Gathering the fiercest startups from the Asia Pacific, the 2020 TOP100 is bigger and bolder than ever!

If you are a tech startup based in the Asia Pacific with a working prototype or product which you have launched to a market already, then the 2020 TOP100 APAC may just be the right programme for you.

The 2020 TOP100 APAC is a curated programme designed to discover, showcase, and accelerate the next generation of up-and-coming startups. By joining the programme, startups can enjoy unique perks such as being able to showcase their startup visions at the Echelon Asia Summit in Singapore, getting direct access to investors who are actively looking for startups, finding and connecting with one’s possible business matches, and so much more.

On top of that, by joining the 2020 TOP100 APAC, your startup stands the chance to win incredible prizes and the honour of representing your country as the TOP100 2020 champion. By being part of the programme, your startup automatically becomes a part of the TOP100’s formidable alumni network — which is already a prize in itself, given the diversity and track records of those who are also part of the network being well-within one’s reach.

“After winning TOP100, Softinn gained traction across ASEAN countries and globally,” said Jess Shen Lee, founder of Softinn. He added, “We were approached by quality investors further spurring our growth. We’re now in Indonesia and Vietnam because of TOP100.”

This is only one of the many examples of how TOP100 impacts many startups from the region for the better.

Why choose 2020 TOP100 APAC

From being able to pitch in front of APAC’s tech ecosystem on the crowd favourite TOP100 Stage during Echelon Asia Summit, to being able to access exclusive regional and international partnered programmes — joining TOP100 is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

With over 300 startups in its alumni network, over $120 million raised, 600 investors, and 20 global cities, joining 2020 TOP100 APAC means being sure that you are in good hands.

This is the best way to accelerate your company across Southeast Asia because of the funding opportunities made available to those who make the cut. Top corporates will also be on the lookout for possible business matching through the Forge programme.

Ultimately, joining the TOP100 means getting well within the radar of APAC’s top stakeholders who will be watching out for raw talent brimming from the highly anticipated TOP100 Stage at the 2020 Echelon Asia Summit.

The best part of it all? You can start preparing your pitch today because while we are still months away before 2019 ends, we are already accepting applications to the programme.

Interested applicants can sign up today for the chance to represent their country in the TOP100 stage in Singapore this coming 2020. Tech startups from all stages are welcome to join, as long as you’re based within the Asia Pacific, ready to pitch in English, and you are able to commit to the whole TOP100 programme all the way to Echelon Asia Summit in Singapore.

If you fit the bill, then sign up here and go up against the region’s best and brightest tech startups today. For more information on the matter, you may visit the 2020 TOP100 APAC today.

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It’s not an uncommon thing to see for a successful businessman making his way to politics as his final career destination (of doom?). But when it comes to gojek, an app we all love to use, really use, and now has come to a point where it’s impossible to go through the minutiae of daily life without it, the name Nadiem Makarim being announced as one of the sitting cabinets leaves such an aftertaste.

Here’s a 35-year old startup success story, an icon for all Millennials and Generation Z, someone whom they’re aspired to be and someone whom they look up to when catching an entrepreneurial bug. Makarim has been idolised and praised by the likes of generations that were born with technology as well as by those who catch up with technology to stay relevant.

It’s, quite simply, the one thing that makes all the fuss about religions and tolerance irrelevant. It gives a new perspective of what Indonesia can achieve if we put that aside.

Makarim’s move is a calculated one, albeit shocking for some. We gathered the sentiments we see around the media and our budding startup community to help you realise just how significant Makarim is and how he could be the dark horse that brings a new dawn to Indonesia’s education system in the next five years.

When your country calls you, you serve

Not sure where the quote was first heard or who said it first, but the quotes seem fitting.

In his own words to his staff, Makarim stated that him receiving the second term-elected President Jokowi’s mandate is “gojek’s next logical step”.

“We work together as a team for a greater good because as soon as it becomes about the individual, things begin to fall apart. Gojek thrives on talent and if Indonesia is to produce more high-quality talent, the country’s educational system is going to have to transform just like the one that began on the streets of Jakarta in 2010 (when gojek was first established),” Makarim is quoted saying.

Also Read: [Updated] Breaking: gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim resigns to join cabinet

“Our schools and academic institutions are going to have to meet the demands of our future economy. That’s why, when I received the mandate to be the Minister of Education and Culture, I knew it was something I had to do,” he concluded.

One of our group chat members pointed out a fairly good point about Makarim’s decision, saying it’s a “tricky timing for Gojek”. “Just as they’re trying to expand to new countries, their CEO left. It seems like slow progress over the year, especially with their Go-Viet head just left the company (again),” the person, who wishes to remain unnamed, said.

