Grameenphone
GP Accelerator Batch 7 eyes to equip startups to secure international funds
Grameenphone has onboarded Batch 7 of its startup development initiative GP Accelerator (GPA) to equip the startups to secure international funds.
This year the GP Accelerator curriculum has been designed to emphasise growth, going global and business expansion with three investment partners – IDLC, Anchorless, Bangladesh Angel Network – to equip the startups to secure international funds.
A virtual event was held Thursday to launch the programme where Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar was present as the chief guest.
Read GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups
Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman and distinguished guests from the startup ecosystem, media, mentors, and investors were also present.
The GPA platform will continue to provide investment readiness support such as company valuation, fundraising, legal paperwork for expanding beyond borders and attracting investment to ensure ten times growth for startups through a six-month bootcamp.
The programme aims to explore business expansion opportunities through business incorporation to the global market from Bangladesh.
Read Grameenphone observes Green Week 2022
"It is very optimistic to witness so many diversely talented minds putting their best to come up with something different. This is the spirit that we need to carry Bangladesh forward in a digitally enabled era," said Mustafa Jabbar.
Yasir Azman said: "Grameenphone believes in taking a youth-first approach, instilling digital entrepreneurship mindset, enabling them to think global, upskilling and reskilling them with industry-first initiatives like such to enable and unleash the potential of the demographic dividend into future drivers of economic progress."
In 2021, a partnership deal had been signed between Grameenphone and the three pioneering startup ecosystems shapers of Bangladesh – BetterStories, LightCastle Partners, and Upskill – to deliver the GPA programme that supports the "global-first" Bangladeshi startups born through Covid-19.
Read Grameenphone reports 4.4% revenue growth in Q1 2022
Since its inception in 2015, the GPA programme has worked closely with promising local startups, developers, and innovators to facilitate strategic and infrastructural resources.
This year, the startups which will be groomed under the GPA's 7th cohort are Airwrk, an invite-only global talent marketplace for Bangladeshi software developers with integrated payment systems, competitive pricing, and shorter payment cycles; Gameof11, a fantasy gaming platform where one can demonstrate their sports knowledge to win daily prizes; iPage, a startup democratising value-added data to the farmers and FMCGs for a higher return using machine learning, data science, and AI; Lilac, a holistic digital wellness platform for women's health and hygiene; One thread, a project management solution that helps to manage tasks, store files, check progress and communicate in the simplest and most affordable way and On now, an internet restaurant platform that aims to empower over 600,000 SME restaurants in emerging markets to survive against tough competition from large restaurant chains by giving them access to their proprietary and popular virtual menu concepts, training, supply chain and technology.
Read GP Accelerator 2.0 launched
The GPA has completed six cohorts with 44 startups, creating 5 lakh jobs across the nation.
Telenor unveils 5 tech trends that will shape 2022
Telenor Research, a scientific research unit of Norwegian technology conglomerate Telenor Group, has unveiled the seventh edition of "Tech Trends," highlighting how technology and digitalisation can enable a green transformation which it believes will define the upcoming year.
Grameenphone revealed the research findings at an event in the capital Monday. The five anticipated tech trends for 2022 were revealed in a keynote and an expert reflection session.
The core impression of the predictions for 2022 revolves around global climate change and its impact on the ecosystem.
Read Vivo showcases tech trends for 2022
The trends predict how new-era advanced connectivity, climate-friendly energy-efficient modern hardware, edge cloud, and 5G technology will be more eco-friendly, increased demand for green job skills with institutions and digital learning platforms offering climate micro-degrees, an optimisation war between companies to make devices more energy-efficient and environmental-friendly, a surge in climate aware influencers and taking the next generation's expectations with importance to mitigate potential threats of the "great resignation."
The report also has three tips on how businesses can avoid this threat once the pandemic is over. The trends are primarily influenced by the ongoing global pandemic and its consequences.
Read Apple’s holiday iPhone sales surge despite supply shortages
Trend 1: Green clouds on the horizon
Due to the immense growth in data usage, there is higher energy demand. Hence, cloud computing has seen exponential growth, and also edge computing is expected to take over by an acceptable margin in the coming year.
"We predict that 5G networks worldwide will have the capability to do local breakout of data traffic to and from Edge data centres," said Bjørn Taale Sandberg, head of Telenor Research, during a virtual keynote presentation."
"Energy-efficient Edge data centres reachable from mobile devices over 5G networks will start popping up, at an increasing rate, in 2022. As a result, energy will also be saved in data distribution networks since part of the data traffic and electricity will be transferred locally only."
