Tech and innovation business club launched in Singapore

 Business club and ecosystem builder provides members access to seven strategic groups for collaboration

 Co-founded by entrepreneur Cheryl Lee and Golden Equator’s CEO Shirley Crystal Chua

 Mistletoe, a collective impact collective founded by renowned serial entrepreneur Taizo Son, will partner SPECTRUM

 First Mistletoe office in Asia outside of Japan based at SPECTRUM

Source: SPECTRUM. From left: Lee, Son, Chua.

SPECTRUM, a curated tech and innovation business club, has launched in Singapore. Co-founded by Cheryl Lee, a former Asia Managing Director at a private bank who also co-founded lifestyle group One Rochester, and Shirley Crystal Chua, Founder and CEO of Golden Equator, a group of Singapore businesses around finance, consulting, technology and innovation, the organisation aims to create a globally connected ecosystem by providing curated counsel, the right resources and strategic networks to businesses looking to springboard into Asia. 

SPECTRUM developed the tripartite partnership with Golden Equator and Mistletoe to bring together seven strategic groups – innovators, learning institutions, executors, backers, enablers, government agencies as well as ecosystem builders and partners to create synergised collaboration and pursue transformational initiatives. SPECTRUM’s international community and networks include key members from the seven strategic groups. 

These groups can empower fellow club members via access to enablement, validation, innovative ideas, capital, resources and strategic business networks. As an integral part of the offering, the SPECTRUM technology platform supercharges the connections between members both online and off. Beyond the human capital facilitating strategic business networks, the platform empowers members to collaborate and create true commercial value around the globe anytime and anywhere. 

The organisation has six focus sectors: financial, education, healthcare, fashion, food and housing. 

SPECTRUM will also welcome Mistletoe, a collective impact collective founded by Taizo Son, as a partner and one of its key resident members.

“Together with Golden Equator and Mistletoe, SPECTRUM wants to redefine how businesses can scale and grow. SPECTRUM curates an ecosystem that facilitates business-making across moments of a company’s growth journey, and we want to provide a powerful and accessible platform that is committed to empowering businesses of the future,” Lee said.

“Asia’s tremendous growth potential and momentum mean there are opportunities aplenty for companies old and new to innovate and succeed by being part of the right ecosystem with networks that could help grow their businesses in a meaningful way.”

As SPECTRUM’s key partner, Mistletoe will also base its first office in Asia outside of Japan at SPECTRUM. Taizo Son, its founder and a serial entrepreneur, was most recently appointed special advisor by Golden Equator.

“We decided to base Mistletoe’s first office in Asia outside of Japan at SPECTRUM because we are aligned in our strategic vision, along with Golden Equator, to revolutionise the business landscape and build an ecosystem through access, networks and connections,” Son said.

Since its launch, SPECTRUM has hosted a closed-door thought leadership roundtable discussion with technology and innovation industry leaders and a closed-door investor pitch session for its resident member C&R Healthcare’s eight Korean healthcare companies. The eight businesses connected with investors on potential investment, mentorship and guidance on strategic partnerships. 

Further into the year, SPECTRUM will develop more collaboration and partnership opportunities with government-level agencies in the region for its anchor member Golden Equator.

Huawei's inaugural Founders' Friday session in Singapore to feature Scott Bales

Source: Scott Bales website.

Huawei has begun a networking series, Founders' Friday, that connects entrepreneurs to the professional community to share insights, discuss challenges and brainstorm creative solutions that drive the digital community forward.

In the first of this series, presented by the HUAWEI Mate 9, leading digital and innovation executive Scott Bales will share key principles on building a culture of innovation and how companies can ensure there is innovation in the workplace. Bales is currently the MD of Singapore-based Innovation Labs Asia, and has over 10 years of international experience in innovation, thought leadership, implementation planning, and strategy.

The session will also be attended by head of Huawei Consumer Business Group Cheng Jiangfei, who has over eight years of experience with the Huawei group, overseeing development in Paris, France, Morocco and Singapore. He will be talking about Huawei's commitment to being at the forefront of innovation and plans for the company moving forward.

Interested?

Founders' Friday: Driving innovation with Scott Bales
Venue: Garage, Impact Hub, 128 Prinsep Street, #01-01, Singapore 188655
Date: 20 January 2017
Time: 6.30pm – 8pm

Register

Dell rolls out network switches for small businesses

Dell has enhanced its portfolio of networking solutions for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The new X-series family of smart managed switches and an expanded N-series family combine cost effective, enterprise-level network control with consumer-like ease.

The Dell Networking X-Series is a family of web-managed 1 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10GbE switches that offer flexible configurations. SMB customers can enjoy advanced network management without requiring professional IT support thanks to step-by-step wizards and customisable dashboards that make configuration, calibration and troubleshooting quick and accurate. This series is available starting in Singapore from 17 April (varies by model).

