Grameenphone Accelerator (GPA) is a cohort-based, mentor-led, curriculum-driven open innovation platform that enables and empowers tech startups with the resources they need to build, grow and exceed possibilities. It also provides equity free grants, expert mentors, top-notch curricula, in-house development resources, investor access and many more.
The names Sheba.XYZ, CMED Health, Repto, Cramstack, Dhaka Cast, AlterYouth and BankcompareBD are few startups that have successfully graduated from the Accelerator program. So, are you ready to onboard the journey and be the next big startup in Bangladesh?
STATS
7 Batches50 Startups
162 Mn+ Grant Amount
10 Times Average growth
WHO CAN APPLY
TEAM
- At least 1 full time co-founder
- 18 years old or above
- Any gender, nationality and education level
- Solid founding team
Project
- Early-stage technology startups
- National or global reach
- Must be its own product/service
- Registered with RJSC
Selection
- Application round
- Selection bootcamp
- Final jury process
- Top team announcement
WHAT YOU GET
Grant Funding
Office Space @GPHouse
Advice from Expert Mentors
Media Exposure
Top-Notch Curricula
Investor Access
Partnership Opportunity 
And Many More
TIMELINE
Application Round: Will announce later
Selection Round: Will announce later
Final Announcement: Will announce later
INDUSTRIES WE ARE INTERESTED IN
Health Tech
Edu Tech
Fin Tech
IoT
Entertainment
Gaming
Cloud Service
Hardware
Clean Tech
M-Commerce
Enterprise
Mobile Application
TEAM
Farhana IslamHead of Social Impact
Sohel RanaProgram Manager, GP Accelerator
MENTORS
Samad MiralyED, Olympic Industries Ltd
Anita Gazi RahmanFounder, The Legal Circle
Mustafizur Rahman KhanPartner, IDLC VC Fund-1
Bijon IslamCEO, LightCastle Partners
Minhaz AnwarChief StoryTeller, BetterStories Ltd.
Zahedul AminCo-Founder, LightCastle Partners
PITCHING DECK
MAIN CRITERIA
Product
Market Opportunity
Team
DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINE
What should be included in the deck
USEFUL TIPS
Keep it short and concise.
Not more than 10 slides.
Use some relevant images.
Avoid text-heavy.
Keep it REAL!
USEFUL EXAMPLE
Shopway
Dorji-E
ALUMNI
sheba.xyzIndustry: Service
ReptoIndustry: Edutech
BuzzallyIndustry: Software
SocianIndustry: Big data/ BI
CMED HealthIndustry: Healthtech
CRAMSTACKIndustry: Big data/AI
AamartakaIndustry: Fintech
DoctorkoiIndustry: Healthteach
MicrotechIndustry: Edutech
BarikoiIndustry: Enterprise Architecture
AlteryouthIndustry: Edutech
Digital ManushIndustry: Service Marketplace
AvijatrikIndustry: Traveltech
Mars LtdIndustry: Weather
Onutiative LtdIndustry: Enterprise Architecture
AmaruddogIndustry: Enterprise Architecture
Search EnglishIndustry: Edutech
CworkIndustry: Artiicial Intelligence
ParkingkoiIndustry: Parking solution
AmarstockIndustry: Stock Market
LandknockIndustry: Software
ToitoieIndustry: Traveltech
AutorackIndustry: Automobiles
Dhaka CastIndustry: Healthtech
PARTNERS
FAQ
Basic
WILL YOUR IDEAS GET STOLEN?
Not by us! We aren’t in the business of stealing ideas. The best way to protect yourself is by being better than anyone else. You may also want to look into trademarking and copyrighting your intellectual property with your lawyer.
SHOULD YOU APPLY?
If you’re in tech, have got a great early-stage startup, a great team and you think you can benefit greatly from what the GP Accelerator has to offer (Grant Funding, Office Space, Mentorship, Access to Investors, and more…), then sure, you should definitely apply!
IS THIS ONLY FOR STARTUPS IN BANGLADESH?
The GP Accelerator will only accept companies registered in Bangladesh.
CAN WE HELP YOU REGISTER YOUR COMPANY?
You should consult your own legal advisors for this.
THE PROGRAM
YOU ARE IN IDEA STAGE, SHOULD YOU APPLY? WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE SHOULD APPLY?
Ideally, the GP Accelerator accepts tech startups that already have something to show/ demonstrate. This is ideal because then you are in a position to best take advantage of the resources the program provides. Ideas are hard to accelerate. But if you have a minimum viable product, a prototype, or some low traction and users, or even any of that in development, it’s better suited to take advantage and accelerate growth. Of course, exceptions are always there for the exceptional.
WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE GP ACCELERATOR PROGRAM?
There are three rounds of filtration of applications. After the application submission deadline, we’ll sort through all the applications based on how well we think your startup will be able to benefit from accelerator resources, your team’s ability to execute, and the strength of the business. Next, we’ll invite teams to pitch in front us, we’ll have in-person interviews and see if you can sell us on your story. Final Round will be when we select the final 7-8 teams, and here, we’ll also have in-person pitches and see who has the most potential based on a holistic evaluation.
IS THERE A MINIMUM TEAM SIZE? A MAXIMUM?
There is a minimum team size of two co-founders. The maximum number of people from your team that can work from GP House is four. At least one co-founder needs to be working full-time for your company to be eligible for the GP Accelerator program.
WHAT’S THE CURRICULUM ALL ABOUT? IS IT ANY GOOD? WHAT AM I GOING TO LEARN?
