Mahedi Hasan Bhuiyan 🥇’s Post

📉 The global decline in startup funding during Q’1 2024 affected Asian economies significantly, with Singapore and China experiencing a nearly 70% drop in investment. These trends have also been reflected in Bangladesh, with only 4 deals taking place in Q’1 2024, amounting to USD 7 Mn. 📖 Explore the latest trends in Bangladesh's startup investment landscape in our latest report 'Bangladesh Startup Investment Report Q’1 2024: Weathering Economic Headwinds', brought to you in collaboration with Startup Bangladesh Limited, Anchorless Bangladesh, ExitStack, and BD Startup Founders Group. To download the full report, visit the 🔗 link in the comments. #startup #investment #funding #trends #outlook #report #lightcastle #startupbangladesh

Bangladesh Startup Research & Development (BSRD) has significantly contributed to creating an investment-friendly environment for local startups in Bangladesh by fostering innovation, collaboration, and infrastructure development. The organization bridges the gap between startups and potential investors by providing data-driven insights, mentorship, and strategic networking opportunities. BSRD collaborates with government bodies to streamline startup policies, ensuring transparency and ease of business operations. It has been instrumental in introducing tax incentives and simplifying legal processes, making the ecosystem more attractive to investors. Their initiatives also include workshops and training sessions, equipping entrepreneurs with essential skills to pitch effectively and manage investments. Additionally, BSRD’s collaboration with global venture capital firms and local angel investors has enhanced funding opportunities for startups. They organize events like startup fairs and demo days, offering platforms for emerging businesses to showcase their potential to investors. By emphasizing sustainability and innovation, BSRD supports startups in aligning with global market trends. This forward-thinking approach has encouraged foreign direct investment while boosting investor confidence in the local market. Through their multifaceted efforts, BSRD has positioned Bangladesh as a promising destination for startup investments, fostering economic growth and a vibrant entrepreneurial culture. #StartupBangladesh #BSRD #InnovationEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #StartupGrowth #BangladeshStartups #InvestmentOpportunities #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #BusinessDevelopment #TechInnovation #EconomicGrowth #StartupFunding #PolicyReform #SustainableBusiness #GlobalMarket #InvestorConfidence #StartupSuccess

Gobi Partners, a pan-Asian venture capital firm, has introduced the $50 million Techxila Fund II and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Punjab (BoP) to bolster Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. The announcement was made at the Pakistan Investment Conference in Shanghai, coinciding with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China. Techxila Fund II is designed to support Pakistani startups in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, health tech, logistics, and SaaS. The fund aims to drive innovation, empower underrepresented entrepreneurs, and promote sustainable growth in emerging markets. This initiative follows the success of Techxila Fund I, which backed 22 startups. These startups collectively served 3.2 million low-income households, generated $245 million in revenue, and disbursed $54 million in loans in 2023. The MoU with BoP includes equity investments, preferential financing, and enhanced credit access for startups. Additionally, it features mentorship programs and customized financial solutions to facilitate growth. Maryam Nawaz highlighted that this fund would stimulate innovation, create employment opportunities, and strengthen Pakistan’s tech industry. BoP CEO Zafar Masud described the partnership as a significant step forward for Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. Gobi Chairman Thomas G. Tsao reiterated their commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and ensuring sustainable economic progress. . . . . . . . #InitiateMagazine #Initiate #Initiator #GobiPartners #TechxilaFundII #PakistanStartups #Entrepreneurship #Fintech #Ecommerce #HealthTech #Logistics #SaaS #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #StartupEcosystem #PakistanTech #Investment #SustainableGrowth #MaryamNawaz #BankOfPunjab #VentureCapital #Mentorship #EmergingMarkets

