Uddoktagiri

We are committed to solving unemployment and underemployment problem which is the largest major problem in Bangladesh, and as well as all the entrepreneurial relevant problems and filling the startup ecosystem gaps.

Our proposing solution is a digital startup ecosystem platform, business and employment-oriented service that operates via websites and mobile apps.

Our solution privately change the lives of people in Bangladesh because by creating this platform, we will be able to help creating lots of entrepreneurs and thus creating enormous decent job opportunities for the large number of unemployed and underemployed.

The scale of the problem in the communities we are working in is more than 100 million, and in Bangladesh broadly it is almost 50 million.

The problem we are solving is directly for around 6.5 million SMEs and Startups in Bangladesh facing underrated Doing Business Environment and scarcity of startup or business growth related essential materials such as a good Startup ecosystem for the entrepreneurs. Indirectly it is for the large number of unemployed. Every year 2.2 million youth enter the labor market. Among them 0.7 million get job, but 1.5 million remain unemployed. Last 10 years almost 15 million unemployed are affected due to scarcity of decent jobs.

There are lot of contributing factors that relate to our solution because the whole solution is designed for the entrepreneurs and unemployed people to provide them an all in one solution where every problem they face will be solved through the solution we are making. our solution will change the Doing Business Environment and it will create a entrepreneur friendly ecosystem where they can take their startup business to the next level and create abundance of jobs for others.

We are working directly with the entrepreneurs by taking their response through surveys and many other seminar workshops to understand their exact needs. They can participate in the solution because they are the Alpha user of the solution. They can express whatever they are looking for because we are creating the solution based on the problems they face and every problem we are solving as a feature of the platform created for them. There are 6.5 million SMEs and Startups whom we are serving directly. Indirectly we are serving 40 million unemployed and another 40 million underemployed and 10 million others accordingly. As this solution is universal, we can say we are serving our 91.2 million internet users anyhow.

The solution is user friendly where they can find the desired element as a platform Feature they are desperately looking for to grow. We believe every feature will solve a problem for the population we are working to directly and meaningfully improve. For example if any entrepreneur requires 5 team members or employees, they can post jobs as an employer at the Jobs feature. On the other hand, unemployed and underemployed people with skillsets and experiences can grab the job opportunities.

Our solution is a startup ecosystem platform where every feature solves a major problem for the communities we are working. The platform is our product and we are providing services to the population through the platform.  

The basic functionality of Uddoktagiri allows users (Entrepreneurs, Investors, Team Members and Trainers) to create profiles, which for entrepreneurs typically consist of a general personal information, startup/company listing, product/service marketplace, investment, job posting, team building, mentoring, learning, grabbing relevant opportunities and news updates. Which for Team members typically consist of a CV describing their work experience, education and training, skills, and a personal photo. The site also enables members to follow each other in an online social network which may represent real-life professional networking. Users profile can then be used in a number of ways:

• Users can follow each other and communicate anytime through real-time messaging
• Users can search for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, team members, opportunities, news
• Users can list startups at startup listing for showcasing.
• Users can add product/services at marketplace publicly.
• Users can apply for required funding for the startups at investment.
• Users can ask for mentoring from the mentor list.
• Users can apply for learning to learn the essential entrepreneurial skills.
• Users can find team members, jobs and business related opportunities.
• Users can refer someone for a suitable job or team member position.
• Employers can post jobs and search for potential candidates based on skillsets and experiences.
• Job seekers can review the profile of the employers.
• Users can soft launch startups at startup launcher.
• Users can follow different startups / companies.
• Users can buy products/services from marketplace with discounts, offers and coupons.
• Users can write posts for the community within the platform to share their knowledge, experience and stories with others.

And Users can also get other business and professional services from Uddoktagiri Business Solutions, Uddoktagiri Digital and exposure through Uddoktagiri Blog, Uddoktagiri Magazine and Uddoktagiri TV which are dedicated for the entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem in Bangladesh. 