After joining, we’ll go through an orientation and get to know you, and have you get to know us. You’ll match yourselves with relevant mentors. And for the next few months we’ll go through intensive modules in Customer Identification and Development, Product Development, Sales & Marketing, Customer Validation, Operations & Execution, Legal & Finance, and more. Depending on your strengths and weaknesses, we’ll focus and curate the intensity of the curriculum.
CAN YOU WORK 24/7?
You can work at GP House from 8am to 8pm every day, except Friday & Saturday (special permission required for holidays). You can work anywhere else outside GP House for however long you want! But the GP Accelerator team officially runs from 9am - 5pm. They may well work longer, but they’re not obligated to.
DO YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP EVERYDAY AND WORK AT GP HOUSE?
You are expected to participate fully and be fully engaged in the GP Accelerator program. That means being primarily based out of GP House for the duration of the program. You’ll benefit greatly from interacting with the team, the other startups, visiting mentors and the Grameenphone infrastructure. That being said, it’s your company and your responsibility, so manage your time accordingly. To be fair to the other teams, we can’t hold up the program if you aren’t fully participating.
HOW DO YOU ACCESS THE GP HOUSE? CAN YOU BRING GUESTS IN? CAN YOU HAVE MEETINGS WITH OUTSIDE PEOPLE?
If you are selected to enter the GP Accelerator, you will be given an access card to allow you entry. It’s valid for your 6-month batch during working hours. You cannot bring in guests, but can request business-related guests to be brought in for meetings. You can book meetings with the help of the GP Accelerator admin team.
DO YOU HAVE TO PAY RENT?
Not for your space at GP House for the 6 months you’re working there during the program.
DO YOU GET TRANSPORT? DO YOU GET FOOD? DO YOU GET A COMPUTER?
There are no separate allowances for transport, conveyance, hardware, etc. Lunch at the Grameenphone cafeteria is included with the program and will be provided for the duration of the program for your participating team members (up to four members).
WHAT IS GRAMEENPHONE’S INVOLVEMENT? DO THEY OWN YOUR COMPANY? WILL YOUR SERVICES BE EXCLUSIVE TO THEM?
Grameenphone has only intention to support you to boost up your business and being part to the economic growth of the country. By entering the GP Accelerator program, no ownership of your company is reserved or will exchange. It’s your company. You run it, operate it, reap the rewards and the losses. We will not take any equity of your business, the intention isn’t to eat up your company, but to help build it.
CAN YOU GET KICKED OUT OF THE GP ACCELERATOR
Unless you’re involved in criminal activity or actively uncooperative and disrespectful to the people around you and your environment, you should be fine. The GP Accelerator reserves the right to ask you politely to step out if there is a breach of codes of conduct or values. You also cannot be a part of any other accelerator programs at the same time, just due to conflict of interest.
GRANT/ SEED MONEY, EQUITY & INVESTORS
WHEN DO YOU GET THE MONEY? ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS ON SPENDING IT?
Teams accepted into the GP Accelerator get up to twelve thousand ($12,000) US Dollar worth of BDT as grant funding, given in two (2) different form ($7,000 as cash and $5,000 in kind). On acceptance into the program (and submission of the required documents), you get half of 7,000 deposited into your registered Bangladeshi company bank account. After graduating through Demo Day by successfully pitching your company, you get the rest (another half). You can spend the money on your company as you see fit, but we hope to guide you through this process on how to best spend for your company. The purpose of the money is to help build your company.
HOW MUCH EQUITY DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP?
We will not take any equity or ownership into your company.
WHAT’S DEMO DAY? WHO COMES? WHAT HAPPENS?
Demo Day is an invite-only event at the end of your 6-months at the GP Accelerator that is geared toward deal-making. You’ll pitch your startup to a room full of potential investors, customers, partners and others that can potentially increase your business. This is your opportunity to hustle. Nothing guaranteed. Like we said, it’s your company, and you can make a deal with whomever you like, and it’s on you to close the deals. We won’t close them for you.
DURING DEMO DAY, CAN YOU ACCEPT OFFERS FROM REAL INVESTORS?
Yes, we would encourage it, we want your company to succeed. There are no restrictions put on you to who you can deal with.
DOES ANYONE HAVE THE FIRST-RIGHT-OF-REFUSAL FOR INVESTING IN MY COMPANY ONCE I GRADUATE OR AT DEMO DAY?
Nope. As a founder-friendly accelerator, there are no limits set on you. It’s your company and you have full right to choose the investor you want to.
DO YOU ONLY MEET INVESTORS AT DEMO DAY, OR DO YOU GET EARLIER ACCESS TO THEM?
Some investors may be mentors, and some investors will stop in, have a chat, or lead sessions during the 6-month program. So, yeah, you’ll meet investors before Demo Day. This helps you build relationships and allows you to get to know one another before Demo Day.
CAN YOU TAKE INVESTMENT BEFORE DEMO DAY?
Sure you can. It’s your company. If you think that benefits you, you can take investment anytime you want to.
ARE YOU GUARANTEED INVESTMENT AT DEMO DAY?
No. We are here to provide the resources to help you build your company. We aren’t going to build it for you. It’s up to you how far you want to go with the benefits the GP Accelerator provides.
YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAT AREN’T ADDRESSED HERE - WHERE CAN YOU ASK THEM?
You can contact us by email at msrana@grameenphone.com through our Facebook page, or our website www.grameenphone.com/gpaccelerator