UniApp wins 2025 Chittagong Youth Innovation Challenge

ICT Division is hosting Youth Startup Summit 2025, which Startup Bangladesh Ltd. is organising to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh.

Scheduled to be held throughout February 2025, the summit will occur in five segments throughout all divisions. 

The event will consist of three core components: a Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to Spread knowledge and awareness, and an exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents. 

The Youth Startup Summit 2025 has launched the Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition at Chittagong Independent University, Chittagong, on February 22, 2025, to inspire and engage young innovators. The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh's most pressing challenges, allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security. The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models. 

After receiving a large number of applications, eight selected teams—LoopBag, Ezygo, Groccii, RoadBook BD, Khelboo, UniApp, BIT, and Todvob—pitched their impactful solutions to the judging panel, which key professionals from relevant sectors represented. 

The event featured a master class on Startup Fundamentals: Mastering the Essentials of Building and Scaling a Business by Mirza Salman Hossain Beg, Founder of EnduringX, Co-founder and ex-COO of 10 Minute School. The event presented a panel discussion on From Idea to Scale: The Startup Journey, which was conducted by the moderator, Arafatul Islam Akib, founder of Startup Chattogram. The panellists were A.K.M Fahim Mashroor, Co-Founder and CEO of Bdjobs.com Ltd., Nabila Nowrin, Co-founder and CEO of Moar Space Ltd., Fahad Ifaz, Co-founder and CEO of iFarmer and Anayet Rashid, Founder & CEO, TruckLagbe.

The competition ended with the winner announcement at the prize-giving ceremony, where Chief Guest Shish Haider Chowdhury, NDC, Secretary, ICT Division, and Guest of Honor Dr. Syed Manzur Quader, Dean, CIU Business School, Chittagong Independent University, announced the winners. 
Secretary of ICT Division Shish Haider Chowdhury said the Youth Startup Summit has already been held in Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna, and Chittagong today. The final round of the summit will be held on February 28 at BICC in Dhaka. We encourage our youth to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation rather than seeking traditional employment. I request young minds to explore the vast opportunities that the digital age offers. 

The winning team, UniApp, received a prize of 3,00,000 BDT for presenting their idea about Simplifying the University Application System in Bangladesh.

Team Ezygo received 2,00,000 BDT for being the first runner-up, presenting the solution. Ezygo impressed the judges with its solution, demonstrating a strong understanding of future green delivery services. The team RoadBook BD received 1,00,000 BDT for being the second runner-up, presenting a solution for safer, hassle-free, fast, and affordable transport for women.  

The competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh's development by recognizing the best solutions.

The event highlighted interactive seminars focused on startups & entrepreneurs, pitching competitions among local university student startups, and showcasing & recruitment in the exhibition zone as opportunities for students. The event also inspired spreading knowledge, strengthening connectivity, showcasing homegrown innovations and fostering opportunities. It is a groundbreaking event for students, fresh graduates, aspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Through engaging seminars, competitions, and networking opportunities, the summit was designed to educate, empower, and connect young talent with the tools and resources needed to launch a successful venture.

The summit offered exceptional networking opportunities to the attendees. They had the chance to engage with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration and mentorship to guide young enthusiasts. 

The competition had some criteria to meet for the participants to be eligible for application. Each team consisted of 3 young aspiring members who were students. The solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle, i.e., financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security. The participating teams also had to ensure that the ideas submitted were original, not direct copies of existing solutions. 

The CUET Career Club and Chittagong Independent University joined the event as campus partners, Startup Chattogram joined as a Community Partner, and Lightcastle Partners was the knowledge partner.