GSMA, VEON to Fund Digital Drive in Bangladesh and Pakistan

The Innovation Fund of GSMA and global digital operator VEON will provide funding to accelerate digital innovation in Bangladesh and Pakistan. To this end, VEON has entered into a partnership with the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed at this year’s Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. Present at the event were GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer John Giusti, Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim, and Banglalink CEO Johan Buse.

Under the agreement, Jazz and Banglalink will jointly finance selected Pakistani and Bangladeshi startups in the 2026 funding round. In addition to financial assistance, support will also be extended for ecosystem development and capacity building to enable the ventures to scale up rapidly.

The GSMA Innovation Fund selects and supports startups working to address social and environmental challenges in developing countries through a transparent and competitive process.

In this context, John Giusti said, “Jazz and Banglalink, both operating under the VEON Group, are playing significant roles in advancing the digital sectors of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Through this partnership, the activities of the GSMA Innovation Fund in supporting initiatives capable of delivering social impact will gain further momentum.”

Banglalink CEO Johan Buse said, “Banglalink’s goal is to make digital services more accessible for all and to help build prosperous lives for our customers, partners, and everyone connected to our ecosystem. This partnership with the GSMA Innovation Fund will support us in achieving that objective, especially at a time when Bangladesh is laying a renewed foundation for growth. In the days ahead, we aim to continue contributing to the country’s progress through our role.”

DBTech/CA/EK/OR