7 Bangladeshis on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

Forbes, popular for its magazine and lists that rank everything from billionaires to colleges, has announced its eighth annual “30 Under 30 Asia” list, which features seven Bangladeshis.

This list features 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers across the Asia-Pacific region, all under the age of 30, who are effecting positive change and driving innovation amid global economic uncertainty and a challenging environment.

Seven Bangladeshis were recognized for their contributions in the three areas – Media, Marketing & Advertising, Social Impact, and Consumer Technology.

In the Media, Marketing & Advertising category, cofounders of Markopolo.ai Rubaiyat Farhan, Tasfia Tasbin made the list. Markopolo.ai offers digital marketing solutions for small- and mid-sized enterprises, allowing firms to quickly generate ad copy and seamlessly cross-post on social media.

The company's subscription-based app uses machine-learning models, which can recognize patterns, to make predictions on an ad's performance and peak conditions to post.

It also has a massive consumer dataset to help businesses automate and optimize social media ads, create content and reach receptive audiences.

The company raised $7,00,000, in a pre-Series A round in 2022, including from Singapore VC firm Accelerating Asia.

In the Social Impact category, Relaxy cofounder Jahnnobi Rahman made the list. A recent computer science graduate, Jahnnobi cofounded Relaxy to provide a convenient digital solution to a growing number of young Bangladeshis dealing with mental health issues.

Relaxy offers free options like mood check-ins and meditations, but earns revenue from virtual therapy sessions on-demand for an affordable price.

The company plans to introduce subscription services on its app to cater to users' schedules and needs. Its app recently was named second runner-up in Huawei's ICT Incubator 2022 in Bangladesh and has been downloaded by over 15,000 users.

Two other individuals mentioned in the list under the Social Impact criteria were Anowar Sayef, Saraban Tahura, cofounders of Turtle Venture, Bangladesh's first venture studio that supports and encourages local entrepreneurs.

Since 2018, it has worked with 90 startups, helping them raise over $15 million in seed capital. In addition to running accelerator programs for women in technology, Turtle Venture also runs a program called "Young Turtle" that promotes entrepreneurship among university students.

Jatri cofounder Aziz Arman made the list for Consumer Technology. Arman cofounded Jatri to help solve the chaotic transportation problem in Bangladesh with the help of technology.

Last year, the Dhaka Bus Owners' Association agreed to use the startup e-ticketing system for 5,650 public buses operating in the capital city, a move expected to ensure fair pricing for consumers. Jatri also offers chartered and car rental services.

In 2021, the company raised $1.2 million pre-seed series A from investors like Reflect Ventures, Brain-Too-Free Ventures and SBK tech venture, which bring its total funding to $5.25 million to date.

Lastly, Diptha Saha, cofounder of Agroshift Technologies also made the list under the Consumer Technology category. He is also the COO of this agricultural supply chain platform, established in 2022.

Agroshift enables businesses to source directly from farmers, reducing costs for consumers and helping farmers to get a fair price. Last year, the agritech company won H&M's STITCH for RMG Global Innovation Challenge, which aims to improve the livelihoods of women in the garment sector.

In October, it raised $1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Shorooq Partners and Anchorless Bangladesh, reportedly the largest such funding in the country so far.

The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2023 features 30 notable honorees selected for each of the 10 categories, including The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink); Entertainment & Sports; Finance & Venture Capital; Media, Marketing & Advertising; Retail & Ecommerce; Enterprise Technology; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Healthcare & Science; Social Impact and Consumer Technology.

The notable entries on this year’s list are K-pop girl bands Le Sserafim and NewJeans; Thai actor Metawin Opas-iamkajorn; content creator Wonjeong Seo who has the second-most followed TikTok account in South Korea; mental health advocate Chan Sheung Yee who founded Companion HK; Hayden Marks, whose Melbourne Bushfood products feature Australia’s native ingredients; Chinese film director Chen Jianying who won the Golden Palm Award for Short Film at the 75th Cannes Film Festival; Mayank Kale and Amrit Singh, cofounders of Loop Health which is working to change how healthcare insurance is offered in India and Lester Li, founder of Singapore’s King of Fried Rice.