Pathao Raises New Investment, Pathao’s Fintech Ambition The leading consumer tech startup Pathao announced yesterday that it has raised $12 million in a pre-series B funding round led by the MENA-based VentureSouq with participation from Anchorless Bangladesh, Osiris Group, South Asia Tech, Openspace Ventures, and other undisclosed investors. The company hinted that the new funding will be used to accelerate its strategic shifts towards fintech.  This is meaningful news for Pathao and for Bangladesh's startup ecosystem.   This investment takes Pathao’s total capital raised to over $50 million, the highest for a pre-series B startup in Bangladesh.  For Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem, this news comes at a time when the country is navigating a major political and economic change. People in Bangladesh and abroad have taken a generally cautious position about the country’s startup ecosystem. Pathao raising capital amid all these changes provides the ecosystem with much-needed positive boots to gain attention from both domestic policy-makers and international investors.   Pathao Managing Director and CEO Fahim Ahmed put this in its pre-series B funding press release in the following way:  “We’re looking to build a tailored financial management ecosystem for our customers, the young professionals and tech-enabled entrepreneurs in Bangladesh”. The company says it aims to “provide personalized financial solutions to over 5 million young professionals and over 500,000 tech-enabled small businesses in Bangladesh, utilizing cutting-edge technology to enhance user experience” with its fintech products #Bangladesh #USA #Investment #Pathao #economic #UK #Invest #economy #startup #US #Investor #business #finacial #Europe #ecosystem #World #technology #news

Pakistani Startups Raised $42.5M in 2024 Amid Economic Recovery and Ecosystem Challenges The Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report 2024 highlights that Pakistani startups raised $42.5 million in 2024, with Q4 alone contributing $26.5 million—a 76.7% QoQ increase. The year’s largest deal came from Abhi, a fintech startup, securing $15 million in funding led by Shorooq Partners and Amplify Growth. Key Highlights: Sector Dominance: Fintech led the way, raising $30.5M (72% of the total), followed by e-commerce with $8.5M. Major Deals: Laam Technologies raised $5.5M, Neem secured $4M, and Colabs raised $2M. Farmdar and Krave Mart also closed rounds (undisclosed amounts). Global Context: While global VC funding rose 28% YoY in Q4 (driven by AI’s $100B funding surge), Pakistan saw a 42.5% decline in annual funding compared to 2023 ($74M). Economic Tailwinds: Inflation dropped to a 6.5-year low (4.9%), and interest rates fell to a 2-year low (13%), signaling economic recovery. Challenges and Opportunities: Despite improved investor confidence and economic fundamentals, local startups face hurdles like political instability, connectivity issues, and gender disparity in funding (no female-founded startups received disclosed funding in 2024). With the KSE-100 index crossing 100,000 points and optimism fueled by falling interest rates, the startup ecosystem is poised for growth in 2025. Initiatives like Shark Tank Pakistan and climate-focused funds like Sarmayacar’s $40M Climaventures Fund add momentum to the entrepreneurial landscape. Pakistan’s startup journey is filled with surprises. The question is: How will we harness these opportunities in 2025? #StartupPakistan #Fintech #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #EconomicRecovery

While Pakistani #startups raised a total $42.5 million in 2024, reflecting a 42.5% decline from 2023’s $74 million, the fourth quarter proved robust, with startups securing $26.5 million, over 62% of the year's total. This marked a 76.7% increase from the previous quarter with the #Fintech sector being the dominant player, attracting $30.5 million, or nearly 72% of total funding. One standout deal was a $15 million investment in a fintech company, led by Shorooq and Amplify Growth. The e-commerce sector also performed admirably, with platforms like LAAM Technologies raising $5.5 million in seed funding. Despite these successes, the ecosystem faced obstacles such as political instability, infrastructure challenges, and macroeconomic issues, contributing to the overall funding decline. On a global scale, venture capital funding reached $93 billion in Q4 2024, a 28% increase from the prior year. This shift reflects a positive trend in investor sentiment globally, which was mirrored by improving macroeconomic indicators in Pakistan, including a drop in inflation to 4.9% and a reduction in interest rates to 13%. Despite domestic hurdles, the Pakistani startup ecosystem showed resilience. Key initiatives, including the $50 million Techxila Fund II and Shark Tank Pakistan’s impact, offer hope for a stronger year ahead, with fintech, e-commerce, and sustainability-focused startups gaining traction. #DigitalPakistan #TechUpdate