However, Rama Mamuaya, founder and CEO of DailySocial, Indonesia’s tech media company, pointed out that Makarim hasn’t been involved in a lot of days to day operations of Gojek for a long time anyway. “Andre Soelistyo, who is the CEO of Gojek Indonesia, does. Makarim was the CEO of Gojek Group. I don’t think it will impact the company as a whole,” Mamuaya said.

The sentiment is proven to be right, as Makarim’s staff email also pointed out Soelistyo as his successor, along with Kevin Aluwi. “I will leave Gojek in the capable hands of Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi as co-CEOs, both of whom have played central roles in moving the company along its path from that office in South Jakarta onto the global stage. They have been running this company for several years and I have complete faith not just in their technical skills and ability to execute flawlessly, but also in their integrity and their desire to do the right thing every step of the way,” the email reads.

Public and private sector’s intersection

On a more positive note, the Indonesian new cabinet just gained a fresh, forward-thinking mind, an original product of its tech industry.

The placement of the gojek’s CEO into government just sent a huge signal to investors about how open the country is to this kind of thinking. With Indonesia’s plenty of compelling business cases, the pairing of government and disruptive tech makes sense given Makarim’s position as an enabler for other new and young founders.

Critics also have been raving about the fact that Makarim has zero background in education. President Jokowi addressed the issue himself during a press conference on Thursday, October 24.

“There are around 300.000 schools and 50 million students in Indonesia. Makarim’s ability in management and applicative technology could help meet many needs of our country’s education system. Technology makes what used to be impossible possible, and this is something our education needs, a breakthrough,” said the President, as reported by Kompas.

However, some still need convincing that Makarim’s placement is not without a hidden agenda. Some pointed out that it could potentially end the long-standing competition between gojek and another unicorn that dominates Indonesia, Grab, with gojek taking the market as a whole, home.

Grab shared their official congratulations saying, “We congratulate our fellow industry disruptor, Nadiem Makarim on his appointment as Minister of Education & Cultural Affairs. As an inspiring figure to Indonesian youth, we believe he will bring innovative thinking and fresh ideas to elevate Indonesia’s education system.”

Highlighting on how education is the first sector to take care of if we want to see a change in a nation, Makarim also said that he’s looking forward to still carry gojek’s ethos into the government placement. “From the start, gojek’s ethos is all about acting in the best interests of Indonesia and Southeast Asia and making it an even better place to call home,” he ended his statement.

Transparency is more crucial than ever

Panhavuth Chan Heng, Chief Commercial Executive at BookMeBus Cambodia, bus ticket booking startup, pointed out that even if this is a hopeful move, lack of transparency is not tolerable at this point.

“This high-profile transition could set the scene for the new Public-Startup partnership in Southeast Asia as the region is becoming more dependent on the digital economy. I believe this joint force could be the cornerstone of exponential and sustainable growth. It remains interesting to see how it plays out as the market is still very competitive and any sign of bias could become highly sensitive if there is a lack of transparency within the cabinet,” Heng said.

Therefore, Makarim resigning is a good optic, said another anonymous thought leader in our startup group’s conversation.

“Makarim still needs to state that he will not exercise voting rights during his time in government’s office and that any decisions his office makes that can impact his company will have to be approved by the president. That way he can show that he doesn’t profit off it,” the person noted.

The move might be more convenient than the rest of us thought, but Makarim would be one of the firsts to secure such a role in the government, confirming the rumours that have been out there for quite some time.

Minister of Education and Culture

Despite the rejection from gojek’s drivers who made news on Tuesday, October 22, stating that gojek drivers aren’t in a relatively good state income-wise, Makarim was announced as Minister of Education and Culture on Wednesday, October 23.

Another member of our startup group further points out that indeed, education is one part of the bigger picture.

Also Read: [Updated] Breaking: Nadiem Makarim named Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia

“In a sense, you need a golden trinity – education (mindset), infrastructure (ecosystem), and environment (government regulation) for a good startup to thrive. I’d say to get each factor to close to 10/10 takes significant time, with mindsets being the hardest, since it’s generational,” the anonymous member said.

Anisa Menur, our Chief Editor, pointed out the obvious. “Indonesia’s ministry of education has been run by baby boomers for so long that they have lost sight of what is important for the future. With a fresh young mind like Nadiem, hopefully, it can come up with policies that fit what the students need.”

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NTUitive, Alex Lin also gave the nod on the sentiment. “Indonesia is working on mindset change on the country level. This hopefully can be a wakeup call to all the old politicians in the region.”

“What Indonesia will ignite is not just a war for tech talent, but talent. Good talents will see that Indonesia is now a place to change, to build, to be. Talents will flow there to build new business, to find like-minded people, and be with the growth,” Lin added, fueled with optimism.

The country has been considered as a huge growth machine for the Southeast Asia region, and it is coming out of its stealth mode. Some concerns were raised over the country’s notoriety in religious views that’s been blamed for delayed acceleration.

