Grameenphone Inks Partnership with Leading Ecosystem Builders for GP Accelerator 3.0

Connectivity partner to Digital Bangladesh Grameenphone has signed a ground-breaking partnership today at the GPHouse with three of the pioneering startup ecosystem builders of Bangladesh; BetterStories Limited, LightCastle Partners, and Upskill.

These 3 startups have tagged along with Grameenphone to deliver ‘GP Accelerator 3.0’, the 12-month long program that connects the whole of Bangladesh together through national outreach and design thinking boot camps finds the best homegrown startups and matches them with the resources and support to build a strong local foundation and equips them to scale by raising investments, entering new markets and forging business networks. The consortium of the three partners will deliver a whole new program that supports the “global-first” Bangladeshi startups born through COVID.

GP Accelerator has been at the forefront of Grameenphone’s innovation and digital transformation agenda. Since its inception in 2015, GP Accelerator has supported 44 startups, including Sheba.XYZ, Barikoi, Doctorkoi, Dhakacast, and Cramstack. The redesigned program will help startups unlock Grameenphone’s most coveted assets such as distribution channels for them, push for 10x growth on a month-on-month basis for the duration of the program, and raise a significant amount of growth capital to speed up talent and market acquisition in the region.

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On behalf of Grameenphone, Abul Kasem Mohiuddin Al-Amin, Chief Procurement Officer signed the agreement in the presence of Solaiman Alam, Chief Digital & Strategy Officer, Kazi Mahboob Hassan, Chief Business Officer, and Farhana Islam, Head of Innovation; whereas Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Founder & CEO, Upskill, signed on behalf of the consortium in the presence of the consortium representatives including Minhaz Anwar, Chief StoryTeller of BetterStories Ltd, and Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish, Managing Director & Co-Founder, LightCastle Partners.

Solaiman Alam, Chief Digital & Strategy Officer, said:

“We are delighted to make it possible to bring back the GP Accelerator at a time when innovators, founders, and entrepreneurs need us the most. GP Accelerator has charted a remarkable legacy for Bangladesh’s innovation and digital ecosystem that we are excited to see being multiplied by our partners and compatriots. As we converge today with the three most significant players in the field, we seek to take our offer to a whole new height by opening up our best assets and resources to Bangladeshi founders who aim to take on global markets while building a rock-solid local foundation”.

On behalf of the LightCastle Partners, Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish said:

“We hope to spark innovation and create enduring impacts through robust curriculum and global networks. We are looking forward to playing our part in shaping the next generation of startups by joining hands with the other consortium partners.”

The signing ceremony was recently featured on the Daily Star, read about it here.

WRITTEN BY: LightCastle Analytics Wing

At LightCastle, we take a data-driven approach to create opportunities for growth and impact. We consult and collaborate with development partners, the public sector, and private organizations to promote inclusive economic growth that positively changes the lives of people at scale. Being a data-driven and transparent organization, we believe in democratizing knowledge and information among the stakeholders of the economy to drive inclusive growth.

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