Empowering Future Entrepreneurs: Crowdfunding as a sustainable tool for undergraduate students' start-ups in Bangladesh

With the emergence of present challenges in the labor market, especially the rising unemployment rate among graduates, entrepreneurship may offer a sustainable solution for young students. Though this approach is highly appreciable, funding remains a critical factor for start-ups particularly for students who struggle to manage initial capital. In this line, crowdfunding responds to the global funding challenge by enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to raise small contributions from a wide audience through digital platforms by enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to raise small contributions from a wide audience through digital platforms. This study intends to evaluate the viability of crowdfunding, identify the factors that influence its acceptance, and assess its potential to bridge the financial gap for student entrepreneurs by following qualitative research approach involving semi-structured interviews with 20 student entrepreneurs and 5 investors; and the Data has been collected from the Barishal district, southern part of Bangladesh. This study identifies key challenges and opportunities in adopting crowdfunding. Findings highlight financial barriers, trust issues, and the importance of platform transparency for students, while investors emphasize business viability and credibility. The study concludes that a collaborative approach among students, investors, and crowdfunding platforms is essential to fostering a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bangladesh.