Alright, the season of Special Cricket is here, and Bangladesh is off to a thrilling start! They gave us heart palpitations but ultimately snagged a victory against Sri Lanka. And guess what? Shark Tank Bangladesh dropped a sport-themed episode featuring some innovative sports businesses.
For the first time ever, we had the Honorable Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, as a distinguished guest on the panel. We also had a bideshi (foreigner) shark, Samuel Bretzfield, CEO of bGlobal, trying to get a piece of the action.
First up was Miazi LED Stump, strutting in with the swagger of a T20 captain. Their product? Cricket stumps that light up! These guys are the first in Bangladesh to make LED stumps and are selling them at one-tenth the price of the international competition. These stumps are lighting up every corner of the country, and demand is soaring. They asked for 10 lacs BDT in exchange for 5% equity. They’re currently working with a minimal setup but are dreaming big about setting up a factory.
Now, it was time to test the stumps. Palak hit them with a perfect throw, knocking them all down. Samuel gave it a shot and missed hilariously—clearly not a cricket expert. Farhan and Kazi bowed out, saying it wasn’t their cup of tea but urged Sami to consider it, given its potential to put Bangladesh on the global map. After some back-and-forth, Sami and Palak made a deal: 10 lacs BDT for 7% equity. The funniest part? When Miazi’s founder demonstrated the durability of the stumps, they flew off and almost knocked Sami’s table over. Maybe that’s what sealed the deal!
Next up was Brainsports Game, founded by a 19-year-old university kid with more confidence than a cricket commentator predicting a home win. His backstory was inspiring—starting alone and now getting his cousin on board. His product? Board games that make school subjects fun, like math and English. He even challenged the sharks to a game to test their business acumen, with Samanzar emerging victorious.
Samanzar kicked off the questions by congratulating the young CEO. Fahim inquired if the games were original creations, and the founder proudly confirmed they were. Concerns about patents and copyrights came up, to which he admitted needing help. Fahim made the first offer, asking for 50% of the business, followed by a more favorable 25% offer from Samanzar. But then Sami swooped in with an even better offer, promising help with the legal stuff. The final deal? 10 lacs BDT, six months of workspace, mentorship, and additional capital if needed, all for 10% equity and a royalty agreement until the investment is repaid. Talk about a winning pitch!
Then came Mostakim Hossain and Priyam Majumdar with Pavilion 360 Limited, a platform for live scores and sports news. They’ve been in the game for six years but faced a grilling over their business model and plans for profitability. Sami had already invested in them and bowed out. The other sharks didn’t bite either, citing valuation issues and a shaky profit plan. The ask? 1 crore BDT for 5% equity. Result? No deal.
Lastly, Kazi Sabir introduced ‘Khelbei Bangladesh,’ an online platform for learning sports correctly. He asked for 50 lacs BDT for 5% equity but didn’t secure a deal due to differing opinions with the sharks.
If you still haven’t watched the episode, head over to Bongo and catch it for free. You won’t want to miss it!
