WiserGates Bangladesh-Founded Fintech Starts $3M Pre-Seed at $30M Valuation

💰 Dubai, UAE — WiserGates, a wealth fintech company founded by two Bangladeshis and registered under the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), has started its pre-seed funding round at a valuation of $30 million — a significant milestone for a Bangladeshi-founded startup in the global fintech space.

👥 The company was founded by Muhammad Refayet Chowdhury, its Chief Executive Officer, and Md Nazibur Rahman, its Chief Operating Officer. The round is backed by:

• 🌏 NewVision Japan Co Ltd — Tokyo-based
• 🌏 1CS Holdings Limited — London-based

💰 $3 Million Pre-Seed Round

📊 WiserGates is seeking to raise $3 million in the pre-seed round, which will be used for:

• 💻 Product and technology development
• 🏛 Regulatory and compliance infrastructure
• 🌏 Market expansion
• 👥 Team building and partnerships

📈 NANO Assets: Tokenised Business Ownership Platform

📊 WiserGates’ flagship platform, NANO Assets, is designed to allow investors to buy fractional, tokenised ownership in small and medium-sized profitable businesses. The businesses targeted by the platform include:

• 🌾 Farming
• 🛢 Laundries
• 🍽 Restaurants
• 🛍 Grocery stores
• 🏋 Gyms
• 📊 Commodities trading

📊 The company plans to launch the platform in the UAE and the UK over the next 12 to 18 months, starting with markets where the founders say the regulatory environment is suitable for the model.

💰 WiserGates said it has already invested more than $2 million in more than 10 companies and other asset classes over the past five years — demonstrating the founders’ commitment to the model before formal fundraising.

🤝 How NANO Assets Works

📊 Under the NANO Assets model, a business can be divided into smaller digital ownership units, allowing investors to participate without having to acquire an entire business. Investors could potentially receive:

• 💰 A share of profits — based on business performance
• 📈 Capital gains — if the underlying business increases in value

⚠ Returns depend on the terms and performance of each investment.

🌏 Bangladesh Entry Plan: 2-3 Years

📊 The founders also plan to introduce the model in Bangladesh within two to three years, subject to the establishment of regulations covering tokenisation and crowdfunding. They see non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) as a potential initial customer base for the Bangladesh market.

💰 The founders estimate that directing 10 percent of Bangladesh’s annual remittance inflows into local ownership and investment could generate around $2 billion in additional investment each year. Bangladesh receives roughly $32 billion to $34 billion in remittances annually, according to their estimate.

🤝 “Nano FDI” Concept

🌏 They refer to the proposed model as “Nano FDI” — under which Bangladeshis living abroad would be able to invest small amounts in businesses and other productive assets in Bangladesh. This concept could create a new channel for foreign direct investment that taps into the diaspora’s financial capacity and emotional connection to the homeland.

💬 “We have seen firsthand how difficult it can be for ordinary people to access financial knowledge, capital and meaningful ownership opportunities,” Refayet said. He said the company wanted to build a system through which people could learn about businesses and gain access to ownership in productive assets.

💬 Nazibur said the company’s long-term goal was to create opportunities for Bangladeshis living abroad to own a part of businesses in their home country.

📊 Combining Financial Education with Investment Access

📊 WiserGates said the platform would combine financial education with investment access, allowing users to learn about businesses before deciding whether to invest. This approach addresses a key barrier to retail investment in Bangladesh — where many potential investors lack the financial literacy needed to evaluate business opportunities.

🌏 The company said its Dubai base provides access to international markets and financial institutions while allowing it to develop the platform for use across multiple jurisdictions.

🤝 The founders said WiserGates was a Bangladeshi-born startup seeking to expand globally, with its establishment abroad facilitated by the Bangladesh government’s initiative allowing local entrepreneurs to legally establish companies overseas. The company is supported by DIFC and Dubai Chambers, according to the founders.

💰 Long-Term Bangladesh Investment Vision

📊 The founders said their longer-term ambition was to increase the flow of funds into Bangladesh through investment from NRBs, potentially adding between $1.5 billion and $3 billion annually if the model achieves their targeted growth in remittance-linked investment.

🌏 Strategic Context: Bangladesh Startup Ecosystem

📊 WiserGates’ pre-seed round at $30 million valuation is a significant milestone for Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem, which has been gaining momentum in recent years with companies like bKash, Pathao, Chaldal, ShopUp and Shikho achieving meaningful scale. However, WiserGates’ Dubai registration highlights a persistent challenge for Bangladeshi founders:

• 🏛 Regulatory constraints — Bangladesh’s fintech regulatory framework still developing
• 💰 Capital access — limited deep-pocketed domestic VC investors
• 🌏 Global market access — Dubai DIFC provides international credibility
• 📋 Tokenisation regulation — absent in Bangladesh, available in UAE/UK
• 🤝 Cross-border operations — Dubai offers better visa and corporate structure

📊 For Bangladesh’s policymakers, WiserGates’ choice of Dubai over Dhaka offers important lessons:

• 🏛 Need for tokenisation regulation — enabling blockchain-based investment platforms
• 📋 Crowdfunding framework — allowing retail investment in private companies
• 💰 Foreign investor protection — robust legal framework for cross-border investment
• 🌏 Startup-friendly visa policy — allowing global founders to operate from Bangladesh
• 📊 Capital market deepening — secondary markets for private equity holdings

✅ For the broader economy, the “Nano FDI” concept could unlock a meaningful new source of foreign investment for Bangladesh — channelling diaspora savings into productive businesses rather than just consumption or real estate. If even a fraction of the targeted $1.5-3 billion annual NRB investment materialises, it would represent a significant boost to Bangladesh’s capital formation and could create new pathways for SME financing, agricultural investment and small business growth across the country.

🌏 As WiserGates prepares to launch in UAE and UK markets in the coming 12-18 months, the platform’s success in those jurisdictions will be closely watched as a proof of concept for the “Nano FDI” model. If successful, Bangladesh’s regulators will face growing pressure to create the legal framework needed to bring this innovative investment platform home — potentially unlocking billions in diaspora investment for the country’s productive economy.