A local startup has emerged as a global player in e-commerce solutions, making it a million-dollar company in a short span of time.
weDevs, the software product service provider, is now used by more than 50,000 marketplaces globally, mostly in the USA and Europe.
Bootstrap, Gruinn, Playmove and Jodyshop are a few of the world class major marketplaces that have been using weDevs's plugins. Plugin is a software that adds a specific feature to the existing programme. They use US-based World Press software as mother software.
"We're the number one player in the world in this particular segment of business," Nizam Uddin, CEO and co-founder of the weDevs told the FE on Monday.
He said his startup now earns a few million dollars employing more than 90 people--50 per cent are engineers and the rest are from the non-engineering field.
He said the company needs no funding as they are solvent and has even acquired two firms. He, however, declined to disclose the information about the acquisition.
The startup has recently shifted its headquarters to Singapore and got registered in the USA and Malaysia.
He said more than 40 per cent of his customers are from the USA, 30 per cent are European and the rest Asian.
The company's most popular product, Dokan, is considered the safest and smartest way for e-commerce.
There are more players on the line: WC Vendors, YITH multi vendor, WC Marketplace and WC product Vendors.
"This [Dokan] is robust, easy to use to start …", Mr Nizam, who began his entrepreneurial journey during his student life in 2010 and as a company with his friend Tareq since 2012, told this correspondent.
He said Dokan saves hundreds of work hours while creating an online marketplace.
He said globally, people spend US$2.86 trillion on e-commerce transactions and some 1.8 billion people conducted online purchases as of 2018.
The world has more than 3.0 million online stores with more than 23 per cent annual growth on an average.
He said more than 200,000 websites use their plugins globally.
It has more products like the ERP where HR, CRM and accounting are key modules. Besides, payroll, recruitment, attendance and inventory are also embedded.
Bangladesh has a lot of barriers to startups, he said, adding "If anyone is determined to overcome, he or she must overcome those barriers"
Mr Nizam graduated in computer science from the University of Rajshahi and was born in Pabna.
jasimharoon@yahoo.com