Jiaquan Lu, a freelance writer weighed in on the issue. “So long as religious and racial harmony and tolerances are in place, Indonesia is on a fast track of tech growth,” Lu said.

Aryo Ariotedjo, CEO of wellspaces group, a community-focussed property and service with wellness goal and investor from Indonesian B2B e-procurement startup Bizzy Group, also praised Makarim’s decision.

“Great move for the government! Makarim’s success in building gojek in less than 10 years to become our country’s unicorn will help him to develop more breakthroughs within the Ministry of Education. Hopefully, he will inspire a more agile and responsive style of governance within his department and other governmental bodies too.”

If you want to become a part of our Southeast Asia’s startup talks, please join our Telegram group here.
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When my co-founder, Fiona and I started SHOPLINE in 2013, we were fascinated by the potential of e-commerce and online marketplaces. With digital penetration rates rapidly increasing across the Asia Pacific region, we knew it wouldn’t be long before the trends of the West made their way to the East – and perhaps, with even greater force.

But I’d be lying if I said we imagined SHOPLINE would turn into what it is today. Our original concept was to create an online marketplace for Hong Kong businesses – yet in a few short years, our business shifted to become a smart commerce solutions provider, as opposed to a web-builder platform.

We branched into omnichannel and point-of-sale services to offer a more holistic shopping experience. Meanwhile, as of 2019, we have offices in Hong Kong, Taipei, Shenzhen, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur– and are even providing our merchants with the opportunity to expand into global markets.

We’d considered international expansion from as early as 2014, when we were selected as a member of the 500 Startup accelerator in Silicon Valley. After all, in our increasingly interconnected world, it only makes sense to think cross-borders.

But the prospect of expanding beyond your native market is daunting – particularly as a startup or small business. How do you know when the timing is right, or where to go? And how do you sustain momentum once you’re there?

Asia Pacific markets also present a unique challenge. Unlike Europe, which is united by regulatory frameworks, currency and is overall digitally mature, while APAC is fragmented. Our consumer habits, cultures and currencies are all different. Even the biggest multinational companies can struggle when entering the region because you cannot have a one-size-fits-all solution.

But then, it’s therein that lies opportunity. Startups and SMEs on the ground are more nimble, agile and culturally aware, leaving them better poised than the giants to charge ahead. Look no further than Grab’s successes against Uber. Internationalisation could well be your chance to beat competitors to the punch.

Based on our own experiences —both good and challenging – and the lessons we learned along the way, here are some tips I’d like to share for going global.

Learn everything about your new market

For each of our international office launches, there was a significant amount of preparation we undertook, including identifying local market needs, conducting foreign market research, and structuring a business plan while staying flexible to adjust product features and adapt to local customer needs.

1. Listen to your customers

When Fiona and I first launched the business, we would search for potential leads on Instagram to introduce our services, and ask questions on how we could better support their growth ambitions. We wanted to involve them in the shaping of our business and ensure they felt like they were part of the SHOPLINE story.

To this day, we still engage with our customers on a 1:1 basis to get their thoughts on what our next steps should be – this should go for any business pursuing aggressive growth. Listen to your customers and get feedback, treat them as collaborators and partners, and take the time to understand their challenges. It may sound obvious, but it’s easier said than done. It requires a close relationship and time commitment.

Indeed, one of the reasons we eventually chose to expand our global footprint was based on feedback from our merchants, who wanted to seek cross-border opportunities. My advice is to stay humble and have your customers’ interests at heart, eventually, you’ll be able to find that perfect slot.

2. Conduct research and watch carefully for opportunities

In SHOPLINE’s case, the opportunity was clear. We know there’s a wave of rapid digital penetration in the Asia Pacific market, which in turn makes having an online presence a necessity–not a nice-to-have.

Also Read: How to scale your e-commerce company from zero to $100M

For example, in Malaysia where we most recently expanded, the government has ambitions to double e-commerce revenues, which would see the industry contribute up to RM$21.1 billion (US$5.1 billion) in GDP by 2020. To achieve this, the government has offered a tax exemption for products valued under RM500 (US$120) and loosen the restrictions on B2C import items. And as a transportation hub for Southeast Asia, Malaysia is expected to lead the development of cross-border e-commerce in other ASEAN markets.

However, according to the Department of Statistics (DOSM), little over a third (37.8 per cent) of Malaysian organisations have a web presence. This is a big gap that needs filling.

3. Consider your cultural fit

For your first international venture, it’s also worth keeping in mind your own heritage. Selecting the right market is perhaps the most challenging task in the process. Blindly investing in new markets is a huge risk. So I’d always recommend selecting countries that share a similar background to your home market, in terms of language or culture.

In our case, we first expanded from Hong Kong to Taiwan. Our shared traits and market characteristics helped with lowering the barrier to entry and gaining an effective understanding of how to nuance our products and services for local merchants.

