'I am a great admirer of your work': Ex-Snapchat CSO meets CA Yunus, expresses interest in investing in Bangladesh

Imran Khan, a prominent American investor of Bangladeshi origin, called on  Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday (27 September) here and expressed his interest in investing in Bangladesh.  

Khan came to the US at the age of 18 to study and earned fame as an investment banker focusing on tech companies.

Professor Yunus invited him to invest in the country's burgeoning fintech, healthcare, and social business sectors.

Khan, Chairman of the Board at Aleph Holding, said he was deeply inspired by Professor Yunus's lifelong mission to eradicate poverty and felt the timing was right to invest in his homeland.

"I am a great admirer of your work. You are a national pride for all of us," Khan told Professor Yunus, crediting his influence as a key reason behind his interest in contributing to Bangladesh's development.

A former investment banker at JP Morgan and Credit Suisse, Khan rose to prominence for playing a pivotal role in Alibaba's record-breaking IPO, one of the most successful in stock market history and for his role with Snapchat, a well known social media platform, responsible for increasing the value of the company from zero to US$ 728 million in just several months.

During the meeting, Khan noted that he has been closely following Bangladesh's investment climate since the interim government assumed office in August last year.

"The timing is favorable: the regulatory environment has become more enabling," Khan observed.

He expressed particular enthusiasm about the rapid growth of fintech and indicated that investments would follow as the right opportunities emerge.

"Bangladesh is a frontier market with an underpenetrated fintech opportunity. It has a large young population and the growth potential is enormous," he added.

Khan is also the founder and CEO of Proem Asset, an investment firm he launched in 2018. Proem specializes in making concentrated investments in sectors undergoing technology-driven transformation, particularly fintech.

His broader portfolio includes ventures in payments, digital infrastructure, and related industries.

Professor Yunus invited Khan to visit Bangladesh in the coming months to explore opportunities firsthand. In response, Khan said he would plan a trip in the coming months.

"Bangladesh's young people need role models like you. It's an exciting time back home, you can help inspire a new generation," said Professor Yunus.

During the meeting, the Chief Adviser also proposed that top US investors allocate one percent of their investments toward social business initiative, or in building a social business fund participated by like-minded companies, a suggestion Khan welcomed wholeheartedly and which he would like to eventually support.

SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.