Venture capital is a form of financing and part of the private equity asset class. Colloquially, the venture capital’s task is to buy equity in private companies. It usually provides funds to small, early-stage, emerging firms with high growth potential in the hope of making returns for its investors.
This article elaborates on the top Major Venture Capitals in Bangladesh.
1. Startup Bangladesh Ltd.
Established in 2020, Startup Bangladesh Limited is a venture capital fund of the ICT Division of the Government of Bangladesh.
It is one of the largest Venture capital funds of Bangladesh that runs with the vision to innovate faster, create new jobs, develop technical skills, and realize the vision of Digital Bangladesh. Startup Bangladesh has made leading investments in Bangladeshi startups such as Chaldal, ShareTrip, Zantrik, and more.
2. Anchorless Bangladesh
Established in 2019, Anchorless Bangladesh is an early stage venture capital, whose investment funds are focused on advancing the Bangladeshi startup ecosystem through access to global resources. Till date, Anchorless Bangladesh has invested in 6 Bangladeshi startups, namely Shikho, Alice Labs, Loop Maya, and more.
3. My Asia VC
My Asia VC is an early stage venture investment firm. The company has made numerous investments, which include 17 unicorns amongst them, and many others who have received valuations of over $100 million and more. They have deployed more than $50 million as capital.
You might also like to read about best law firms in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
4. IDLC Venture Capital Fund
Supervised by IDLC Finance Limited, IDLC Venture Capital Fund is one of the largest Bangladeshi venture capital funds. The fund is known for investing in technology-based and high-growth startups in Bangladesh. For instance, companies like Chaldal, iFarmer, and more have been able to raise funds, due to the investments of IDLC Venture Capital Fund.
The fund corpus of this venture capital amounts to BDT 450 million. Individuals can subscribe into the fund to become an investor, by investing BDT 5million, while institutions can do the same by investing BDT 20 million.
5. SBK Tech Ventures
SBK Tech Ventures is a leading Venture capital fund of Bangladesh that specializes in investing in early stage, tech-platform companies in emerging markets. Their investments are particularly directed towards startups that support the digital development of rural areas in numerous fields, ranging from FinTech, LegalTech, AgriTech and e-commerce.
SBK Tech Ventures has invested in companies such as PRAAVA HEALTH, Digiland, Sheba.xyz, and more.
6. BD Venture
BD Venture is a pioneering venture capital fund of Bangladesh. They were formed with the goal of promoting innovative and potential seed, enabling expansion through investments in early and growth stage entrepreneurs and enterprises, offering consultancy, and other relevant services. Their investments can be traced to companies like Doctorola.com, EON Group, SPL, and more.
7. Dekko ISHO Venture Capital (DIVC)
Established in 2021, Dekko ISHO Venture Capital (DIVC) is a part of the Dekko ISHO Group, one of the largest conglomerates of the country. The company runs with the goal of investing in local and foreign startups with high potential. Dekko ISHO Venture Capital (DIVC) has a particular affinity towards startups working in the IoT, deep tech, agri-tech and other startups working with a sustainable and green agenda.
8. Robi Axiata Limited (r-ventures)
“r-ventures” is the flagship digital entrepreneurship platform initiated by Robi Axiata Limited. It is a platform that enables new digital ideas to be nurtured, incubated and funded. Despite previously funding only internal employees, since 2019 the investments have been made open to all investors. Numerous companies such as Velvet Box, KhamarE-IoT, and many more raised capital owing to the r-ventures.
9. Bangladesh Angels Network
Bangladesh Angels Network is the nation’s pioneering angel investment network. The objective of this network is to nurture innovation & entrepreneurship in Bangladesh, connecting them to both local & global investors.
The network looks to invest in deals ranging between 8 Million BDT to 50 million BDT, across all sectors. Furthermore, it also provides high quality mentoring, networking, and strategic support to stakeholder companies. Through the network, companies like shuttle, Zantrik, and more were enabled to raise capital.
10. Omicon Tech Ventures
Omicon tech ventures is a leading venture capital of Bangladesh. The venture capital manifested itself due to an initiative taken by Engr. Mehedi Hasan to strategically invest in the top startups of the nation, with a focus on the edtech industry. Edtech companies, like Thrive Edtech have raised capital due to Omicon Tech Ventures.
11. Tiger IT Foundation
Tiger IT Foundation is a prominent venture capital of Bangladesh. It operates with the goal of digitally transform accessibility to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities for all. The company has currently made investments in Shohopathi, an edtech platform, amounting to $50, 000.
12. Falcon Network
Falcon network is an angel investment network abridging the gap between impact-driven individual investors and gifted entrepreneurs. Their vision is to enable promising start-up enterprises running in high growth markets in Asia and Africa to comprehend their potential by providing seed capital and strategic advice. The network has already invested in companies such as Arogga, iFarmer, and more.
13. Maslin Capital
Maslin capital is renowned as an alternative investment firm. The venture capital is exclusively supportive of visionary founders at the early-stages of company formation and growth. They specialize in three categories: Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Impact Investment. The company has a fund size worth 100million taka.
14. Bangladesh Venture Capital Limited (BVLC)
Being a leading venture capital fund of Bangladesh, ‘Bangladesh Venture Capital Ltd (BVCL)’ aims to create an alternative investment opportunity for the business with high-growth potential. They invest in fields ranging from IT, medicines, Agritech and more.
15. SEAF Bangladesh Ventures
Small Enterprise Assistance Funds or SEAF Bangladesh Ventures is a renowned Bangladeshi venture capital that is focused on building mid-size businesses with significant opportunities for scaling up in Bangladesh. They have a target fund size of 70 million USD, with each deal size comprising 3-7 million.
SEAF Bangladesh Ventures have made significant investments in companies such as Albatross Technologies Limited, Systems Solutions & Development Technologies Ltd., Opus Sign Ltd., and more.
Venture Capitals play a big role in promoting entrepreneurship and innovations. They are a major contributor to keep the capital flowing within the economy, sustaining an expansionary state of the economy.
