On Thursday, 13th August 2026, SustainLaunch Labs and WSDA New Zealand jointly organized an exhibition and panel discussion titled “Start-up Engineering: Deep Tech Capital Dialogue & Founder–Finance Exchange,” hosted by the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) at the Multipurpose Hall, D-Building, AIUB. The event was held from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and brought together startup founders, financial institutions, regulators, academia, and industry stakeholders to explore practical pathways for financing and scaling Bangladesh’s emerging technology-driven enterprises.

The programme was graced by Mr. Nazrul Islam (Director, Bangladesh Bank) as the Honorable Chief Guest, who delivered the opening presentation and shared his perspectives on strengthening Bangladesh’s startup and innovation ecosystem. Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Rahman (Pro-Vice Chancellor, AIUB) attended as the Honorable Special Guest and delivered the welcome address on behalf of the host institution. Furthermore, representing the organizing partners, Mr. S M Fahim Shahriar (CEO & Program Lead, SustainLaunch Labs) presented on the startup financing gap, while Mr. Ahmed W Bari (Vice President of Business Development, WSDA New Zealand) addressed entrepreneurship skillsets. The programme also featured selected startup founders presenting their ventures through short “elevated pitches,” providing them with direct exposure to financial and ecosystem stakeholders. Subsequently, a Deep Tech Capital Dialogue was held, moderated by Mr. S M Fahim Shahriar.  The panel brought together Mr. Nazrul Islam, Mr. Ahmed W Bari, Prof. Dr. Md. Saniat Rahman Zishan (Director, Faculty of Engineering, AIUB); Mr. Shah Alam (Hawar IT) and Md Mohsinur Rahman, (Executive Vice President & Head of SME Banking, Prime Bank PLC). The discussion connected perspectives from regulation, banking, academia, industry and entrepreneurship around the challenges of financing innovation-led businesses.

The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session where various queries were addressed from enthusiastic participants, creating an engaging and informative discussion environment. Following the Q&A session, token of appreciation was presented to the Honorable Chief Guest Mr. Nazrul Islam (Director, Bangladesh Bank) and Honorable Special Guest Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Rahman (Pro-Vice Chancellor of AIUB).