Eco Sentinels emerged as winners in the Khulna and Barishal segment of the Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, part of the ongoing Youth Startup Summit 2025.
Organised by Startup Bangladesh Ltd. and hosted by the ICT Division, the summit aims to inspire and empower young entrepreneurs across Bangladesh, reports UNB.
The event, taking place throughout February, is being held in five segments across the country's divisions.
The event features 'three core' components -- Youth Innovation Challenge, sessions to spread knowledge and awareness, and exhibition for startups to showcase their innovations and recruit talents.
The Khulna & Barishal segment of the Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, discussion sessions and exhibition were held on Khulna University premises on Monday.
The competition is designed to encourage young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop creative and impactful solutions to address some of Bangladesh's most pressing challenges allowing students to present their ideas, prototypes, or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), focusing on key areas such as financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, and food security.
The primary goal is to foster entrepreneurship, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage social and environmental impact through sustainable business models.
Out of a vast pool of applications, eight teams were selected to pitch their startup concepts to the panel of judges.
The teams are Aquasense BD, Thirst Relief, Eco Sentinels, Agro Assistant, Swatez, Impact X, Agro Care and iStudy.
The judge panel was represented by key professionals from relevant sectors.
The winning team Eco Sentinels got the prize money of Tk 300,000 for pitching a solution to the case titled 'Addressing Climate Challenges and Building Resilience in Bangladesh'.
They presented their idea about transforming salinity-affected areas into vibrant agricultural and ecological hubs.
Team Aquasense BD received Tk 200,000 for being first runner-up, presenting the solution of the case titled 'Food Security in Bangladesh- Ensuring Affordable Nutrition for All'.
Aquasense BD impressed the judges by their solution that demonstrated a strong understanding of the challenges of Bangladesh's food system and offered a practical and scalable approach by Transforming Fisheries with IoT, Data, and Expert Support.
The team Thirst Relief received Tk 100,000 for being the second runner-up who presented a solution for the case titled 'Addressing Climate Challenges and Building Resilience in Bangladesh'.
By recognising the best solutions, the competition aims to promote a culture of innovation and empower young minds to contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh's development.
Each team comprised three young aspiring members who were students. Besides, the solution addressed one of the critical challenges outlined in the Case Bundle i.e. financial inclusion, urban mobility, healthcare access, energy solutions, education, climate change, or food security.
The Khulna University Innovation Club, Northern University of Business and Technology Khulna, and KUET Career Club were the campus partners and Startup Khulna and Startup Khulna were the Community Partners at the event. The knowledge partner at the event was Lightcastle Partners.
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