Shikho
Native name | শিখো |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Educational technology |
| Founded | April 2019 |
Area served | Bangladesh |
| Website | shikho |
Shikho (শিখো, meaning "Learn") is a Bangladeshi educational technology company headquartered in Dhaka.[1] Founded in 2019, the company provides a digital learning platform designed for secondary and higher secondary students, covering the National curriculum of Bangladesh.[2]
History
Shikho was established in April 2019 by Shahir Chowdhury, a former banker and Zeeshan Zakaria..[3][4] The platform provides pre-recorded video lessons, live classes, and digital learning materials to the Bangladeshi curriculum. [5] Shikho launched its pilot app in November 2020 with mathematics courses for grades 9–10.[6]
In November 2021, Shikho acquired the professional courses platform Bohubrihi to expand its offerings into skill development.[7] In January 2022, the company acquired Mainly Coding, a coding education platform.[8]
In August 2024, Shikho suspended its classes indefinitely in solidarity with student protests occurring in Bangladesh.[9]
A 2024 case study in the Academy of Asian Business Review examines Shikho’s growth in Bangladesh’s edtech sector.[10]
Funding
Between 2020 and 2025, Shikho raised multiple rounds of venture funding from regional and international investors, including Learn Capital, LearnStart, Anchorless Bangladesh, and SBL, bringing its total disclosed funding to approximately $8 million.[11][12] Startup Bangladesh Limited withdrew BDT 5 crore from a USD 1.5 million investment round shortly before signing, allegedly due to political concerns raised by a third party.[13]
Recognition
Shikho was included in Forbes Asia’s "100 to Watch" list in 2022.[14] The company received the "ICT Startup of the Year" award at the 9th BRAC Bank–The Daily Star ICT Awards in 2024. In 2023, founder Shahir Chowdhury was named to the Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts list.[15]
References
- ^ "Shikho: Reshaping education with technology". The Business Standard. 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Shikho: Transforming lives, one student at a time | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Christopher, Nilesh (2022-08-09). "Meet the ed-tech founder who wants to democratize quality education for the masses". Rest of World. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Shikho: digitizing education in Bangladesh". The Realistic Optimist. 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ^ "Shikho, with India's Teachmint, to bolster live class tech in Bangladesh". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
- ^ "TRT World - Shikho: A startup revolutionising digital education in Bangladesh". www.trtworld.com. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ^ "Shikho acquires online learning platform Bohubrihi | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Shikho acquires coding platform Mainly Coding". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Shikho suspends classes indefinitely in solidarity with student protest | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Alam, Mohammad Zahedul; Shimanto, Rahat Ahmed; Promi, Sadia Islam; Manzoor, Farah (2024). "Shikho Technologies Limited: Revolutionizing the Way Bangladesh Learns Outside the Classroom". Academy of Asian Business Review. 10 (1). Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (2021-07-28). "Shikho, an edtech startup focused on Bangladesh's students, gets $1.3M seed". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Shikho was blacklisted from government funding, says CEO | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Team, Forbes Asia. "Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2022". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Bloomberg New Economy Announces 2023 Catalysts". Bloomberg Media. Retrieved 2026-02-05.