Okay, real talk. Every founder in Dhaka hits the same wall around month three. The idea is solid, the first version is half-built, your parents still think you should apply for a bank job, and someone in a WhatsApp group says "just join an incubator." Cool. Which one? Nobody ever sends the list.
So here's the list. We went through each program's own website and recent news (checked on 28 October 2026) and wrote down what they offer, what stage they want, how you apply and whether applications look open right now. Every section ends with links to the official website and Facebook page so you can go straight to the source. A few official sites were down or half-broken when we looked, and where a page didn't say something, we say so instead of guessing. Incubator pages change fast, so always double-check the official page before you hit apply.
Quick cheat sheet
- Want free money, no equity? iDEA Project, Grameenphone Accelerator, Orange Corners.
- Want free training, no cheque? Accelerating Bangladesh, NSU Startups Next.
- Want a real investor cheque? Startup Bangladesh Limited, Turtle Venture, R-Ventures, Accelerating Asia.
- Only got an idea? NSU's Founders' Lab, Accelerating Bangladesh's early-stage track, Founder Institute, iDEA.
1. iDEA Project (ICT Division)
Started: 2016, under the Bangladesh Computer Council, ICT Division.
Funding? Yes, and no equity. The Pre-Seed Startup Grant is up to BDT 10 lakh, non-repayable, paid in tranches as you hit milestones. There's also a BDT 50,000 SME grant for ICT-based small businesses, free co-working space for up to six months, and a free hardware lab (you just pay for raw materials).
Stage: Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and early-stage teams with an innovative, scalable ICT idea in any sector. Past grant winners can't take it twice.
How to apply: Online application, preliminary screening, a pitching session, final selection, then agreement and disbursement. You'll need your NID or passport copy, a short idea description, a pitch deck and a video pitch of no more than 5 minutes. Their FAQ says the whole thing takes roughly 2 to 3 months.
Who came through: Their funded list includes Truck Lagbe, ShopUp, Moner Bondhu, Barikoi, DoctorKoi, Socian, Markopolo AI and Shadhin Music. They claim 450+ startups funded.
Open now? We couldn't find a live deadline. Calls go out as public notices on idea.gov.bd and their social pages, so keep an eye there.
2. Accelerating Bangladesh
Started: 2023, as part of the World Bank-backed DEIED project, run through the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority under the ICT Division. Also appears under the "Smart Bangladesh Accelerator" name.
Funding? No cash grant or investment is listed. What you get is a fully sponsored program ("all costs are covered"): coaching, mentoring, networking, a 2-day residential bootcamp and a national demo day. Selected startups also get a compliance grant, and the amount isn't stated.
Stage: Several tracks. The early-stage track takes founders with a viable idea or an MVP, and you don't need a registered business or revenue. There's a women-led digital enterprise track. The growth-stage track wants registered businesses that have been running for years with steady revenue. There are also sector cohorts (agritech, healthtech, edtech, fashion tech, ecommerce, sustainability, IT), but only for shortlisted startups.
How to apply: The early-stage form asks for your NID, your business basics, a short description, your location, and a few numbers like 12-month revenue and team size. The sector-cohort form is longer and wants a pitch deck, trade licence and bank statement.
Who came through: Per Future Startup, 677 startups across 28 cohorts as of 2024. Names on their site include aamarPay, Aqualink Bangladesh, Ambulance24/7, Aerobotics Labs, Agronochain and Aamar Vasha.
Open now? Mixed signals. The home page says applications are open, and the same page also shows an "Applications Closed" box with an email sign-up for future cohorts. The growth-stage apply link was broken (404) when we tried. Leave your email there and ask them directly.
3. Startup Bangladesh Limited (SBL)
Started: 2020, as the government-backed venture capital company under the ICT Division. iDEA says it emerged from the iDEA Project.
Funding? Yes, but it's investment, not a grant. It takes equity or equity-linked stakes. A Daily Star report from January 2025 said it had put BDT 11.10 crore into startups over six months, with follow-ons into Ten Minute School, Sheba and ShareTrip, and new investments into ParentsCare, Dubotech Digital, Sokrio Technologies, English Champ, Area71 Venture and Booktionary. It also pledged Tk 2.5 crore at Robi's 2023 R-Ventures finale.
Stage: Registered in Bangladesh, with a working MVP and some proof of customers or revenue. This one is not for "I have a slide deck" stage. (That's from a 2026 explainer, not from SBL's own pages.)
