This Bangladeshi startup wants to help foster the freelance community in South Asia

The freelancing ecosystem in Bangladesh – similar to other countries in South Asia – is a fairly mature sector. Estimates suggest there are around 550,000 registered freelancers in the country, with revenue on track to reach US$100 million by 2020. Out of a total of 186 countries, Bangladesh is ranked as the seventh most popular outsourcing destination.

Despite these impressive stats, freelancers in Bangladesh usually compete for projects advertised from foreign markets. There is not much attention given to homegrown projects. Local employers are at a disadvantage; outward remittance restrictions in the country mean they are unable to post projects on sites such as Upwork and Freelancer. The lack of a dedicated online payment gateway – such as PayPal – means growth in the ecosystem is stunted. Central bank regulations are so tight it is impossible for users to even purchase products from online stores operating out of Bangladesh’s borders.

“There are approximately 2.2 million small-and-medium sized enterprises in Bangladesh which can potentially utilize freelancing services,” explains Shofiul Alam, CEO of local freelancing startup Belancer. “We want to help them as well as local freelancers by creating more opportunities.”

Alam, who is a software engineer by training, explains he conceptualized the idea for the portal during a stint working for a mobile payments and remittance firm. He noticed firsthand the difficulties local freelancers faced in receiving payments as well as the inability of employers to source talent. His links in the local startup ecosystem also meant many people would approach him for help to design a logo, write blogs, or hire an Android app developer.

“I would be constantly asked for referrals and recommendations to do short-term jobs, and it was then I realized the considerable value in developing a holistic portal,” he adds.

Belancer CEO Shofiul Alam

Steady approach

After some research, Alam discovered there were a bevy of online businesses, but no dedicated portal for connecting workers to employers. Freelancers were at an additional disadvantage due to language barriers; possessing adequate technical knowledge wasn’t enough to secure projects, it was necessary to be fluent and communicative in English. Alam sensed an opportunity to carve out a niche for his idea and began work on a minimum viable product.

“We [freelancers] have already proved ourselves on a global stage. Why shouldn’t we have a local platform as well?” he asks.

It took two years for Alam and the team to develop the portal as they took pains to ensure a good user experience and interface. Belancer officially launched in May this year, and in about three months, already boasts 15,000 registered users, with more than 1,000 employers posting projects. So far, the site has facilitated approximately US$350,000 worth of transactions, says Alam. Employers pay through online money transfer or local wire services.

However, the startup doesn’t want to restrict its outreach to Bangladesh alone. Employers from anywhere in the world can use Belancer. The startup has a registered office in the US, and accepts payments through PayPal. Plans are afoot to expand the service to Nepal and India, where there is also a large freelancer community, and local employers have similar pains.

Government backing