The Dell Networking N1500 family, available in the coming weeks, offers fully managed 1GbE switches optimised for smaller networks. SMBs can deploy a secure network that is optimised for VoIP and social environments, and prioritise network traffic for maximum efficiency.

Dell has also announced extended support for the W-series family of wireless access points and controllers. 

Dubai World Central welcomes UAE-Japan partnerships via Japan Trade Centre

Source: Dubai World Central. Khalid Abdulla, Vice President, Licensing, Registration & Permits Approval, Dubai World Central, Usama Saleh, Vice President, Land Planning and Development, Dubai World Central, with Shogo Ishida, Director, JTC DWC LLC, during the inauguration of the Japan Trade Centre at Dubai World Central in January 2015.

Japan Trade Centre (JTC), a private-sector business-to-business platform dedicated to promoting Japan’s small and medium enterprises across international markets, is now operational at the Business Park in Dubai World Central (DWC). 

JTC DWC will serve a growing body of Japanese SMEs in the UAE, spanning various industries such as machinery, construction materials, electronics, food and beverage, textiles and jewellery. JTC is linked to a pool of over 2,000 Japanese business partners – including manufacturers and traders of approximately 30,000 diverse products – who are poised to promote their business in Dubai.

Welcoming JTC, Rashed Bu Qara’a, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “As a gateway to the world, DWC is proud to open doors to the Japan Trade Centre. Located at the crossroads of three continents, we offer our business partners world-class infrastructure and a diverse, expanding economy.”

Shogo Ishida, Director of JTC DWC, said: “The UAE is Japan’s strategic trading partner and a natural springboard for its SMEs to enter the regional markets. The UAE has cultivated a fertile business ecosystem, which is why we chose to base the company in Dubai World Central. With our new offices, we are well positioned to support Japanese SMEs, many of which are actively looking to tap the Middle East as part of their growth trajectory.”

The establishment of JTC DWC is anticipated to further boost trade flows between the UAE and Japan, which totaled US$25.92 billion in the first half of 2014. In the same period, the UAE exports to Japan were worth US$21.34 billion while its imports amounted to US$4.59 billion, making the country Japan’s largest trading partner in the Arabian Gulf.

Japan’s 4.2 million SMEs are the nation’s wealth generators, representing 99.7% of its companies, 70% of the work force, and more than 50% of its manufacturing industry*.

*Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, September 2013.

Cowork at a beach resort, make new connections

Startup events and incubation programmes are typically local or held over short periods. The organisers of Coworking Camp are addressing the need to network farther afield for a longer time with an upcoming six-week programme that allows startups and digital nomads to network and develop business opportunities with likeminded individuals at a comfortable pace.

Source: Coworking Camp website.

“Even though new coworking spaces are opening every day, and there is a flurry of startup events and incubation programmes, it is sometimes difficult to make meaningful connections with other startups from different cities. Coworking Camp is specifically designed to let you meet founders that can help you to grow your network and to help each other to reach the next stage in your business. Plus it provides the opportunity to relax and recharge your batteries for a week or two,” says Matthias Zeitler, the Chief Coworker.

Coworking Camp was conceptualised by Romy Sigl, Owner, Coworking Salzburg, and Matthias Zeitler, Founder and CEO of MarkTheGlobe, a global search engine optimisation (SEO) company.

Many of the event formats used at Coworking Camp were invented at Coworking Salzburg. Sigl organised the first Coworking Camp in El Gouna, Egypt in March 2014. Thirty-nine entrepreneurs, startups and makers attended a week of networking and workshops, and the organisers say the outcome exceeded everyone's expectations, with strong relationships built and long-term collaborations begun.

For Coworking Camp Turkey, Coworking Camp provides a temporary coworking space at off-season rates at a five-star resort in Kemer, Turkey, by the beach. Participants may choose to stay the full six weeks from November 3 to December 15, 2014, or for a minimum of a week.

Source: Majesty Mirage Park Resort website.

Events held at Coworking Camp include speed networking, a Showtime presentation session, and group discussions, with ample time to focus on day-to-day work activities. Optional sightseeing activities are available on the weekends. 

Zeitler noted that Middle Eastern and Asian incubators have said that their Founders find Coworking Camp Turkey of interest as they can meet founders from Europe and also because it is easy for them to get a visa for Turkey. "We already have Middle Eastern and Asian startup registrations from Pakistan, UAE, and the Philippines," he said.

A ticket for three weeks costs €350 and includes a coworking membership, access to all events, and a fixed desk at an open desk area at the Majesty Mirage Park Resort.

Hotel accommodation and the cost of travel need to be paid separately. The organisers estimate that it would cost €400 for a week and €1,500 for six weeks for the all-inclusive hotel accommodation and the flight to the Antalya region in Turkey.