Read Realme 9 Pro Series soon to be launched globally
Trend 2: Big appetite for climate micro-degrees
With modern careers requiring employees and employers to be climate-friendly, there is a need to adapt to lifelong learning on sustainability. Environmental policy and regulation will also increase the demand for green job skills in 2022.
"A growing number of businesses will implement green micro-degrees and courses as part of their 'curriculum' to slake the green knowledge thirst among employees. The businesses that fail to facilitate opportunities to acquire green online learning credentials on-the-job risk being perceived as less attractive in the eyes of new talent," predicts Sandberg.
Read OPPO recognizes unsung heroes of Bangladesh
Trend 3: Optimise everything
The global need for greater energy efficiency has the chance to trigger the "optimisation of everything" battle between consumer electronic manufacturers.
Devices consuming electricity now outnumber humans by four, and they will become even more dominant in the future. "Since transforming our energy supply will take time, we need to optimise everything – not least the use of energy by our devices," warns Sandberg.
"Going forward, more companies will put enormous sums of money on the table to acquire the knowledge and assets needed to come out on top of the optimisation battle."
Read Samsung Electronics' revenue hits record high in 2021
Trend 4: Here come the greenfluencers
It has become imperative for influencers to acknowledge the young people's climate engagement, especially through social media.
With the recent disappointments from the UN's Climate Conference (COP26) and a grim outlook in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report fresh in memory, there is now an expectation of seeing a new movement shape the world of social media, that is coined "greenfluencing."
"An undergrowth of climate-aware influencers and activists has emerged across niches on social media, and we believe their growing follower bases will be duly noticed by the influencer universe's established elite," explains Sandberg.
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"Influencers who appear oblivious or indifferent to climate challenges will be perceived as outdated. Instead, followers will flock to influencers who demonstrate climate awareness regardless of niche. Marketers will turn their attention in the same direction."
Trend 5: Don't lose out on the 'lost generation'
With work-from-home and such trends reshaping organisational preferences and cultures, companies must take the next generation's expectations seriously to avoid facing great resignation.
During the continuation of the pandemic, it will be tough for the young to establish and grow a personal network and acquire a general understanding of the corporate lingo and culture, as forming new social relations using only digital communication is much more challenging.
Read 2022 Samsung QLED, Lifestyle TVs recognised by top global certification institutes
"Many companies will in 2022 find that large groups of young employees who never got proper onboarding are likely to struggle – unless good leadership is exercised," says Sandberg.
GP’s call drops decrease but continue to be highest, says BTRC Chairman
Grameenphone continues to have the highest number of call drops in Bangladesh though it has declined a little following pressures, said Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder on Thursday.
“I myself is a sufferer of the poor network as a mobile user and my woes are greater as I am responsible to ensure quality service to 17 crore people of the country,” the BTRC chairman told the journalists of Telecom Reporters' Network Bangladesh (TRNB) at the BTRC head office.
BTRC is conducting test drives at 300 upazilas to ease the problem of poor network and call drops, he said.
Read HC forms committee to supervise BTRC’s activities to solve mobile service issues
Already the test drive has been completed in 227 Upazilas covering an area of `12,800 kilometers, said Shyam Sunder.
He said according to the test drive report from Rangpur, mobile users are facing the worst situation of call drops from all the telecom operators.
“We have continued our pressure on the telecom operators by sending letters and instructions on a regular basis along with the drive,” he said.
Read Genex Infosys to operate BTRC helpline, provide AI chatbot services
He said two high-profile committees have been formed led by the vice-chairman and commissioner.
Data is being collected from the operator offices and fields and they are being informed about their network service condition as there are issues with data forwarding too, said the BTRC head.
“On March 8, we last auctioned network spectrums to the operators and aim to auction three more spectrums of-2.3, 2.6, and 3.5 megahertz again in March 2022”, he said.
Read How to Check Official Phone Using BTRC IMEI Number?
The BTRC scheduled the auction in December but it was postponed at the request of the operators, he said.
GP Explorers: 2nd batch graduates from Grameenphone's in-house skill academy
"GP Explorers" Batch 2 recently graduated from Grameenphone's in-house skill academy at a virtual graduation event.
With more than 40 per cent females with a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) background in the cohort, the pool was upskilled to become future-ready professionals.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar graced the event as the chief guest.
Subrata Roy Maitra, the vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Yasir Azman, CEO of Grameenphone, and Hossain Sadat, acting chief corporate affairs officer, were present as special guests.
