Today, the Founder Institute, the world's premier pre-seed startup accelerator, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Bangladesh - South Asia 2026 program!
If you could use a structured process and feedback from Dhaka's top entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Bangladesh - South Asia 2026 Founder Institute today.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities worldwide, the Founder Institute provides high-potential entrepreneurs and teams with the critical support network and structured process needed to build an enduring company. Since 2009, the program has helped over 8,900 Graduates raise over 2BN funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more.
To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events in Dhaka, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and hear more about the program:
- How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 6:00am, Apr 14, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/389436
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 10:00pm, Apr 14, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390676
- How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 10:30pm, Apr 20, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/395712
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 10:00pm, Apr 21, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/395542
- Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 10:00pm, Apr 27, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/392357
- How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 10:00pm, Apr 28, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/393973
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 10:30pm, May 04, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/394476
- How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 6:00am, May 19, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390251
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 10:00pm, May 26, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/395402
- Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 10:00pm, Jun 02, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390408
- Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 6:30am, Jun 09, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/388408
- Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 6:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/393135
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 6:00am, Jul 07, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/392793
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 10:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390546
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 6:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/393258
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 10:00pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/391098
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 6:00am, Aug 19, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/391229
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 10:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/392875
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 6:00am, Sep 22, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/391509
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 6:30am, Oct 06, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390822
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 10:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/393388
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 11:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/393015
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 7:00am, Nov 18, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/391374
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 11:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (Asia/Dhaka): https://FI.co/e/390956
The Dhaka program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Joya Chowdhury (Investment Readiness Lead, BetterStories), Minhaz Anwar (Chief StoryTeller, BetterStories), and Muhaimin Khan (COO and Director, BetterStories).
In addition, some of Dhaka's top entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors will be participating in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of mentors for the Dhaka Founder Institute includes:
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Adeo Ressi: Founder/CEO, Founder Institute
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Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister, ICT Division
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Zia Ashraf: Founder & COO, Chaldal
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Siffat Sarwar: Co-founder, ShopUp
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Sheikh Shourav: MD, SpaceSoft Limited
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Shah Paran: Founder & CEO, HandyMama
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Sajid Rahman: CEO, Telenor Health
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Reyasat Chowdhury: Co-founder and CEO, Shuttle
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Khobaib Chowdhury: Founder, StylineCollection
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Hussain Elius: Founder, Pathao
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Anita Ghazi Rahman: Founder & Partner, The Legal Circle
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Armin Zaman Khan: CEO, Romoni.xyz
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Al Farooque Shubho: CEO & Mastermind , Zantrik Limited
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And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute is designed for founders and teams all throughout the pre-seed stage, including aspiring founders with a full-time job, solo founders, teams, and founders of established companies that are pre-funding. The Founder Institute's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Join us in Dhaka to build a great company in 2019.
Apply to the Bangladesh - South Asia 2026 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
