Startup Bangladesh

Name

Startup Bangladesh

Legal name

Startup Bangladesh Limited

Website

https://startupbangladesh.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital fund
• Startup investment
• Fund of funds
• Seed stage funding
• Government venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Equity and Quasi-Equity Investment Returns: Startup Bangladesh Limited generates returns through equity and quasi-equity investments in early-stage and growth-stage startups. Investment sizes range from BDT 25 lac to BDT 5 crore per round, with a maximum ownership stake of 49% per investee. Expected exit timeline is 5-8 years subject to market conditions. The firm also earns management fees as a fund-of-funds and asset manager.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Startup Bangladesh Limited is a government-owned venture capital company that invests in seed, early-stage, and growth-stage startups in Bangladesh through equity, quasi-equity (convertible debt), and grants, with transaction sizes ranging from BDT 25 lac to BDT 5 crore per round and a maximum 49% stake per investee. It also operates a USD 33 million Fund of Funds program that deploys capital through local and global VC fund managers, and provides ecosystem development support including the SBL NRB Connect platform linking Non-Resident Bangladeshis with the domestic startup ecosystem.

Product overview

Startup Bangladesh Limited is a government-owned venture capital company under Bangladesh's ICT Division, founded in March 2020 with a USD 65 million flagship fund. The company provides a suite of investment and ecosystem-building services: direct equity and quasi-equity investments (BDT 25 lac to BDT 5 crore per round) in seed, early and growth stage startups; a Fund of Funds program (USD 33 million initial size) investing through partnership funds with local and global VC managers; co-investment opportunities; and ecosystem support including incubator, accelerator, and challenger fund investments. The SBL NRB Connect platform enables Non-Resident Bangladeshis to participate in the ecosystem through co-investment, mentorship, and business scaling. The investment thesis focuses on sectors including Fintech, Health-tech, EdTech, Agritech, SaaS, AI/ML, Logistics, and Mobility, with alignment to national goals such as SDG achievement and Digital Bangladesh Vision 2041.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity and Quasi-Equity Investment
• Fund of Funds
• Co-Investment Platform
• SBL NRB Connect
• Ecosystem Development Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.5 million jobs created across Bangladesh's startup ecosystem
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Switzerland's EmbassyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Swiss Embassy supported the Sustainable Finance Summit 2026 organized by LightCastle Partners with support from UNCDF, Truvalu Bangladesh, and Startup Bangladesh Limited, focusing on innovative financing for sustainable growth.
• UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026UNCDF co-supported the Sustainable Finance Summit 2026 organized by LightCastle Partners alongside Switzerland's Embassy, Truvalu Bangladesh, and Startup Bangladesh Limited.
• LightCastle PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed on October 25th for joint ecosystem promotion and investment attraction. LightCastle Partners serves as buy-side investment advisor of SBL. They jointly identify engagement opportunities and collaborate on Knowledge Products, Startup Dealbooks, Investor Roadshows, Showcasing Events, and Promotional Activities to highlight Bangladesh's local startup ecosystem to global investors.
• VisacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed to develop an effective and innovative financial inclusion and digital ecosystem in Bangladesh. Collaboration includes bringing Visa's Fintech Fast Track Program to Bangladesh, Visa Ready certification program, technical assistance and workshops by Visa experts, access to Visa Development Platform APIs and Visa Developer Sandbox, and knowledge partnership including research and knowledge sharing.
• Smart Bangladesh Accelerator (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBL entered into a strategic partnership with Smart Bangladesh Accelerator (SBA), a program under Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority. SBL is SBA's Exclusive Strategic Partner, committed to nurturing the growth and success of startups across the nation and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
• EDGE Project (Enhancing Digital Government and Economy Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed between World Bank-financed EDGE Project of Bangladesh Computer Council and Startup Bangladesh Limited to provide training to 500 startup founders through the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University, developing sustainable startup entrepreneurs for the nation.
• Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Bangladesh, in partnership with BSEC, hosted a Focus Group Discussion on 'Bringing Bangladeshi Tech Startups to the Public Market' to collaborate on solutions promoting Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) for technology startups in Bangladesh, enabling local startups to list on the domestic stock market.
• iDEA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) Project of ICT Division and Startup Bangladesh Limited for ecosystem development activities.
• Brain Station 23minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner supporting the Bangladesh delegation of 24 startups at Expand North Star 2024 in Dubai, along with Startup Bangladesh and other partners.
• ChaldalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner supporting Bangladesh's startup ecosystem showcase at Expand North Star 2024 in Dubai.
• Moner BondhuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership offering mental health care and wellbeing services to all SBL portfolio startups.
• Asiatic Mindshare Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Asiatic Mindshare Ltd. for the upcoming Bangladesh Startup Summit.
• Windmill Advertising Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Windmill Advertising Ltd. for the upcoming Bangladesh Startup Summit.
• SDG Impact AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBL collaborated with SDG Impact Accelerator for acceleration programs focused on Digital Agriculture and Financial Inclusion.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) BangladeshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UNDP Bangladesh, Citi, Islamic Development Bank, and LightCastle Partners for ecosystem development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bangladesh Venture Capital Limited (BVCL): Bangladesh government-affiliated venture capital company that predates Startup Bangladesh. Closest direct peer — same country, same government-linked VC mandate investing in early-stage companies, providing a benchmark for government VC structures in Bangladesh.
• BD Venture Limited (BDVL): Bangladesh-focused venture capital firm whose alumni now staff SBL's VC team. Operates in the same Bangladesh early-stage ecosystem with similar ticket sizes, making it the most direct local capital-deployment competitor.
• SIDBI Fund of Funds (India): Indian government's Small Industries Development Bank of India operates a Fund of Funds (FFS) for Indian startups that deploys through domestic VCs — the closest structural analog to SBL's USD 33M FoF model in a comparable emerging market.
• LightCastle Partners: Bangladesh-focused advisory and investment firm serving as SBL's buy-side investment advisor. Operates in the same Bangladesh VC ecosystem with comparable early-stage mandate and provides a benchmark for private-sector VC operating models in the country.

Broad incumbents

• Khazanah Nasional: Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund with active VC/PE mandates across Southeast Asia, including direct and fund-of-funds-style deployment. Comparable as a state-owned capital allocator pursuing strategic national development alongside financial returns.
• Temasek Holdings: Singapore state-owned investment company with deep VC/PE allocation through vehicles like Vertex Ventures. Comparable as a sovereign capital allocator into regional VC ecosystems with patient-capital mandate similar to SBL's government sponsorship.
• Mubadala Investment Company: UAE sovereign investor with significant venture and growth allocations via Mubadala Ventures and fund partnerships. Comparable as a government-backed capital allocator deploying into emerging-market VC ecosystems with strategic-development overlay.

Regional players

• Wavemaker Partners: Early-stage VC firm headquartered in Los Angeles with deep Southeast Asia operations, actively investing in Bangladesh startups. Comparable as a competing capital source for the same Bangladesh deal flow that SBL targets.

Others

• iDEA Project (ICT Division): Bangladesh government Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy project under the same ICT Division that owns SBL. Several SBL team members came from iDEA, and the two collaborate on founder training and deal pipeline — an ecosystem peer and pipeline feeder rather than capital competitor.

Emerging players

• Acumen: Global impact investor with South Asia operations investing in early-stage companies addressing poverty. Comparable due to SBL's explicit SDG-alignment mandate, impact-overlay thesis, and similar ticket sizes for early-stage Bangladesh deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-bangladesh-limited
• Facebookfacebook.com/startupbdltdvc
• Xx.com/startupbdltdvc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments41 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Bangladesh