How Mulytic is elevating Bangladesh’s global presence in smart technology

On 22 December 2023, Bangladesh entered a new era of transportation infrastructure, as an electric vehicle (EV) charging station was inaugurated in Jashore's Khoyertala, the first of its kind outside Dhaka.

Mulytic, in collaboration with West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, played a pivotal role in making this possible. 

However, this is just the beginning, says Dr Rubaiyat Islam Sadat, the co-founder and CEO of Mulytic.

The station in Jashore has been launched on a pilot basis, to establish thousands of charging stations all across the country in the coming years.

"Because our discernable endgame is to enhance energy consumption efficiency through the intelligent application of technology," shared Sadat during a recent conversation with The Business Standard.  

Mulytic's AI-powered EV Charger, made with German technology, is reducing automobile charging expenses by up to 20%, while preventing pollution of the environment. 

However, introducing smart charging solutions for EVs is merely a small part of a long list of initiatives that Mulytic, with Sadat at the helm, is undertaking. 

Based in Munich, Germany, this cutting-edge data energy company is revolutionising various industries through collaborations with top-tier companies in mobility (such as Daimler, Renault, Audi), logistics (including Hermes, DHL), and energy (like Mercedes Benz Energy), along with their spin-offs.

"We provide innovative big data analytics solutions to the world's largest automotive companies," said Sadat, adding that the company now operates in two divisions – Labs and Energy. 

Currently, it is also working with the German National Grid on a large-scale electrification project.

Essentially, it offers its clients a broad array of services, including natural language processing, predictive analytics, cybersecurity, centralised logging mechanisms, cloud computing and web and mobile app development.

And by dint of acquiring a strong reputation within a very short time, Mulytic has turned out to be quite a profitable venture ever since beginning its journey back in December 2016. 

Sadat mentioned that when he founded Mulytic, he initially invested around one crore takas. Today, the company generates approximately one million Euros in annual revenue.

In the beginning, it operated entirely remotely, with all operations hosted in the IT cloud. However, it soon expanded its operations by opening a strategic business unit in New York.

Within its leadership ranks, Mulytics has a couple of other Bangladeshis. For instance, its co-founder and managing director is Rahat Ahmed, while the head of marketing is Jawad Ashraf Jamee.

In addition to financial gains, Mulytic is also putting Bangladesh on the world map, as it now has its Offshore Development and Operations Hub right here in Dhaka. "We run our operations in Bangladesh around the clock, 24/7, to cater to all our clients' needs," said Sadat.

Right now, there are around 25 young employees in the Bangladesh-based research development and operations team. The youth team primarily consists of fresh graduates from disciplines such as Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Mathematics and Statistics.

"Data analytics is all about maths. The stronger your mathematical skills, the more effectively you can utilise analytical tools," Sadat said. 

Additionally, Mulytics is committed to creating a convergence between the developed and developing worlds, with Bangladesh as its primary focus. "Because we believe that aiding the people of Bangladesh means aiding the world," Sadat remarked.

Currently, it has an ongoing programme called Bright, which is "about assessing, guiding and mentoring young Bangladeshi people in the ways of the global technology business."

Simply put, the 16-week long internship-like programme is tailored for new technologists to explore their skills and gain insights into the industry. After the programme concludes, successful interns are given the option to either continue with the company or pursue new career opportunities elsewhere.

Mulytic also conducts an annual programme called Project Athena in Bangladesh, designed specifically for young women to empower them towards successful careers in technology.

Through this initiative, Mulytic develops hands-on training programmes and fosters growth opportunities for women who are either just starting out or seeking to advance their careers in technology.

According to Sadat, Project Athena has already produced many highly talented women who have succeeded in many diverse industries. "Drawing inspiration from and naming it after the Greek goddess of wisdom, war and crafts, we aimed to create a platform for women to excel in the technology sector," Sadat said. 

"And now, we can proudly say that there are women in leading positions within the research development and operations team," Sadat added. 

On the personal front, Sadat graduated in CSE from Buet in 2006.

He pursued his first Master's degree in Bioinformatics from the University of Trento in Italy, followed by a second Master's degree in Embedded Systems from RWTH Aachen University in Germany. 

He earned his PhD in Embedded Systems from the University of Siegen in Germany. Additionally, he attended Cambridge Judge Business School for another Master's degree and is currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainable Investing from Harvard Business School. 

Apart from several stints, including serving as a consultant for the EU Commission and as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Volkswagen, Sadat has also contributed as a pro bono national consultant expert in automotive and energy for A2i, as well as the reviewer of AI Strategy in Bangladesh. 

Under his leadership, Mulytic won the "Best Energy Focused Web and Mobile App Development Company of 2021" by BUILD. 

A father of two children, a boy and a girl, Sadat named the first part (Mu) of his company after his son Muaaz, while the remaining part (lytic) came from the word "analytic." A man completely devoted to his family, Sadat credits much of his success in life to his wife Mouree, and states that "all of what I do is for my family."

But at the back of his mind, he also harbours "the desire to create new opportunities for the people of Bangladesh and drive the nation to greater heights."