Biography
Ziaur Rahman is an inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist recognized for his engineering, computer science, and information technology work. His experience in these fields spans from the inception of an innovative solution until its commercialization as a turnkey product. He graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Ziaur holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and IEEE Power & Energy Society.
Ziaur’s early international successes include outsourcing development work as the President of International Operations for Seet Internet Ventures Inc. (SIVI), a US incubator of media-related technologies. SIVI built several core technologies, including display graphics for mobile devices, media recognition tools, and advanced point of sale (PoS) systems.
Its technologies have been licensed to NBC, Yahoo, Adobe, Fox, Viacom, and Disney. At SIVI, he led the software development team of SIVI’s most successful subsidiary, Auditude. This innovative video advertising platform recognizes video and audio content using advanced DSP and hash algorithms. Ziaur’s software team developed various aspects of Auditude, which was later sold to Adobe.
Mr. Rahman led the successful exit of both SEET and Therap Services, a leader in providing HIPAA-Compliant electronic documentation solutions to organizations and caregivers in the Long-Term Services and Supports, Home and Community-Based Services and broader human services setting, both in 2007 and 2014 respectively.
In parallel, Ziaur developed biometric and RFID-based identification systems. The inventor developed an Automated Fingerprint Identification Solution (AFIS) that was recognized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce (NIST) as one of the top three AFIS in the world in 2009. In 2013, Ziaur was championed with the Red Herring Top 100 Global award for his accomplishments in the software sector.
Ziaur Rahman is also a pioneer in the field of turbine technology. Since 2015, Ziaur has been working on orthogonal turbines, developing and improving their prototypes. He also owns various patents in the field of turbine design.
One of Ziaur Rahman’s most profound ventures is the founding of Smart Innovations School, an institution dedicated to twice-exceptional (2E) students. Ziaur has emphasized the challenges this unique group of students faces. They are often not adequately identified or supported in schools due to a shortage of resources and access to suitable educational services.
The curriculum was designed with the help from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with whom Ziaur has also organized various events in Bangladesh to promote innovation among the Bangladeshi youth. Similarly, the altruistic entrepreneur is involved in a project utilizing AI to assist children in the Spectrum.
