The Three Days long “National Startup Camp 2.0” of “Student to Startup: Chapter 2” begins with 75 Startup.

The biggest initiative “National Startup Camp 2.0” of Student to Startup: Chapter 2 has been started its journey on Thursday, 10 October 2019. The three days long, “National Startup Camp” has been started at Sheikh Hasina youth center, Saver with the slogan of ‘My innovation, My Dream’. Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project of Bangladesh Computer Council under the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) is organising this initiative for the second time.

Honorable Senior Secretary of Information and Communication Technology Division Mr. N M Zeaul Alam was present as the chief guest at the program. He Said, “We have come a long way in building digital Bangladesh. Now we are on the path to build a ‘Quality Digital Bangladesh’. The Government set four pillars to make Digital Bangladesh and one of them is Human Resource Development. One of the aim of Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project is to increase this capability and also human resource development. Depending on Startups of young people like you, The Future Bangladesh will be established in the coming days.”

Kazi Hosna Ara, Deputy Project Director of “Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA)”, said in her welcome address, “We are very optimistic about Startups that have been selected from the 24 venues. At the same time, we are a little bit apprehensive. Because there are so many great startups here, it will be very difficult to pick the top 30 and top 10 from them. Yet we all wish success.

The program was presided by the Project Director (Joint-Secretary) of iDEA Project  Syed Mojibul Huq. He said, “iDEA project is working to create a startup ecosystem in Bangladesh. Our main goal is to prepare the next generation. And that is why we will host this competition at the school level soon. Most of the startups that come through our project are doing great. So far, the startups that come through us have a survival rate of about 90%. Which is higher than any other country in the world. Most of the teams that participated in the national camp this year have product or prototype ready. This time, there are about 60% of the total participants Startup are product based and 40% are service based. We hope we may find some great startups here after the final selection. ”

Mr. Ashikur Rahman Rupok, Co-ordinator of Student to Startup program conducted the session for the participants after the inaugural session.

Through an inauguration ceremony, the contest started its journey on 15 September 2019 at ICT Tower, Agargaon, Dhaka. Hon’ble State Minister for Information and Communications Technology Division, Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP was present as the chief guest at the program and invited all the students to participate at the contest with their innovative ideas. The promotional campaigns were organized in more than 100 academic academic institutes of the country and students registered through online registration process at the contest. About 2500 Startups submitted their ideas at the contest and then 75 startups has been selected preliminarily from university campus pitching round from 24 venues of 8 Divisions and later invited to attend the National Startup Camp.

This time, more than 200 students of 75 startups are participating in the national camp. Participants reached at the camp in the evening on 9 October 2019. As per planning of the camp, there will be workshops since morning on 10 October 2019. The workshop will be on Pitching and others important topics for startups. The picthing round of the contest will be started in the 2^nd day of the camp and later judges will select the potential top 30 startups. Finally, the Selection committee of iDEA project and experienced judges will select the best 10 startups among them. The winner of the 2^nd chapter will be awarded grant of BDT 10 lakh to the top 10 winning startups as ‘Bangabandhu Innovation Grant’ and 20 more startups as runner-up will also be selected for grooming to make them matured. After completion of grooming, if the startup meet the targeted improvement then the matured startups will also be funded. Details of iDEA project will be available into Startup Bangladesh website as follows-  www.startupbangladesh.gov.bd .

The Government officials of ICT Division and its different wings, University teacher, campus ambassadors of ‘Young Bangla’ were also attended at the inauguration ceremony of the National Startups Camp. This contest is organizing in association with the leading youth platform ‘Young Bangla’ under ‘Centre for Research and Information (CRI).