Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia 2023 list features 7 citizens of Bangladesh.
DailyStar || Shining BD
'Forbes 30 Under 30' Asia Class of 2023 list includes seven Bangladeshis. The '30 under 30' list, which features the thirty most influential people under the age of 30, was first published by the renowned business publication Forbes in 2011.
A total of 25 Bangladeshis were included on the list from 2016 to 2022 for their outstanding work in a variety of categories. Seven young Bangladeshis were honored this year for their contributions in the fields of consumer technology, media, marketing, and advertising, as well as social impact.
The Bangladeshis who were selected for this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 are listed below in brief.
Aziz Arman
Founder, Jatri
Category: Consumer Technology
Aziz Arman's co-founded Jatri uses technology for facilitating mass mobility in Bangladesh's chaotic transportation situation. Last year, the Dhaka Bus Owners' Association agreed to use the startup's e-ticketing system for 5,650 public buses, ensuring equitable pricing for users. Apart from this, the startup also provides chartered and rental car services. In 2021, the firm received a net of 1.2 million dollars in the pre-seed series A investment round from investors including Reflect Ventures, Brain-Too-Free Ventures, and SBK Tech Venture. Presently, its total funding is around $5.25 million.
Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin
Founders, Markopolo.ai
Category: Media, Marketing & Advertising
Markopolo.ai is a startup providing digital marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to rapidly generate ad content and seamlessly cross-post across several social media platforms. The subscription-based program is powered by artificial intelligence and predicts ad success and peak posting circumstances. It also offers an extensive user dataset to assist businesses in automating and optimising social media marketing, creating content and reaching out to responsive audiences. Last year, the company secured $700,000 in a pre-Series A investment led by Singapore VC firm Accelerating Asia.
Jahnnobi Rahman
Co-founder, Relaxy
Category: Social Impact
Jahnnobi Rahman co-founded Relaxy, a tech-based wellness platform focused on improving the accessibility and quality of mental health services in Bangladesh. It intends to provide accessible digital solutions to an increasing number of young people suffering from mental health-related problems. Relaxy provides a number of free services like mood checks and meditations and generates revenue through virtual therapy sessions provided at low costs. The platform was selected as the second runners-up in Huawei's ICT Incubator 2022 and presently has over 15,000 users.
Diptha Saha
Co-founder, Agroshift Technologies
Category: Consumer Technology
Agroshift Technologies is an agricultural supply chain platform that allows businesses to source directly from farmers, lowering consumer prices and assisting farmers in obtaining a fair price. Following a micro-fulfilment approach, Agroshift works directly with farmers and dealers to get everyday necessities and provide RMG workers with direct access to high-quality, low-cost fresh vegetables. It also supplies the nearby micro-retailers of these factories using the same infrastructure. The platform recently won H&M's STITCH for RMG Global Innovation Challenge and secured $1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Shorooq Partners and Anchorless Bangladesh.
Anowar Sayef and Saraban Tahura
Founders, Turtle Venture Studio
Category: Social Impact
Founded by Saraban Tahura Turin and Anwar Sayef Anik, Turtle Venture Studio aims to foster young startups by providing them with funding, mentorship, access to a global network and strategic support. It is the country's first venture studio and has recently announced its first cohort of local startups. It has worked with more than 90 entrepreneurs since 2018, assisting them in raising over $15 million in initial funding rounds. Apart from conducting accelerator programs for women in technology, the platform also offers a program called 'Young Turtle' to encourage entrepreneurship among students.
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