Grand finale of Startup World Cup Bangladesh 2026 Held at Daffodil International University

The Bangladesh regional grand finale of Startup World Cup 2026, a startup competition, was organised by the Department of Innovation & Entrepreneurship of Daffodil International University (DIU). Cara Bangladesh and Axion Bangladesh extended their support as event partners.

At the grand finale, the country's top 10 startup teams competed. The winning teams received a total prize of BDT 100,000 and earned the opportunity to represent Bangladesh at the Global Startup World Cup in San Francisco, USA. There, the team will have the opportunity to pitch for a USD one million investment prize. In addition, the top 10 teams had the opportunity to receive invitations to San Francisco for a special networking session.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Md Kamruzzaman Didar, Head of the Department of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Country Director of Startup World Cup Bangladesh, is leading the Bangladesh chapter. Young entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Live Shopping, Md Ashik Khan, is serving as the Program Director.

Justin Jackson, Director of Business Development, Pegasus Tech Venture, USA, attended the event as a special guest. He said, "The Startup World Cup is one of the world's largest startup competitions. The competition is organised to showcase talented entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and other countries on the global stage.”

Dr Md Sabur Khan, Chairman of the Daffodil Family, was also present at the event. He said, “The Department of Innovation & Entrepreneurship always strives to provide students with practical, real-world learning. As part of this continued effort, the department has organised the Startup World Cup for the second time.”

Also present were Prof. Dr M R Kabir, Vice-Chancellor, and Prof. Dr Mohammad Masum Iqbal, Pro Vice-Chancellor of DIU.

The champion of the competition was Team Thetan, first runner-up was GreenPolaris Ltd, and second runner-up was Shunno.

Startup World Cup Bangladesh is not merely a competition; it is an important initiative to bring Bangladesh's innovative and promising young generation to the international business stage. Through this initiative, young entrepreneurs had the opportunity to connect with investors, industry professionals, and business partners, which will play an important role in the expansion and growth of their businesses.

The Department of Innovation & Entrepreneurship of DIU has been regularly undertaking various initiatives to strengthen the country's startup ecosystem. Such initiatives are expected to make significant contributions to innovation, entrepreneurship development, investment, and employment generation.

Startup World Cup Bangladesh 2026 has created a new opportunity to showcase promising Bangladeshi startups internationally and establish Bangladesh's innovative capabilities on the global stage.