Also read: GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups
GP Explorers is an industry-led digital skills academy to digitally upskill and empower university students with soft and digital skills to bridge the gap between their future careers and required competencies.
The platform consists of a 20 week-long upskilling programme focusing on communication proficiency, entrepreneurship mindset and digital skills that complement the knowledge students receive from academia.
It is a crowdsourced learning model with custom content, assignments and expert sessions from industry professionals.
Mustafa Jabbar said: "The goal of any business entity is to do business or to make a profit. Apart from this, they have some responsibility towards society, the state, and the people. Grameenphone is fulfilling this promise through GP Explorers by upskilling the youth through future-fit skills."
Also read: US-Bangla, GP sign agreement
"I think the knowledge gained from GP Explorers will serve as a great foundation for their lives. These valuable lessons must be made available for all, especially for the marginalised community to benefit from digitisation."
Subrata Roy said: "There is a difference between education and training. You can do well academically, but you need to develop yourself and acquire skills simultaneously to be future-ready."
"Grameenphone, with its GP Explorers 2.0, has been able to develop the participants in the right way, and the programme has been able to keep pace with the international arena."
Yasir Azman said: "We are glad to complete the latest GP Explorers programme despite the Covid-19 barrier."
"This was possible mainly because of the resilience and indomitable spirit that our participants have shown since day one. I am sure that they will stand out as professionals in the industry very soon, bringing excellence to their organisations as well as their portfolio."
Grameenphone launches Text-Only Facebook, Discover
Grameenphone, in partnership with Meta, has launched text-only Facebook and Discover to enable Grameenphone customers to stay connected more consistently, even when they run out of data.
Text-only Facebook will help the telecom operator's customers to stay connected with a text-only version of Facebook and Messenger when they run out of data until they can top up their data balance again.
Discover, a mobile web and Android app, will allow Grameenphone customers to browse the internet using a daily balance of 15MB without data charges. Also, it only supports low-bandwidth features such as text and icons when using free data.
Read: Grameenphone signs agreement with D24 Logistics
Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar inaugurated text-only Facebook and Discover Tuesday at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
"Allowing the use of Facebook without the internet is a great initiative. This shall help reduce the digital divide by ensuring information sharing and connectivity of marginalised people," he said.
"The government has been emphasising bringing maximum people under the umbrella of digital connectivity. But to turn it into a reality, we need the private sectors, especially the mobile network operators to step forward," BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder said. "It is a good move by Grameenphone to improve access to social media and other important resources on the internet."
Read:Bangladesh Retail Awards 2021: Grameenphone wins two accolades
"Today's launch is a testimony of co-creation with Meta and Regulator to best use digital solutions for ensuring access to vital information in need for one of the largest Facebook user bases in the world," Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman said.
"Helping people stay connected and ensuring they have consistent access to important resources on the internet such as education and health resources is critical. We are grateful to support these programmes to enable better connectivity and access for people in Bangladesh," Paul Kim, director of International Business Development and Operator Partnerships, APAC at Meta, said.
Read GP Explorers: 2nd batch graduates from Grameenphone's in-house skill academy
Grameenphone signs agreement with D24 Logistics
Grameenphone has signed an agreement with D24 Logistics Ltd for certain inventory & delivery management and archiving & disposal management.
A signing ceremony in this regard was held at GPHouse on Tuesday.
Grameenphone has teamed up with D24 Logistics to ensure that the mobile network operator’s inventory, delivery, archival, and disposal management are streamlined to attain optimum growth.
Read Grameenphone reports 4.4% revenue growth in Q1 2022
The announcement has been made as a continuation of promoting former employee-led startups from Grameenphone. Earlier the company also supported two startups ReCom and VX Services Ltd, which were also incorporated by former GP employees, said a media release.
Syed Tanvir Husain, CHRO of Grameenphone said, “At Grameenphone, we are keen to learn future skills and adapt lean operating model. I believe this new startup; their lean operating model and agile ways of work will help us run logistics operations smartly and efficiently. For delivering on customers’ expectation, we look forward to working together with a shared vision by best utilizing new ways of work.”
Md Ziaul Karim, Managing Director of D24 Logistics said, “Our advanced capabilities and high-tech operating model shall help Grameenphone in meeting customers’ ever-increasing demands under a future-ready logistics service infrastructure”.