We are using agile process engineering architecture. This Uddoktagiri platform is built with CodeIgniter Web Framework, PHP technologies and Agile processes. We are upgrading the platform into Laravel Web Framework, latest PHP technologies.

Our solution is totally online based. We brought the whole thing needed for a startup from analog to digital. Full automation is the main innovation of Uddoktagiri platform. Our platform help improves productivity, reduces cost, makes more competitive, build the value of your brand, establish new partnerships and relationships & increase turnover and improve profitability of startups entrepreneurs. It is helping huge number of people towards empowerment.  Our solution is totally online based. We brought the whole thing needed for a startup from analog to digital. Full automation is the main innovation of Uddoktagiri platform. Our platform help improves productivity, reduces cost, makes more competitive, build the value of your brand, establish new partnerships and relationships & increase turnover and improve profitability of startups entrepreneurs. It is helping huge number of people towards empowerment. Our platform is connecting the dots and creating opportunities for the entrepreneurs, investors, team members, trainers and customers as well. We have blended entrepreneurship, technology and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) altogether for impacting the users lives. Through the platform we are creating lots of entrepreneurs and thus creating enormous job opportunities for the unemployed, team member position for the desperate candidates, business opportunities for the investors and low cost quality products/services for the customers. 

More than 6.5 million SMEs and Startups will get opportyunities to grow their ventures. It will improve entrepreneurship environment. It will create a startup ecosystem friendly nation for inspiring self employment. It will ease of doing business condition. It will help create skilled human resource, entrepreneurs, jobs and business opportunities. According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor regional job creation prospects every entrepreneurs are expected to create 6 or more jobs in next 5 years. If every entrepreneur creates 6 or more jobs, then yearly increasing 1.5 million unemployment problem will be solved slowly but surely. If we can facilitate users with their demanding opportunities they are looking for, this platform will help impacting millions of people’s lives.

Currently we are serving 10K people including entrepreneurs, team members, job seekers, mentors, investors and customers.

We will be serving 3 million in one year.

We will be serving 20 million in five years.

Our solution is based on the largest problem in Bangladesh named Unemployment and underemployment & another big problem such as scarcity of entrepreneurship and doing business environment. We will do lot of activities for reaching the target audience through our platform and byproducts. That's why our goals are big as well, we are targeting almost 91.2 millions of people in Bangladesh to have a transformational impact on their lives. 

Within the next year, our goal is to create 50K entrepreneurs. Those 50K entrepreneurs will create more than 1 million decent jobs for the large number of unemployed, that's how the unemployment and underemployment will be reduced a little bit. Our another goal is to create trustworthy investment opportunities for anyone who wants to invest some money in any startups or SMEs. Within the next five years, our goal is to create 1 million entrepreneurs. Those 1 million entrepreneurs will create more than 10 million decent jobs for the large number of unemployed, that's how the unemployment and underemployment will be reduced a lot and these problems can be solved with a long-term vision. Our another goal is to create abundance of investment opportunities for anyone who wants to invest some money in any startups or SMEs.

For the next year, we have financial barrier of 1 million dollar to accomplish our goals, we have scarcity of technical resources, we have some legal barriers because Bangladesh is a high corrupted country, we have cultural barriers such as our culture is not fully startup and entrepreneur friendly, we have some market barriers such as our doing business environment is low and entrepreneurship environment is not that good. For the next five years, we will have financial barrier of 2 million dollar to accomplish our goals if we can't go to break even after 3 years and profit after 4 years, we will have scarcity of technical resources if can't utilize properly, we will have some legal barriers if corruption rate does't come low, we will have cultural barriers if our culture doesn't become startup and entrepreneur friendly, we will have some market barriers if our doing business environment remains low and entrepreneurship environment remains as like as before.

If we get the financial support as we required from any source then we have an action plan to implement the solution for larger impact and we will earn revenue by investing the capital, like this process we can overcome financial barrier within period. Then we can overcome the technical issues easily by taking legal support. Then we can overcome legal issues by taking legal support. Then we can overcome cultural barrier slowly by creating a startup friendly culture. Then we can overcome the market barriers by creating entrepreneurship friendly environment and taking ease of doing business with Public-Private partnership activities. 

