Five local start-ups to go S Korea on training

Highlights

• 3,147 applications submitted, 389 qualified in the first screening     
• 118 survived the second screening, 30 start-ups reached final contest   
• 111 participants received govt certificate, ten to go to S Korea on training    
• Twelve Bangladeshi, four Korean judges evaluate the final round  

Five start-ups that won the Ideathon Contest will receive a six-month training in South Korea, and will get support on incubation, funding, international patent, copyright, and trademark.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak handed over the crests and certificates to the five start-ups at the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) conference center at the ICT Tower in Dhaka on Thursday.

Krishian was this year's Ideathon champion, while the other winning start-ups were Char Chokka Sci, NTT Robotics, Rokkhi Ltd and Chobir Baksho. Top 30 start-ups members received crests and certificates at the event.

Ten members, two from each winning team, will be eligible to take part in a training in South Korea, which will be co-organised by the Korea Productivity Center (KPC) and the Korea Innovation Promotion Association.

Speaking as the chief guest at the prize giving ceremony, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said startups were barely discussed just four years ago. But since then, the government has taken initiatives to meet young entrepreneurs' basic needs. 

Palak said, "The establishment of Start-up Bangladesh, Idea Academy have created opportunities to build digital skills down to the upazila level. The government is mulling new initiatives to further expand the plan."

He assured the entrepreneurs all manner of assistance to uplift the country's image through innovation.

Hoping that Samsung handsets will be completely assembled in Bangladesh and exported overseas, the ICT state minister said entrepreneurs like Shafiul, and Tania will take IoT (Internet of things) to new heights in the country's technology sector in the near future.

Lee Jang-keun, South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh, who was the guest of honor at the event, said, "Even in difficult times like the pandemic, everyone's enthusiastic participation in events like this demonstrates Bangladesh's courage."

"This brave generation will lead Bangladesh in technology and innovation," Lee Jang-keun said, adding that Korea is eagerly waiting to work with the Bangladeshi winners.

NM Zeaul Alam, senior secretary to the ICT Division, said, "We started from almost zero, and went digital from analog. We are now moving on to frontier technology."

The contest started in September this year with the message "Let's Start You Up", celebrating "Mujib Year". Information and Communication Technology Division, the BCC, the South Korean Ministry of Justice and the Global Start-up Immigration Center were partners of the three-month event.

Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) President Syed Almas Kabir and Director of the South Korean KPC Sanggon Park also spoke on the occasion.