4. Localise your product offering

Of course, there are still many differences between Hong Kong and Taiwan – not least of all, in terms of language. So you can’t expect to offer the exact same service and product wherever you go, especially if you want to demonstrate how much you value your customer relationships.

As such, be ready to adapt your offering to cater to local nuances, whether that’s the language you use, the way you market your products, the prices you set, or even certain functions.

Take McDonalds for example – as well as the standard cheeseburgers and fries, its menu offers localised options that are uniquely made for the market or region. Think of the Nasi Lemak Burger, Bandung and Durian ice creams, or simply being able to order rice with your meal. These aren’t things available in Europe or the States.

In our case, wherever we launch SHOPLINE, we immediately prioritise the securing partnerships with local payment gateways and logistics providers. In Taiwan, this meant integrating with LINEPay, while in Hong Kong, our users can complete their purchases with PayMe – both popular payment options among local shoppers, but not necessarily further afield.

5. Hire locally

The reality is that for all your research and customer feedback, there are bound to be things an audit won’t unveil. So you need to be there, absorbing the business culture to develop a strategic plan.

When we enter new target markets, we always seek to hire locally. This enables us to gain new insights into the local competitive landscape and customer behaviour; and build networks and partnerships to navigate potential problems with greater ease. In turn, this usually translates to higher operational efficiency and better customer satisfaction rates.

Also Read: How do you grow your startup? Take some advice from 4 experts in digital marketing

Soft launches are also a great way to test the water and review your strategy over time. This was the method we adopted for our expansion into Malaysia, giving ourselves a six-month runway to work with a selected group of launch merchants, and understand their needs and requirements compared to other markets.

Taking the plunge: What to do once you’ve arrived, and maintaining momentum

Once we’d made our decision and committed to a launch, it was important that we gathered a team we could trust to be our eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring we were keeping on top of emerging trends and merchant needs to prepare for the future.

6. Decentralise to offer greater autonomy

If you have a team on the ground, decentralisation will allow local offices to take charge of the marketing and sales strategies in their markets, which helps in facilitating the process of expansion.

That’s not to say headquarters shouldn’t be involved—you want to retain brand identity across all offices. But the more you expand, the less time you’ll have to look at the finer details, so as a business owner, make sure your team is on the side, and excited at the prospect and hungry for growth, enabling you to prioritise the bigger picture.

If you’re stringent during the hiring process, you can ensure you find individuals who relish a challenge, share both your business’ values and company culture, and are capable to lead the charge in their respective country. This has the added benefit of giving employees a greater sense of authority and accountability when it comes to their work. Success will be a group effort.

7. Enable cross-border collaboration

That said, you’ll often have projects which involve multiple markets and require your employees to work together cross-borders. Having an effective structure in place can facilitate that collaboration.

We are fans of Scrum – the process management framework – when we have international projects underway. Essentially, Scrum ensures that each project has an appointed product owner, scrum master, and team.

The product owner ensures that actions are clearly communicated, decides what needs to be done and sets priorities; the scrum master monitors progress, facilitates meetings and removes any distractions; and the team executes the work to achieve the set goal.

8. Avoid complacency

After successfully rolling out the product, ensure you spend time reinforcing the quality of your product or service on a regular basis. Look no further than the iPhone’s decline in the Chinese market as rival, local phone brands garner favour with the population. If there’s a business opportunity to be had, it won’t be long until others attempt to ride the wave — you need to stand above the rest.

Also Read: Business scaling 101: What is scaling and how to scale

Depending on your sector, this may well involve introducing new products or services to provide a wider range of services to existing customers, as well as potentially enabling you to engage new audiences.

For example, at SHOPLINE, we noticed that there are a variety of channels that merchants use to reach out to audiences, including brick-and-mortar stores, online stores, and social media sales pages. As such, we rolled out O2O (online to offline) solutions that help to aggregate data and sales information from all these platforms, so that our merchants can analyse their sales across different channels, and provide their customers with an omni-channel experience.

9. Commit

Finally, demonstrate that you intend to stick around. Coming in as a foreign organisation, local customers may doubt your commitment to the country so building trust is essential. It could be as simple as marketing campaigns, but you may wish to consider other initiatives, such as committing to education in the market, or working with industry bodies on the ground.

Announcing office launches are only the beginning of your venture into new territory, and just as you size up the market, the market is also sizing you up. After building that trust, stakeholders and potential customers will view you in a more favourable light, which will widen your footprint, and establish a strong foothold.

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When deciding whether to hire in-house public relations or engage an agency, there are a few factors to consider. Having worked in both roles myself, I am a strong believer in companies of all shapes and sizes engaging a PR agency on a retainer or at the very least a project basis (i.e. bringing them on during specific periods when you need them).

The question is really whether you need an in-house communications team at all. For smaller firms, the answer is almost always no. For larger firms, the answer is almost always yes – but that is in addition to an agency, not as a substitute for one. Let’s break this down a bit further.