Read Hans Martin new Grameenphone chief corporate affairs officer
Bangladesh Retail Awards 2021: Grameenphone wins two accolades
Grameenphone has been presented with two accolades at the Bangladesh Retail Awards 2021 – the first-ever retail award endeavour organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum.
The telecom operator received awards in the best use of technology and best retailer-others categories.
The names of the winners were announced at a virtual event recently.
READ: Grameenphone launches Bangladesh cricket team jersey campaign
Aulad Hossain, acting CMO of Grameenphone said, "We are expanding our flagship stores to ensure best in class services are very close to the customers and at the same time, bringing more and more services in the digital interfaces to make things easier for customers and retailers. We have been incorporating more innovation and futuristic methods into our retail business."
READ: Grameenphone partners with Wipro for advanced network management
Grameenphone launches Bangladesh cricket team jersey campaign
With the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 knocking at the door, Grameenphone has launched an official jersey (replica) campaign.
Under this campaign, Grameenphone users can recharge Tk207 using the MyGP app or the telecom operator's website and win a replica of the official jersey of the national cricket team.
Read Hans Martin new Grameenphone chief corporate affairs officer
The activity will run from October 14-17. Within this period, Grameenphone will reward the first customer every minute from 10am to 10pm who recharges the specific amount.
The name of the winner will be announced by Grameenphone within 72 hours after the campaign closure, followed by the delivery of the jerseys within 15 working days, according to a media statement.
Read Grameenphone reports 4.4% revenue growth in Q1 2022
GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups
Grameenphone is one of the pioneering telecommunication companies in Bangladesh. Founded back in 2007, the company has had a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh in addition to the telecommunication sector. The Grameenphone Accelerator (GPA) program is one of those encouraging initiatives taken by the company. The program is tailored for the up-and-coming startups to accelerate their growth in the rapidly changing market. Recently, GP launched an application for the accelerator program 3.0 as part of their continued support for the startup scene in Bangladesh.
GP Accelerator Program
The GP Accelerator Program is a cohort-led, curriculum-driven mentoring program for select up-and-coming startups in Bangladesh. Founded in 2015, the program has led 6 batches which helped to mentor 44 startups till today.
The likes of Sheba.XYZ, Barikoi, Dhakacast, Doctorkoi, and Cramstack have been the direct recipient of the mentorship opportunity which helped them excel in their strategy.
Read Agro-Tech Startups in Bangladesh: Tech revolution in Agriculture Sector
The program is a 4 month long intensive mentorship opportunity that works on several key aspects.
A startup goes through various phases. There are a lot of aspects that need to be properly handled and assessed. In addition to that, most startups require a pre-seed fund to develop an MVP. The GP Accelerator Program is focused on addressing all these issues faced by a startup.
The cohort-led approach and expert mentorship build and set up a startup for success.
The program allows a fund grant of up to 10 Lac BDT in exchange for 10% equity on the startup. The program also focuses on training as well as setting up connections for future investment opportunities.
Read:E-commerce Scams: Ways to Protect Your Investment from Online Frauds
Role of GPA in Empowering Local Startups
Bangladesh is significantly lagging when it comes to launching startups. Countries like the US and China are leading the world in the number of successful startups with over 64% and 13% share of the billion-dollar startups. Neighboring India is also close by with a 4% share.
While these countries can make their mark as startup hubs, Bangladesh is still significantly lagging.
The main reason behind that is the lack of ecosystem support. A startup is built on ideas that disrupt the existing market process. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs lack the support system surrounding these ideas. There aren’t enough angel investors in the ecosystem. There is also a shortage of mentorship and phase guiding opportunities which hurts the startups in their nascent stage.
Read Investment: What Factors to Consider before Investing Money?
The GP Accelerator Program acts as an amalgamation of the ecosystem for these startups. Thanks to GPA, local startups are getting world-class-level mentorship opportunities. The program has module-based training which makes the startups better suited for the market. The end-to-end support mechanism makes the GPA the best program to groom the startups for big leagues.
Program Details
In the last 6 years, GPA has hosted 44 startups as part of their 6 consecutive batches. The program has worked to grant more than 142 million BDT worth of grants to the startups to make sure they make an easy transition to the market.
The program also reports an average of 10 times growth over the duration. Naturally, the selection process of the program is quite rigorous.
Read F-commerce in Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects
The first stage is the application process. Any startup with a full-time co-founder can apply to be a part of the program. GPA accepts applications from a wide range of industries which will be discussed later. After the application round, candidates go through the selection boot camp. This is where the startups need to show their merit and how they can create a positive disruption and value generation in the market. The final selection is made by the jury board to get accepted into this 4-month long program.