📢 Empowering SMEs and Startups in Bangladesh! We urge the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to revise the current turnover tax limit for SMEs and startups. 🌟 Why? ✅ Support business growth and innovation ✅ Attract Eurasian investments ✅ Create more jobs and boost the economy ✅ Foster a competitive and business-friendly environment Together, let’s build a stronger foundation for our entrepreneurs and make Bangladesh a global hub for innovation and opportunity. 🇧🇩💼 #SME #Startups #Bangladesh #TaxPolicy #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #EurasiaInvestments

Bangladesh has started a new move after overthrowing Sheikh Hasina from power on 5 August 2024. During the 15-year-long regime of Sheikh Hasina, the startup ecosystem of Bangladesh did not flourish as it should be. According to a report published by Light Castle Partner, in the first half of 2024, Bangladeshi startups raised only US$18 Mn across 22 deals, reflecting a 57% decline from the first half of 2023. During the same period, India declined by 1.8%, Singapore declined by 8.3%, China declined by 7.5%, and Pakistan declined by 89.5%. Another report suggests that access to high-speed internet outside of major cities, limited access to funding, complex regulations, and limited global exposure are the main blockages to the ecosystem achieving its full potential. But from my experiences, apart from these blockages, I have noticed that the most alarming blockage is a lack of knowledge about Investment Readiness among the fund-seeking startup entrepreneurs of Bangladesh. Most of the startup entrepreneurs in Bangladesh are unwilling to meet the mandatory requirements set by the investors. This is one of the valid reasons why Bangladeshi startup ecosystems stay behind in fundraising as compared to other Asian countries. Now time has come to make them educated about investment readiness.

African Startup Funding Declines Over 50% YoY to $780 Million in H1 2024. Startups across Africa raised $780 million between January and June 2024, a 31% decline compared to H2 2023 figures and an even starker 57% decline compared to H1 2023. This decline continues a downward trend that began in 2023 when Africa's technology startups raised $3.5 billion across 547 deals, a 46% decline compared to the previous year[2022]. Key takeaways: 💰Two-thirds of the funding was in the form of equity, while a third was debt. 🧳 4 out of 5 dollars went to startups in the "Big Four" markets: Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Kenya alone secured a third of the total funding. 🚛 Transport & Logistics was the top-funded sector at 28%, driven by deals like Moove and SPIRO. #FintTech came in second but led in the number of startups raising $1M+ 👬🏾 Only a tiny fraction of funding went to female-founded startups, with 85% going to all-male founding teams and 92% to male CEOs. The decline in startup funding continues the downtrend witnessed in 2023. However, the resilience of African startups is evident. By supporting diversity and innovation, we can help the ecosystem weather the storm and emerge stronger. One way of doing that is to double down on building sustainable businesses. Peter Ndiang'ui, Harry Hare, Kamau Kunyiha, Moses Kemibaro, Fred Kithinzi, Serah Mwikali Katusya Read more: https://lnkd.in/dGptrGdu #AfricanStartups #VentureCapital #FundingTrends

MENA Startups Soar: $355 Million Raised in July 2024, Defying Economic Odds! 🚀💰 In July 2024, the MENA startup ecosystem was fairly resilient, raising $355 million across 38 startups, thus marking a growth of 206% month-on-month amidst the turmoil in the global economy. Leading the pack in the region's fundraising charts, Egypt raised a total of $185 million across seven deals, with the bulk contributed by one significantly large MNT-Halan transaction. That, however, was a quantum leap from July's $15 million, indicating that Egyptian entrepreneurs are coming into their own. Fintech remained the most attractive sector, drawing investments of about $181 million at an earlier fund raising this year. Web 3 followed with $85 million. Of note, however, was the increase in early-stage investments, with $96 million going to seed-stage startups. However, the gender imbalance in funding remains, as only two startups with a woman in a leading role were funded, having raised a quip sum of $270,000. Herein lies the true essence that women entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem require more support. In my opinion, the impressive funding figures represented a new optimism in the MENA region, driven by innovation and strategic investments that put in place the potential for continued growth in the months ahead. #MENAStartups #InvestmentGrowth #Fintech #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #EconomicResilience #WomenInTech #StartupEcosystem #FundingSuccess #TechTrends