Cost versus output/productivity

 

Firstly, most small businesses will not have enough PR, communications, or marketing work to justify multiple (or in some cases even one) full-time hire, eight hours a day, five days a week, 365 days a year. Having been there myself, I can tell you that small businesses just do not have enough internal demand to justify the cost and relatively little output achieved from a single hire, who will without exception have a more limited skillset than an entire agency – and at a comparable monthly cost to the company.

I have heard many business owners concerned that hiring an agency for a few hours a week does not make sense when they can pay someone the same price and have them working for their business in house all day, every day. My question to them is: Yes, but how many hours of the day are they actually working? This can be a hard reality to face up. The cost of labour has an associated cost of output or productivity. On that metric, the agency wins almost every time.

Think about it, what is an agency? It is a group of professionals, in this case in public relations, who work on a transparent model where they either bill by the hour or, more commonly today, by deliverables achieved. This could be a press release, a media interview, or a piece of content developed and placed in a business magazine or newspaper. There is no clearer metric for cost and associated output than that. This is on top of the broader – and more valuable – counsel they provide on messaging, positioning, and strategy.

Also Read: 10 signs your company is not ready for Public Relations

At this point I want to take a quick detour so that we understand the concept of cost centres versus profit centres, because it is important to this part of the discussion:

Unlike in a business with an in-house PR person where that individual constitutes a cost centre (i.e. they are not directly responsible for sales or generating company revenue), in an agency the consultants working on an account are profit centres in their own right because they are servicing the agency’s clients. They are directly linked to that economic activity (output of goods or services for capital). What this ultimately means is that if relatively little is delivered from the in-house role, the person in that role knows it is not directly tied to the company’s financial performance or revenues either way.

In an agency, things are different: the fear or underservicing a client and therefore losing out on revenue is much more acute. It means there is more economic (money makes the world go round) alignment with the agency model for delivering good work than the in-house model. That’s just the way business and economics works.

Finally, the agency will also absorb the costs of industry-standard software and databases that it subscribes to as part of its client services – costs which a business would be wont to invest in for an in-house team, but which are nonetheless very vital to delivering the best standard of work and results possible.

Next, let’s look at skillset.

Also Read: Save it for a rainy day: How startups can handle media crisis like a pro

Skillset

 

I referenced this earlier, and it is really very simply: an agency will always bring more skills to the table than even a fairly large in-house team. This is especially true for agencies that operate across geographies and can tap on relationships and expertise in different markets. But even if both the agency and in-house team are operating in a single market, the agency still wins out on the skills side in most cases.

That is because agencies hire a variety of skills sets that are needed across the consulting businesses, from digital marketing to media relations, from content specialists to crisis communications. This means that they can “activate” the necessary skillset on different accounts, as and when the need arises.

The client benefits because demand for certain skills can be ramped up or down throughout the year, but they also save costs because it would not make sense to have a crisis expert, say, on a full-time salary when a business may only need his or her specialist skillset from time to time. The same goes for all sorts of other areas within the PR toolkit.

Therefore, the cost and associated output of activating agency specialists when necessary actually represents a cost saving rather than an additional expense for a client, something I wish more business owners would understand. And the value of getting a moment of crisis or large company announcement dealt with properly and professionally, versus things falling apart or being underdelivered due to inadequate in-house skills, is something that will stick to the business’s reputation for years to come.

So, we can also see why agencies win over in-house nine out of ten times on the skills question – it is about economies of scale, diverse specialists available at the flip of a switch, and lower costs of tapping on those skills relative to the results achieved versus full-time in-house hires.

Also Read: In democracy, social media is the fruit of the poisoned tree

Ideas

 

I am calling this section ideas, because that is what it boils down to – but you could equally call it “creativity” or any other number of synonyms. The point is, PR is ultimately about one thing: communicating ideas effectively. There will always be multiple ways to tell a story, just as there are lots of different ways to write the headline of a newspaper or journal article (a headache for journalists). But which of all the options is superior, and how do you know?

That is where brainstorming, experience, a nose for a good story, and a sense of the news cycle comes into the equation. The advantage most agencies have here, again, over an in-house team is that there are multiple PR professionals on any given account who can brainstorm narratives and angles together. They can also tap the experience of colleagues on different accounts in diverse industries, and sometimes share media opportunities amongst themselves – especially when one might not be suitable to client A, but is perfect for client B.

When combined with feedback from the client and their in-house team, this dynamic tends to result in the best of both worlds: an idea-meritocracy of sorts.

This brings me to my second point linked to ideas, which is that advisory is the intangible part of the client-agency relationship that is not explicitly billed for on timesheets or contracts, but is always available through meetings, phone calls, and emails. If you need feedback on an idea, you can ask the agency for their thoughts at no charge, and the advice you receive will always be professional and dependable.

