Announced at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum before government and business representatives from both countries. Board members confirmed, with Professor Muhammad Yunus and Hiroshi Osaki joining the Advisory Board. The venture will address social challenges in Bangladesh through digital technology and positive impact advertisement. 

Wick, Corp. (“Wick”) and the Grameen Group have confirmed the establishment of Grameen Wick, a joint venture that will develop a digital platform connecting corporate advertising with access to essential services and economic opportunities in Bangladesh. The announcement was made at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum in Tokyo on October 28, 2026, in the presence of Tarique Rahman, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The forum was organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Co-operation, with support from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Japan. 

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. 

Grameen Wick will operate as a social business, using digital technology and "positive impact advertisement" to connect corporate advertising activities with improvements in people’s quality of life and solutions to social challenges. 

Discussions are also underway on potential collaboration with major companies, government agencies, and organizations in education, healthcare, and other social services in Bangladesh. The venture aims to develop its business through a broad range of partnerships. 

From left: Lamiya Morshed (Director, Grameen Wick; Executive Director, Yunus Centre); Emi Onozuka (COO, Grameen Wick); Yoshiaki Nakamichi (CEO, Grameen Wick; Representative Director and CEO, Wick, Corp.); Professor Muhammad Yunus (Advisory Board Member, Grameen Wick; Founder, Grameen Bank); Feroz Mahmud (Director, Grameen Wick; Managing Director, Grameen Communications); Ashir Ahmed (Director, Grameen Wick; Associate Professor, Kyushu University). 

1. Announcement in the Presence of the Prime Minister 

The Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum was held to coincide with Prime Minister Rahman’s first visit to Japan since taking office, from October 26 to 29, bringing together government and business representatives from both countries. In the presence of the Prime Minister, Wick and the Grameen Group announced the establishment of Grameen Wick. 

Photo: The announcement of the establishment of Grameen Wick in the presence of Prime Minister Rahman (October 28, 2026, Tokyo). 

2. Background on 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. At the bilateral summit held during this visit, the two leaders confirmed their commitment to further strengthening economic ties. Cooperation between the two countries is expanding from aid to investment. 

Against this backdrop of bilateral cooperation, Grameen Wick is a private-sector-led social business being established jointly by a Japanese company and the Grameen Group. 

3. Creating New Social Value Through Digital Technology 

Grameen Wick will provide a new digital platform that connects corporate advertising activities with the creation of social value. 

Through its proprietary smartphone app, Grameen Wick will deliver positive impact advertisement and return a portion of 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 through the app. By connecting jobseekers with worker-sending agencies and relevant communities, these features will support employment in Bangladesh and overseas, as well as economic independence. 

Smartphone adoption continues to grow in Bangladesh, with government statistics for 2026 showing that approximately 75% of households own a smartphone. Grameen Wick will build on this digital infrastructure to create a platform that connects essential everyday services with new economic and social opportunities. 

4. Addressing Five Social Challenges in Bangladesh 

In line with the new administration’s policy priorities and the development issues emphasized by international organizations, Grameen Wick has identified the following five areas as priorities. 

1) Youth Employment, Skills Development, and Entrepreneurship 

Grameen Wick will support access to digital and AI literacy education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship development programs. By connecting young people with employment opportunities in Bangladesh and overseas, it will promote economic independence and the creation of new jobs. 

2) Women’s Economic Participation and Empowerment 

The venture will expand women’s access to education, vocational training, and opportunities to start businesses, supporting the development of digital skills and participation in economic activities. 

3) Poverty Reduction and Improved Living Standards 

Through the economic returns users receive via positive impact advertisement, Grameen Wick aims to expand access to essential goods and services such as education and healthcare, ease financial pressure on households, and improve quality of life. 

4) Improved Access to Healthcare 

The venture will support access to medical and health-related services and health information, helping to reduce health disparities linked to location and income. 

5) Responding to Climate Change and Disasters 

Grameen Wick will explore ways to integrate disaster and emergency information issued by government agencies and other organizations with its digital platform. By providing timely information and raising awareness of disaster preparedness, it aims to strengthen communities’ resilience to disasters. 

Across these areas, services will be introduced in stages, combining local social needs with the expertise of partner companies and institutions. 

5. New Value for Brands 

Grameen Wick’s positive impact advertisement offers a new advertising model that connects corporate marketing activities with efforts to address social challenges. 

Brands can engage with consumers through the digital platform while helping to create social value through their business activities by directing part of their advertising expenditure toward supporting users’ everyday lives. 

Grameen Wick will also work to make social outcomes visible, including improvements in access to education, healthcare, and other services, in addition to ad views and benefits returned to users. 

Through this approach, the venture aims to deliver marketing value for brands alongside a positive impact on society. 

6. Building a Business Foundation Through Partnerships with Local Companies and Government Agencies 

Grameen Wick aims to achieve both social impact and business sustainability by combining the Grameen Group’s longstanding experience in addressing social challenges and its local networks with Wick’s digital platform technology. 

Discussions are currently underway on potential collaboration with major companies, government agencies, and providers in education, healthcare, and other sectors in Bangladesh. 

Through these partnerships, the venture will gradually introduce services that meet local needs, including essential everyday services, employment support, digital education, and access to disaster information, while building a sustainable business foundation. 

7. Building a Sustainable Social Business and Creating Social Impact 

Guided by the social business principles advocated by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Wick places the resolution of social challenges at the heart of its business. 

The venture aims to generate lasting social impact by creating a continuous economic cycle funded by corporate advertising activities, rather than relying solely on conventional donations and aid. 

As the business develops, Grameen Wick will also work to identify and evaluate the social outcomes of its activities, including benefits returned to users, access to education, healthcare, and other services, and expanded employment opportunities. 

Through a platform that brings together brands, users, service providers, and other participants, the venture will build a system in which business growth and the creation of social value reinforce one another. 

8. Comments 

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.” 

Advisory Board 

Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Founder of Grameen Bank 

“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.” 

Hiroshi Osaki, Former Chairman, Yoshimoto Kogyo; Former Co-Chair of the Event Planning Committee, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan; Representative Director, mother ha.ha; Representative Director, Yunus Mother Social Action 

“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.” 

9. Future Plans 

Wick and Grameen Communications will proceed with the formal incorporation of the joint venture. In preparation for a business launch targeted for around spring 2027, the partners will accelerate service development, the establishment of business operations, and collaboration with local partners. 

Through digital technology, Grameen Wick will promote improvements in quality of life and expand economic and social opportunities, contributing to sustainable and inclusive development in Bangladesh. 

About Wick, Corp. 

Company name: Wick, Corp. 
Address: 11F, 2-12-24 Hirooka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0031, Japan 
Representative: Yoshiaki Nakamichi, Representative Director and CEO 
Website: https://wick-biz.com/ 

Related Press Release 

Announcement of the 2026 Memorandum of Understanding with the Grameen Group 

Media Inquiries 

Wick, Corp. Public Relations: Miyazaki 
Email: contact@wick-biz.com