Every accepted startup will get access to the following as part of the program –
- Grant funding of 10 Lac BDT
- Office space at GP House
- Expert mentorship and guidance
- Wide media exposure
- Better Curriculum led learning process
- Access to investor contacts
- Partnership with GP based on performance and relevance.
Read:Bangla QR Payment: The Contactless Payment System of EBL
GP offers much more to the selected startups in addition to the aforementioned ones.
The main industries of interest for the startup ranges from Health Tech, Edu Tech, FinTech, IoT, Entertainment, Gaming, Cloud Service, Hardware, M-commerce, Enterprise, and Mobile Application.
The GPA outlines the pitching deck for the application as well. every startup needs to have –
- Market Viable Product
- Market Opportunity
- Team
Read Key Challenges to Start E-Commerce Business in Bangladesh
These core three aspects will act as a determinant to choose the perfect startup for the program. In addition to that, the pitching deck should also include –
- Problem
- The solution to the Problem
- Value generation in the market
- Acquisition Plan
- Business Model
- Traction
- Team
- Outlining the strength or advantages of the product.
Read:Best Business Ideas Amidst the Pandemic and New Normal
Success Stories
The program has had 44 graduating startups thus far. Most of them have emerged as a leader in their respective industries with significant value generation.
The story of Repto and Alteryouth are notable in the Edutech Industry. Repto has emerged as a leading marketplace for learning content. The platform provides access to a diverse range of tutorials to the learners at an affordable cost.
Alteryouth has had a different approach than Repto. The startup works with the less fortunate students from the marginal areas of Bangladesh. With the help of this platform, a donor can finance the education of a marginalized child. This innovative approach has helped to bring the light of education to economically backward people.
Read:How to Test and Validate Your Startup Idea?
But perhaps the largest industry-wise impact has been through Sheba.XYZ. The platform has provided a solution for every kind of daily need imaginable. It has emerged as a one-stop solution for all types of daily needs. From plumbing to house moving and renovation, Sheba.XYZ has created a common hub for its user base.
Final Thoughts
The road to becoming a startup hub is still a steep one for Bangladesh. Lack of policy support and bureaucracy has always worked against the ecosystem. As a result, the startup boom is yet to happen in Bangladesh. However, initiatives like the Grameenphone Accelerator (GPA) program are a step toward the right direction. In addition to creating new entrepreneurs, the platform is also having a significant contribution to the overall development of the economy.
Read Common Challenges faced by Startups in 2021
Grameenphone partners with Wipro for advanced network management
Grameenphone (GP) has signed a contract with global technology service company Wipro Limited to acquire advanced network capabilities.
Wipro will be part of managing GP's present mobile networks and building an advanced future-fit network.
The new contract expands the relationship between the two companies, as GP has relied on Wipro as a technology partner to manage application development, infrastructure support and IT security.
Read 10th Commward: Grameenphone's campaigns win 28 awards
Demand for advanced mobile services and high-quality network experience is rapidly increasing in Bangladesh.
"To deliver on the ever-growing connectivity needs, boost customer experience, and bring in advanced future technologies, this year we have expanded 4G coverage across the country, acquired the maximum allowable amount of spectrum, partnered with tower companies to roll out new towers and gained access to fibre network in partnership with the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited," Rade Kovacevic Chief Technology Officer Grameenphone said in a statement.
Read 5G: Oppo teams up with Ericson to launch updated communication lab
About GP's partnership with Wipro, he said: "We are taking a significant leap forward in our ability to manage our network, and excel further in meeting our customers' expectations. In addition, this partnership will bring in global expertise and future-fit capabilities and create global career opportunities for Bangladeshi talent."
Bhavya Kapoor, managing director of Wipro for Southeast Asia said: "Wipro's primary focus is to accelerate Grameenphone's growth by leveraging our global strength and providing progressive and innovative localised technology solutions."
Read 5G to be rolled out through Teletalk by December: Jabbar
"With the growing convergence of IT and core telecom networks, and the advent of software-defined lined networks, cloud-first architecture and 5G, we are glad to partner with Grameenphone to provide advanced capabilities to modernise their network; coupled with IT applications and infrastructure."
Wipro recently completed its fourth year of operations in Bangladesh, one of the focus countries under its Asia Pacific-Middle East-Africa Strategic Market Unit.
Read Vivo tops Asia-Pacific 5G shipments in Q2, says Strategy Analytics