With an in-house team, internal company politics and other challenges can often prevent the best ideas winning out or honest opinions being surfaced, which is necessary for a truly effective advisory relationships – something that is true whether it applies to finance, fitness, or public relations.

Also Read: Social media isn’t child’s play, it’s a vital marketing tool

If an agency thinks a company’s campaign idea is weak or an announcement will not deliver media results the client is expecting, then it is in their best interest to advise them as such. If a project goes ahead and the results are underwhelming, it does not reflect well on the agency as the advisor and it does not bring any benefits to the client, so agencies are unlikely to take that route.

Ultimately, agencies are economically and professionally aligned to give honest feedback about ideas and come up with the best ideas they can, even when it means the right thing to do is to advise the client not to go ahead with a project – and even when doing so may mean less business for the agency.

Conclusion

These have been some of my thoughts on the question of public relations agencies versus in-house. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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Image Credit: Oleg Laptev on Unsplash

The post How startups should approach public relations appeared first on e27.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but there are brands I deliberately avoid. In this world of perpetual distraction, loyalty is a much talked about subject, but disloyalty rarely gets the airtime it deserves. This is a problem. Loyalty is often transactional in nature. Only few brands manage to create true advocacy among their customers. Advocacy requires the customer to proactively associate with a brand’s reason for being, and few companies achieve that at scale. Anti-loyalty is much more easily generated, typically highly emotional and very detrimental to business.

Many people believe loyalty is about capturing repeat transactional behaviours, but this perspective is flawed. During my Honours Bachelor back in university, I researched the motivations triggering loyalty program participation. We like to build habits to simplify everyday life, but that’s only the surface.

Most loyalists, we found, look to achieve one specific emotional goal: They are either maximisers that enjoy the goal progression to a reward, or social caregivers that look to maximise contributions to their family or group. While not exhaustive, these motivations show that loyalty is a very personal subject. It explains why many people passionately hate certain brands they’ve had a bad interaction with, but few put the same energy and emotion into the names they habitually purchase.

This matters greatly in a world where most of us have very little control over the things people say about us. Anybody can voice their opinion online, give ratings and reviews, endorse us and promote their views around what we do, whether we like it or not. This means we are well-advised to give people as little incentive as possible to emotionally condemn our work and business. But how? Ironically enough it comes back to purpose.

Also Read: Why trust is the biggest barrier to entrepreneurship and innovation

Those with the genuine purpose to build towards a better world need not worry so much about transactional loyalty, because they are the candidates most likely to benefit from genuine advocacy. Companies and people focused on transactional loyalty must perpetually find ways to hack our decision-making so we build habits around their products. Financial or product incentives are the weapon of choice here, and with enough coupons and discounts in the mix we start to believe that loyalty to Product X is a good way of satisfying our deeper and less obvious needs. Except this does not work for everyone.

Hardly any of the loyalty programmes currently out there are properly designed around the personal emotional needs we seek to satisfy through brand loyalty. Transactional approaches get the job done, but miss the point. The transactional and faceless approach to customer interaction and loyalty looks nice in theory, but is spectacularly misguided.

As many have argued, we think of brands and companies just like people. This is precisely why we are best advised to build relationships with customers beyond a chain of transactions. Put simply, the anti-loyalist feels offended by the anonymity and sterility involved in having to deal with companies that are incapable or reluctant to cater to their needs, and dissociates him- or herself from those brands through a hostile attitude.

Also Read: 10 amazing reasons why you should hire for incompetence

Interestingly, the troves of passive loyalists many companies have acquired through their programmes over the years are very likely to be influenced by Anti-Loyalists. Loyalists see brands just like ants living in symbiosis with acacia trees – they stick around in exchange for regular doses of nectar. There’s little passion involved in their behaviour, and the trust they have in the brand is transactional in nature. This means Anti-Loyalists are potent predators to many businesses.

This is true even for brands with high NPS. NPS approximates whether someone would recommend Brand X when prompted, but has almost nothing to say about the significance that person attaches to the product, service or company. Few brands have a solid count of true ambassadors among their loyalty base that passionately advocates for what they do. The ones that have achieved it, quite logically, are iconic household names.

All of this means two things: First, companies that are transactional and nondescript in their approach to customers, and visibly lacking purpose in their business, will have a hard time remaining relevant in future. Second, investing in true purpose and a relationship-focused strategy for customer engagement is more satisfying and rewarding for everyone involved.

–

This article previously appeared on LinkedIn

Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Join our e27 Telegram group here, or our e27 contributor Facebook page here.

Image Credit: Getty Images

 

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Singapore was recently declared as the top performing smart city in the world, outperforming major cities like San Francisco, Seoul, London and New York. Yet, this achievement can only be lauded if the move towards smart cities creates a net positive value for humanity and the planet.

