UITS Team Triumphs in University Innovation Hub Program

The University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS) team has emerged as the champion in the University Innovation Hub Program (Launchpad UIHP), the country's largest startup incubator at the university level. Jointly organized by the World Bank and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, the competition saw UITS’s Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) securing the top position.

According to sources, on March 14, during the final pitch day of the first three cohorts of UIHP Launchpad, three teams from UITS won a total of BDT 170,000 in prize grants. Following an intensive four-month incubation training (November to March), UITS teams—“Peltiers,” “Sound Vision,” and “Cloud”—successfully secured startup seed funding from Launchpad by UIHP.

The Peltiers team is working on a low-cost, energy-efficient air-conditioning module aimed at reducing the high cost and energy consumption of traditional AC systems. The Sound Vision team has developed smart glasses for visually impaired individuals, capable of object detection, facial recognition, and real-time audiobook conversion. The Cloud team secured pre-seed startup funding for its Scrap Venture initiative.

The awarded seed funding is as follows:

• Innovation Cohort 1 (IC1): Peltiers team – Champion, BDT 70,000
• Innovation Cohort 2 (IC2): Sound Vision team – Champion, BDT 60,000
• Innovation Cohort 3 (IC3): Cloud team – BDT 40,000

Out of more than 100 applications, 45 teams were selected for the program, where they worked closely under the guidance of expert mentors to refine their business models and product concepts. During the event, 18 selected teams received seed funding ranging from BDT 10,000 to BDT 100,000 to scale their startups. The top-performing teams will be enrolled in a national incubation program later this year, providing them with further opportunities for growth and expansion.

Launchpad by UIHP@UIU is an initiative of the Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development (DEIED) Project, supported by the ICT Division, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, and the World Bank. The program continues to bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering the next generation of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.