Hello Task Hits Tk 1 Crore in Annual Revenue

What began as a simple idea to fetch household items from a seven-story building has transformed into a thriving startup. Initially launched as “Robot Dako” in 2018 to provide family assistant services, the venture pivoted after social media buzz led customers to seek domestic workers instead. Rebranded as Hello Task, the company now connects Dhaka residents with domestic help, founded by brothers Mahmudul Hasan and Mehedi Smaran.

Hello Task has secured over Tk 3 crore in investments since its inception, but shifted focus in 2022 to prioritize profitability over expansion. Now operating as a regular business with 16 full-time staff, the company offers services via its mobile app, allowing clients to hire domestic workers hourly or monthly. Annual revenue has soared to nearly Tk 1 crore.

The Journey

In 2017, Mehedi Smaran, then a private university student, borrowed Tk 2 lakh from his businessman father to launch the startup. A Tk 40 lakh loan from Mercantile Bank’s Udayan program in 2018 fueled growth. Initially, Robot Dako focused on errands, but customer demand for domestic workers inspired the shift to Hello Task. Observing jobless female garment workers in Mohammadpur, Mehedi hired 10 as domestic workers at Tk 15,000 monthly, purchasing two used motorcycles to transport them. By 2018, daily applications for workers surged to 700–800, leading to a labor shortage.

Hello Task partnered with Nari Maitree and other NGOs like Oxfam and BILS on the Suniti Project, a literacy and training initiative for 16,000 women. The company hired 50 trained women at Tk 12,000 monthly. Despite setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hello Task upgraded its app, business model, and introduced Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology, connecting clients directly to workers’ phones. Workers accept jobs by pressing “1,” receiving job details via SMS, with a 999 emergency line integration for safety.

Services and Reach

Hello Task serves over 3,000 monthly clients across 1,000+ Dhaka neighborhoods, with 1.3 lakh registered app users and over 6 lakh services delivered. Popular areas include Bashundhara (30% of clients), Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Banani. With 450 registered workers, services include three-hour hires at Tk 690 or monthly packages at Tk 7,800 for three daily hours. About 70% of clients opt for daily services. Workers can earn up to Tk 20,000 monthly for eight-hour shifts. Clients can apply for services starting at Tk 10, with quick worker replacement options.