How to apply: Through the apply-for-investment form on their website, with pitch deck, revenue, team and financial details. Heads up: their site moved to startupbangladesh.gov.bd and the old apply page returned a 404 when we checked, so we couldn't verify the form.
Open now? We couldn't confirm a live call. Contact them directly before you plan around it.
Links: Website | Facebook: we couldn't find an official page linked from their site, so look for it from their website.
4. Grameenphone Accelerator (GP Accelerator)
Started: around 2015 per press reports. On its own page it says 7 batches and 50 startups so far.
Funding? Yes, and equity-free. Up to about US$12,000 worth of BDT: $7,000 cash (half on acceptance, half after Demo Day) and $5,000 in kind. You also get desk space at GP House, mentors and investor access. They say they take no equity and don't promise investment at Demo Day.
Stage: Early-stage tech startups registered with RJSC in Bangladesh, ideally with an MVP, prototype or a bit of traction. Founders must be 18+. The page says at least one full-time co-founder, but the FAQ says two, so ask. The batch is about 6 months.
How to apply: Application round, selection bootcamp, final jury, top teams announced. Keep your pitch deck to 10 slides or less. You also can't join another accelerator at the same time.
Who came through: Sheba.xyz, CMED Health, Repto, Barikoi, Cramstack, Socian, DoctorKoi, Dhaka Cast and AlterYouth, among many others.
Open now? Their timeline lists the next application and selection rounds as "will announce later." Not open as far as we can tell, so follow their Facebook page.
Links: Website | Facebook (Grameenphone's page)
5. Orange Corners Bangladesh (run by YY Ventures)
Started: backing startups here since 2023. It's a Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiative, based at Impact Hub Dhaka. In February 2026 it was extended through 2028 and says it has backed 70+ early-stage businesses.
Funding? Yes, no equity. The 6-month incubation comes with a grant of up to €5,000, coaching, a toolkit and free co-working at Impact Hub. Graduates can move to acceleration, and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund offers up to €50,000 in grants and soft loans to more mature companies (registered, 2+ years of traction, audited accounts).
Stage: Young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 working on the SDGs, early-stage, sector-agnostic. Women-led teams get priority. Selection boot camps are in Dhaka but you can apply from anywhere in Bangladesh.
How to apply: Online form on the Orange Corners Bangladesh page. No application fee. The page's fine print is a bit inconsistent on a few eligibility details (women founders, founder nationality), so read the FAQ before you apply.
Who came through: Aqualink Bangladesh, BriqUp, CrowdV and Filamentify were in the third cohort, per press coverage.
Open now? The page shows an "Applications Closed" banner. They run two intakes a year and say the next ones open in 2026, so check soon.
Links: Website | Facebook | YY Ventures website
6. NSU Startups Next
Started: 2020, at North South University in Bashundhara. It says it has supported 600+ entrepreneurs and incubated 25+ startups.
Funding? No cash grant listed. It's free to join, and you get mentors, an NSU office space, tools and credits, plus investor-readiness support and a closing investor pitch.
Stage: Two tracks. The 16-week Founders' Lab is for the idea stage. The Flagship Incubation program wants a working MVP and early traction. At least one founder should be tied to NSU, though the Cohort 4 page says teams from any university can apply with NSU-linked teams preferred.
How to apply: Fill in the Google Form linked from their Cohort 4 page. A registered business isn't required.
Open now? Their Cohort 4 page says "Applications Are Now Open" with no deadline, although another page still mentions a waitlist. Apply sooner rather than later and email them to confirm.
7. Turtle Venture
Started: the company in 2018, founded in Dhaka (Gulshan) by Saraban Tahura Turin. The venture studio arm launched in 2022. They say they've supported 90+ startups and helped raise over US$15 million, which is their own number.
Funding? It depends on the program. The Turtle Venture Studio Fund I (a US$5.25M fund) says each startup receives US$125,000, released in tranches against milestones, but the page doesn't spell out the instrument or equity share. Their 10-week Venture Sprint says "zero equity" with a one-time US$3,000 program fee, plus credits and perks. Earlier press coverage (2022) described an equity-based model, so check the current terms in writing.
Stage: Pre-seed and seed-stage startups across South and Southeast Asia. They say Venture Sprint gets 200 to 300 applications per cohort and takes 20.
How to apply: Through the apply-now page on turtleventure.com.
