Japan’s Wick and the Grameen Group Confirm the Establishment of Grameen Wick, a Joint Venture, in the Presence of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister

Announcement in the Presence of the Prime Minister

The forum was held to coincide with Prime Minister Rahman’s first visit to Japan since taking office, bringing together government and business representatives from both countries. Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Wick and the Grameen Group in June 2026, the venture’s board has been constituted. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and Hiroshi Osaki, former Chairman of Yoshimoto Kogyo, have joined its Advisory Board. With its board members determined, the venture is moving into full-scale service development and the establishment of local operations, with a business launch targeted for around spring 2027.

Background: Bangladesh’s Policy Priorities and Cooperation with Japan

Bangladesh has a population of approximately 170 million, the eighth largest in the world, and a large youth population. Following the general election in February 2026, a new administration led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office. The administration has made attracting investment and creating jobs key priorities. Alongside support for young people’s skills development, the use of AI, and entrepreneurship, it is pursuing measures to improve access to healthcare and support women’s education and employment.

In February 2026, Bangladesh and Japan signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Bangladesh’s first. Cooperation between the two countries is expanding from aid to investment. Against this backdrop, Grameen Wick is a private-sector-led social business being established jointly by a Japanese company and the Grameen Group.

Creating New Social Value Through Digital Technology

Through its proprietary smartphone app, Grameen Wick will deliver positive impact advertisement and return companies’ advertising expenditure to users as points. Users can use the points they earn by viewing advertisements to gain greater access to everyday products and services, including healthcare, education, and essential goods. The venture also plans to introduce features that provide information on vocational training and job opportunities, supporting employment in Bangladesh and overseas as well as economic independence.

Grameen Wick has identified five priority areas: youth employment and skills development, women’s economic participation, poverty reduction, access to healthcare, and responding to climate change and disasters. Discussions are underway on potential collaboration with major companies, government agencies, and organizations in education and healthcare in Bangladesh.

Comment from Yoshiaki Nakamichi, Representative Director and CEO, Wick, Corp.

“I am deeply honored to have announced the establishment of Grameen Wick together with the Grameen Group in the presence of Prime Minister Rahman at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum, a meaningful occasion that symbolizes the economic partnership between Japan and Bangladesh.

Today, more than USD 1.3 trillion is spent on advertising worldwide every year. Imagine if just 1% of that — around USD 13 billion — could be returned to people’s daily lives. Everyday economic activity itself could become a new mechanism that expands access to education, healthcare, and work, and enriches people’s lives.

Digital platforms have brought many people new opportunities for work, learning, information, and diverse experiences. But precisely because technology has advanced so far, I believe now is the time to rethink how its benefits are shared.

Rather than benefits going only to those with special skills or privileged circumstances, I hope for a society in which everyone who works hard each day can receive those benefits, even little by little. To make this a reality, we turned our attention to the advertising money that companies invest and that flows around the world. By slightly changing the direction of that flow, we can bring new opportunities and choices to people who have been out of reach until now. I believe this can create a world where the circumstances you are born into do not determine your future.

This journey, beginning in Bangladesh, is the first step toward turning the world’s vast advertising spend into a force that supports each person’s daily life. I am truly delighted to take this new step together with Professor Yunus, the Grameen Group, and everyone who shares our vision and seeks to build the future with us — and I look forward to what lies ahead with great anticipation.”

Comment from Professor Muhammad Yunus, Advisory Board Member

“Social business is about solving problems through business. Grameen Wick brings this idea into the digital space by using technology to address social challenges and improve people’s lives. Instead of treating social impact as an act of charity, we want to build a sustainable business model where addressing social needs is the purpose of the business itself. I hope Grameen Wick will demonstrate how digital technology can create economic opportunities, expand access to essential services, and make business a force for positive change in Bangladesh.”

Comment from Hiroshi Osaki, Advisory Board Member

“Over the many years I have spent working in local communities and alongside young people, I have come to feel that social challenges are something we must all face together, rather than leave to someone else. Every time I speak with Professor Yunus, I am reminded of the importance of asking what business can do for people in need.

Grameen Wick is an effort to turn the advertisements we see every day into a way to support people’s lives and help young people find work and a place where they belong. Mr. Nakamichi and the younger generation are taking these challenges seriously and acting on them. I believe the role of those of us in the older generation is to quietly support their efforts from behind the scenes.

I look forward to seeing this initiative connecting Bangladesh and Japan spread around the world, bringing people together in the spirit of a festival.”