Written by The Banking Post
A Bangladeshi start-up has entered into a joint venture with a Malaysian production house to tap two fast-growing sectors — financial technology and animation — in a move aimed at expanding financial inclusion and diversifying the country’s exports beyond garments.
Dhaka-based Brave Horse Ventures Ltd has partnered with Malaysia’s Vav Productions Sdn. Bhd. to launch digital finance solutions for unbanked communities while also developing animation and visual content for global markets. The collaboration, formally announced in Dhaka, was attended by Malaysia’s High Commissioner Mohd Suhada Bin Othman alongside corporate leaders and academics.
Brave Horse has already sought approval from Bangladesh Bank to introduce fintech products. Its Managing Director, M Mahbubur Rahman, stressed the urgency of financial inclusion. Despite regulatory progress, he said, a large share of the population remains outside digital financial services.
Rahman cited rural schoolteachers as an example, calling them “secured borrowers” with steady salaries who still struggle to access bank loans. Many travel long distances and face delays, forcing some to rely on costly informal lenders. A digital platform, he argued, could allow banks to process such loans within minutes through a robust ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) database.
Experts say fintech could help banks cut costs, broaden access to credit, and reduce dependence on predatory lending, though regulators remain cautious over risks of default and misuse of data in a market with low financial literacy.
Beyond fintech, Brave Horse is also betting on creative exports. The company already produces animation and visual effects for global studios and sees significant potential in the booming global animation market, currently driven by streaming platforms, gaming, and digital advertising.
“An animation project creates opportunities at multiple skill levels,” Rahman noted, adding that Bangladesh’s creative talent pool could make the sector a serious alternative to garments, which now account for over 80 percent of export earnings.
Vav Productions, which works in television, film, and music, will bring creative expertise and global networks, while Brave Horse contributes technological know-how and AI-driven tools. Together, they plan to co-produce content, develop intellectual property, and expand into South and Southeast Asian markets.
Brave Horse Chairman Jahangir Mia said the venture could “showcase regional culture to global audiences” while generating jobs for youth. Vav’s director, Andrea Lau Li Ling, described the partnership as “a bridge between Malaysia and Bangladesh’s creative industries.”
Economists believe ventures like this are crucial as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from least-developed-country status in 2026. Both fintech and animation could provide alternatives to an export basket heavily reliant on garments, while creating employment for the country’s growing young workforce.
