orange Corners Bangladesh so far.
Commissioned by the Dutch Embassy, Orange Corners Bangladesh equips youth with skills, funding, and resources to transform ideas into sustainable businesses addressing local challenges and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Applications for the third Cohort of the incubation program are open now for young founders to benefit from skills training, personalized coaching, free co-working space and equity-free funding upto €50,000 Euros.
To know more about the program, click here.