Currently we are 9 team members working on our solution

4 full-time staff, 3 part-time staff and 2 contractual workers.

I am the dreamer who saw this daydream to make a solution like this. I am 100% dedicated for making this dream happen in reality. It has been already 2 years since I imagined about the idea, then created concept out of the idea, then innovated this solution. I have brought this so far with dedication, hard work, patience and with leadership. Under my leadership there are some motivated, inspired and dedicated team members who are always ready to throw their most of the creativity, productivity and capability with responsibility and professionalism. I am proud of my team because they are super supportive and collaborative. They own the solution from their heart as well. I believe in my team that we can do it because we have already got recognized as an Innovation in Technology sector from the Innovation Fund, ICT Division, Ministry of Post, Telecom and ICT, Bangladesh Government. And we are selected for the BASIS National ICT Awards 2019 as well. So I believe my team that we as a team can make the things happen for sure. If I can add some more dedicated team members like them, then we will be a team who can turn the impossible into I m possible. That's why I believe we are the best-placed team for the solution.

Uddoktagiri platform's business model is Freemium. I mean some resources are free and some key resources are premium. Secondly we have a Data-driven model as like as LinkedIn. Thirdly we have an Advertisement model as well as like as Facebook, Google and Classified e-commerce websites. Because this platform not only connects you with other professionals but also with companies and recruiters. The startup has uniquely positioned itself as the only platform worthy of professional networking. Along with professionals, it also serves companies and even charges for certain premium services. Our premium services includes Marketplace for advertising products or services, Investment commission for connecting entrepreneurs and investors, paid Mentorship request, E-learning with paid version and Jobs Advertisement. Also we have some byproducts which has own business model like Uddoktagiri Business Solutions and Uddoktagiri Digital where we provide customized solutions to fulfill every entrepreneurs requirements.

Well, financial sustainability is the key to make Uddoktagiri sustainable. We are a startup currently run by bootstrapping, grant fund and revenues from other earning sources like Uddoktagiri Business Solutions and Uddoktagiri Digital. We will have revenues from multiple sources. Our unique model of revenue source is Lifelong partnership with the startups for 360 degree support is the key factor of Uddoktagiri financial sustainability. But our path to financial sustainability includes a combination of all such as premium featured services, advertisements, data-driven services such as LinkedIn, collecting grant funds or special donations, providing consultancy services and business solutions and raising capital for growth. As Uddoktagiri is a employment oriented platform, it has employment model such as providing employment counselling, skill development training, entrepreneurial training, e-learning, jobs placement etc. As we have byproduct such as Uddoktagiri Business Solutions and Uddoktagiri Digital, it has fee-for-service model such as customized consultancy for startup business strategy and other business services as per requirements. Another source of revenues by providing Corporate training to the startups and companies. We can earn revenues by doing 360 Degree Entrepreneurship or Startup related Events as well. We have others lot of revenue sources as well by being dedicated media partner for the startups and the entrepreneurs, promoting their products/services through content creating and marketing, Search Engine Marketing, WhatsApp Marketing, Social media Marketing such as Facebook Instant Article, LinkedIn Marketing & Lead generation, Email Marketing, SMS Marketing,Google Ads, YouTube channels as well by creating video contents and many more.

I am applying to the Tiger Challenge mainly to reduce the financial barrier so that I can run the Startup as the action plan for impacting millions of population in Bangladesh and remove other barriers such as technical, legal, cultural and markets. In addition to prize funding, we are looking for strategic and operational support from a network of seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, including mentorship, office space, support with IP efforts, and more from Tiger Challenge.

We would like to partner with BASIS, ICT Division, BIDA (Bangladesh Investment Development Authority), Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), National and International Business Associations and Startup Clubs, Entrepreneurship Clubs and others Employment, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and Startup related organizations.