There is no question that smart cities are in vogue with governments across the world today as the overall market size for smart cities is projected to grow from US$308 billion in 2018 to US$717.2 billion by 2023 globally.

While this is an overall positive development for the world, we need to acknowledge the fact that if not done right, the rise of smart cities may turn out to be one of the toughest challenges of our time.

Smart Cities – polluting our future?

Alarmingly, up to 4.2 million deaths occur yearly as a result of exposure to air pollution and 91 per cent of the world’s population currently live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits – and that is just for air pollution alone.

The rapid rate of industrialisation, driven by the appetite for smart city development, is exacerbating the problem of pollution in many parts of the world.

Proliferation of data centres and IoT control towers – core components of smart cities – places an incredible strain on existing infrastructure, leading a rise in carbon emission as well as land pollution.

As countries race ahead in their bid to accelerate smart city development through industrialisation, the environment and ultimately humanity is paying the price for this phenomenon. This is most clearly seen in Asia, where 99 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities hail from this region and environmentalists have sounded the alarm as pollutant levels continue to increase across Asia.

Also Read: As the tech ecosystem matures, Echelon is here to navigate the future

The answer to this challenge should lie in the smart cities themselves. By harnessing technology – the very same force that is driving smart city development and environmental degradation – we can tackle pollution right at its source. Through ideas such as leveraging existing infrastructures instead of erecting new ones, technology such as smart energy grids can be inbuild to current buildings to collect, analyse and manage energy and other data.

Leveraging government to governent collaborations

However, it is important to understand that technology alone will not solve the problem of pollution. Similarly, a smart city by itself will not impact the environment as much as a regional network of smart cities would.

The problem of pollution is a global one and to address this, we need a collaborative approach between cities and countries so synergies between multiple parties can potentiate the environmental benefits of technology.

For instance, the recent Singapore-Nanjing Special Projects Cooperation Panel (SCNP) saw both cities signing agreements in water management and clean tech solutions in line with Nanjing’s plan to curb pollution and drive the growth of ecological economy.

In doing so, solutions provider from the private sector will be able to tap on the advanced technological ecosystem in Nanjing, using it for test-bedding, and if successful, scaling it for the wider region.

Government to government (G2G) collaborations such as the SCNP allows cities to learn from one another, harmonising efforts while working towards one common goal. This will in turn cut down overlapping work while freeing up resources, ensuring only the most efficient and commercially viable solution is developed and brought to the market.

Some of the key drivers towards smarter and greener cities would also involve the agreement between governments to pass environmental-friendly mandates such as universal standards for green buildings.

This requires significant efforts on the policy, legal and logistics front as it is often challenging to align two different bureaucracies. Transparency and constant communication will be vital for meaningful G2G collaborations, particularly around the development of common standards and approach towards addressing environmental issues.

Smart Cities Network (SCN) is currently working on the region’s first ‘Digitally-Twinned Smart Cities’ which will be tested as a pilot project involving Singapore, Jakarta, Cauayan City (Philippines) and cities in the West Java Digital Province in Indonesia.

Also Read: An open letter to the Almost But Never Quite There

It aims to address existing and emerging challenges of food and energy security issues, natural disasters, economic development, business and technology disruptions, as well as other global issues affecting the region.

Through this, we hope to get insights and a better understanding of the current state of the cities, analyse the data captured, and subsequently develop solutions across the participating cities to address their problems.

In doing so, we can improve the quality of life of the city dwellers, inject dynamism into the economy while minimising the ecological impact of our economic activities.

—

For more on how we can achieve smarter and greener cities, and what the future of such cities will look like, join me on my panel titled ‘Future Cities Panel – Building the Foundations of Smart Cities and Beyond’ at ConnecTechAsia2019 Summit, Day 1, 18 June at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Photo by Holger Link on Unsplash

 

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Dear Sir/Madam Almost But Never Quite There,

This is an open letter to the hustlers. The beginners with dreams. The five-year-in-experience grinders. The happy-but-stuck-in-a-rut office rats.

If you can’t help but daydream about having your own kickass startup one day, this is for you.

This is also for you, the person with multiple side projects because you either need more money or you caught the entrepreneurial bug. It can be frustrating to treat a dream half-heartedly, like a not-so-enthusiastic date.

This is for you, who check domain names regularly just in case someone else might already launch the idea. You know that there are no new things under the sun, but you also know that offering something different is needed in this cruel, cruel startup world.

You’ve lost count at how many ideas you scribbled on your Google Keep as they piled up and got lost in daily life.

You are a grown-up with real responsibilities and betting it all to prove just one optimistic idea might work sounds a little too gutsy, borderline insane.

Also Read: This Machine Learning startup helps breast cancer patients customise treatment, predicts risk of recurrence

Maybe you are an active participant in the zoo of, “almost but never quite there”. You get to meet inspiring entrepreneurial people, but when it comes to fulfilling this one crazy idea that keeps you awake at night, you chicken out.