Who came through: The studio's first cohort (Demo Day in Singapore, April 2024) included Chhaya, Drutoloan, Inkam, Revorium, ShunBoi, Fit 360 and InsureCow. Turtle also ran the bootcamp side of Grameenphone Accelerator 3.0 back in 2021.
Open now? Their Venture Sprint page still shows the June 2026 cohort as open, which has passed, and their partner-programs page seems to say all programs are closed. We couldn't confirm a current call, so email connect@turtleventure.com.
8. R-Ventures by Robi
Started: 2017 as an internal incubator for Robi employees, then opened up to everyone.
Funding? Yes, real investment. At the 3.0 grand finale in March 2023, 11 startups pitched and 8 got investment: Robi's RedDot Digital put in more than Tk 2 crore across four, SBK Tech Ventures and an angel investor pledged Tk 3.5 crore across four, and Startup Bangladesh pledged Tk 2.5 crore.
Stage: Digital startups with something built.
Who came through: Digi Dokaan, HishabPlus, Jomma, Uqeel, Drishti, ANTT Robotics, YOUR-Campus and Fabric Lagbe got investment in 3.0.
How to apply: We couldn't find application steps for a new round.
Open now? The most recent coverage we could read is from 2023. We found no sign of a live round, so treat this one as "watch their news page."
Links: Robi website | Facebook: we couldn't verify an official R-Ventures page, so check Robi's channels for announcements.
9. Founder Institute (Dhaka chapter)
Started: Dhaka launched around 2014 to 2015 (their own pages disagree). Local partners have included LightCastle Partners, BetterStories and ULAB's Center for Enterprise and Society.
Funding? It's a paid pre-seed program, mostly training, mentors and a network, not a grant. Past cohorts gave reduced pricing for early applicants. The Dhaka program has run as a part-time, four-month format.
Stage: Idea stage. It's open to anyone who wants to build a tech company.
Who came through: Their 2020 announcement says 16 companies had been created in Dhaka, including HandyMama and Styline.
Open now? Not at the moment. The Dhaka page says it is "not currently accepting applications, but will be soon," with a sign-up box to get notified.
Links: Dhaka page | Facebook (global Founder Institute page)
10. Accelerating Asia (the one from Singapore)
Okay, this one isn't based in Dhaka. But it keeps picking Bangladeshi startups, so you should know it. Launched in 2019, it says it has funded more than 20 Bangladeshi startups. Cohort 12 (late 2025) backed eight startups from 700+ applicants, and four were Bangladeshi: Chamak, biniyog.io, InsureCow and Wellspring Global.
Funding? Yes, and it costs equity. It invests up to US$250k in pre-Series A startups: US$100k upfront and a possible US$150k follow-on, using a SAFE. The program fee is US$35k plus 3% equity, deducted from the investment. The program is about 100 days.
Stage: Pre-Series A tech startups in Southeast and South Asia. This is for founders with a product and some traction, not for idea-stage.
How to apply: Apply online, go through 2 to 3 interview rounds, then a virtual selection week that picks the top 10.
Who came through: Bangladeshi names include Shuttle, iFarmer, PriyoShop, Drutoloan and Chhaya.
Open now? Their apply page says Cohort 14 applications are open, but the timeline on that page has an October 2026 start, so it may be out of date. Check their site.
Links: Website | Apply page | Facebook
So which one should you actually pick?
- Just an idea, no money? Start with iDEA, NSU's Founders' Lab or Accelerating Bangladesh's early-stage track.
- MVP live, need runway without giving up equity? GP Accelerator or Orange Corners.
- Some traction and ready for investors? SBL, Turtle Venture, R-Ventures or Accelerating Asia.
A few things we noticed while digging through all this:
- Most of these love a registered company. Sort out your trade licence or RJSC registration early.
- Pitch decks matter more than you think. Ten slides, clear problem, clear numbers.
- Deadlines are short and announced on Facebook first. Follow the pages.
- Don't apply to everything blindly. Some programs, like GP Accelerator, won't let you join another accelerator at the same time.
- Always ask about equity in writing. A few of these programs changed their model over the years.
Need an MVP before you apply?
Most of these programs want to see something working. If you need a clean MVP built fast, that's exactly what we do at Thinkcrypt. Say hi at connect@thinkcrypt.dev and we'll help you get something real in front of those investors.
Details checked on 28 October 2026 from official websites and recent news. Programs change terms and deadlines often, so confirm on the official page before applying.