Frederick Fu, Avnet’s Asia Pacific president, had the privilege to be one of the judges to evaluate innovative pitches by 100 startups in a 60-second elevator ride up the International Commerce Centre, hosted by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP).At the Angel x Angel Conference, Frederick was joined by a venture capitalist and financial investor to share insights and advice on the support needed, and the critical fundaments for early stage tech companies to overcome their challenges and grow these startups into successful businesses.The Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot topic in the technology industry and startups. Avnet presented its LPWAN capabilities at this event, including Sigfox, LoRa, and NB-IoT among others. Avnet’s ecosystem provides solutions that connect technology from components to devices, services and platforms.Frederick Fu said, “The startup community is not afraid to reinvent the wheel to bring in a new wave of innovation … [Read more...] about Avnet accelerates growth of tech startup community in Asia Pacific
Startups
Indonesian startup wages war on plastic with edible seaweed cups
Jakarta food and beverages retailer Ong Tek Tjan sells ice cream in cups his customers can eat afterwards, instead of throwing away - they are made from seaweed and taste like jelly, in flavours from peppermint to green tea. Indonesian startup Evoware, which makes the cups, as well as other containers, from farmed seaweed free of chemicals, is relying on its biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging to reduce contamination of the environment. "I too support this enviroment-friendly cause," said vendor Ong, who uses Evoware's Ello Jello container to serve ice cream, though he feels consumers may take time to adapt to the product that is pricier than current options. Indonesia, which has some of the world's filthiest rivers and once-pristine beaches littered with plastic waste, has joined a United Nations-led cleanup drive after being rated the second-biggest plastic marine polluter, behind China. Evoware co-founder David Christian said the idea of seaweed-based edible packaging was … [Read more...] about Indonesian startup wages war on plastic with edible seaweed cups
Startup movement helps increase new enterprises
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the number of newly registered businesses in the first 10 months of this year reached 100,000. Experts have acknowledged that besides efforts to improve business climate, timely support for the startup movement has also contributed to the positive outcome.Despite being newly established, this enterprise has achieved remarkable successes from its initial idea of designing home-made beansprouts equipment.Thanks to supporting policies for startups, enterprises like this have been helped to pursue their initiatives to make market debut Statistics on business registration in the first 10 months of this year showed the number of newly registered businesses reached more than 100,000, nearly equal to the total number of 2016.According to experts, the startup movement has spurred many business activities in VietnamAccording to Phan Duc Hieu, Deputy Director of Central Institute for Economic Management, instead of striving for … [Read more...] about Startup movement helps increase new enterprises
Startups still looking for capital from venture funds
Vietnam is striving to become a ‘startup nation’, but the number of venture funds operating in Vietnam remains so modest that all their names are known by startups. These include FPT Ventures (Vietnam), Seedcom (Vietnam), IDG Ventures (the US), Cyber Agent (Japan), Golden Gate (Singapore) and 500 Startups (US).Some funds have been set up, but they just exist on paper because they are still under the fundraising process. These include the IDT startup fund, and the fund of First project and VSF.The number of venture funds is small, while the number of projects successfully calling for capital is even smaller. There are over 15,000 startups in Vietnam, mostly in Hanoi and HCM City. But only 20-30 startups have successfully called for capital from the funds in Vietnam. The number of investment deals worth US$1 million or more is modest. The investments in Momo, Lozi, vatgia and ononpay are among them.Analysts said Vietnamese startups don’t have feasible business … [Read more...] about Startups still looking for capital from venture funds
Startups a “promised land” for new graduates
Its latest survey reveals considerable employment opportunities at startups in the near future. Fifty-four per cent of startups will have demand for recruitment in the next three months, 17 per cent within the next three to six months, and 11 per cent within the next six to 12 months. Some said they always have demand for recruitment.Work experience is not a prerequisite. Thirty-five per cent of startups said they only need fresh graduates while 12 per cent said they don’t pay attention to candidates’ previous work experience.Limited salary budget is the biggest challenge in recruitment for Vietnamese startups, as answered by 49 per cent of those surveyed. A tight salary budget prevents them from attracting suitable candidates. Most candidates, meanwhile, focus on salary and bonuses rather than the learning and development opportunities at startups.Eighteen per cent of startups face difficulties in terms of experience and processes in recruiting, training, evaluating, and … [Read more...] about Startups a “promised land” for new graduates