You find dozens of reasons to delay the business until it’s a little too late to actually start. Funny, it’s called startup because you have to start somewhere, but you just won’t.

You hope that no one else will think of the idea because you feel in your heart it will be the next big thing. You have a recurring vision of the company being successful, but then again it’s just a dream.

You have online documents detailing of what sorts of business it would be, what market it would serve, you do know which competitors have started carving out share in your intended market, and you’re even going so far as conducting a mock survey to see people’s reaction to your ideas.

But even after doing these tasks, you’ve gone only so far because you always find a flaw and have to start over.

The thing is, you know all too well that you gotta start somewhere. All that do your homework blah blah blah…

But the thought of it might get big or might be crushed, along with the capital you dug out from your own pocket are too overwhelming. “That money can be used for something else that is yours to take care of, if only you’re not so stubbornly selfish,” says the nagging voice in your head.

The thought of leaving the safety of a safe, well-paying job for something so uncertain is another enemy. Comfort is our enemy, but comfort is also this killing creature that has provided a safe home for us (I’m looking at you, Stockholm Syndrome).

This is for you: You’re not a freak overachiever for desiring more.

Also Read: Founding a startup: You think you’re ready, but are you really ready?

You’re not a selfish dreamer, just a fearful one. Your fears are legitimate and your grownup responsibilities are not a joke, especially if you have a family to manage.

I won’t get started on regrets, because I believe you understand the cause and effect in this matter. The ’cause’ is not doing anything, and the effect is not getting anything (duh). You know it well and don’t need preaching.

This is for you, with dreams you can’t afford just yet.

Be patient.

I won’t say keep dreaming because it’s vague (and low-key mean). I will say this: hang on.

When ideas come at you like a whiplash, contain them. Write them down.

If you must wait for your time, wait patiently and diligently. Do your homework (prepare, save money for bootstrapping, network, and all that startup 101). You never know where it might get you.

As corny as it sounds, I believe in “doing your part will yield good outcomes”. Maybe not right away, maybe not in the way we might imagine, but we will reap.

In the meantime, if you love your job and it helps you keep your grown-up responsibilities, please stay at it. Not all of us are meant to be a dropout success story. It is an unwise bet.

Also Read: AI-powered NeuroTags helps businesses eliminate counterfeits of their products from the market

If you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to tell you that if you don’t have the guts, then it is impossible to start up.

That’s it, that’s the essence of this writeup.

Thanks for staying along with this far in this post, you fantastic beast.

Sincerely,

Your fellow ideas hoarder who haven’t got the balls and take her time while simultaneously being anxious about running out of time, me.
–

Photo by Trent Szmolnik on Unsplash

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Last week, Japanese consumer finance giant Credit Saison announced the launch of its corporate venture capital (CVC) arm Saison Capital, that is set to invest up to US$55 million to early-stage startups in India and Southeast Asia (SEA).

The move complements the company’s existing foray in the regional tech ecosystem, where it has invested in major names such as Shopback and Grab. It has also been a limited partner in various funds such as Cyberagent Ventures, East Ventures, Gree Ventures and Beenext.

To understand more about the firm’s investment philosophy and plans for startups in the region, e27 reached out to Chris Sirisereepaph, Partner at Saison Capital.

The following is an edited excerpt of the interview:

Can you explain Credit Saison’s motivation to launch its own venture fund, in addition to its existing partnerships and investments in the tech scene?

One trend we have observed in the equity financing landscape is that well known VC funds that were originally seed-stage funds have now raised larger funds and started placing more emphasis on later-stage rounds. While a good signal that the ecosystem is growing, it created a situation where founders had limited options when it comes to institutional investors willing to invest at the seed stage.

Also Read: Singapore’s MatchMove Pay raises funding from Japan’s Credit Saison

This was also a gap in our own financing ecosystem, as while we had a good track record of deploying growth-stage capital into startups such as Shopback and Grab, we had not deployed seed-stage capital on our own before.

Our own decision-making process internally was also not appropriate for doing seed deals, where founders prioritise speed over most other factors. Hence, we decided to create a new vehicle with a specific mandate to target seed deals, with a quick decision-making process and a team that can relate well to the founders we want to work with.

Ultimately we believe that while there is higher risk, investing at the seed stage also puts us at the forefront of the innovations happening in the region.

What notable trends do you see happening in the region’s fintech space lately, and how do you plan to tap into it?

SEA has an advantage in that you can look at the trends that have happened in China and India, and try to work out if those trends may happen here as well. For example, Indonesia has seen a boom in alternative lending over the last two to three years. What usually follows is startups emerging to target other financial services such as personal finance management, insurance and other investment products.

One outcome of this trend is that companies with a core business in a non-fintech space start thinking of how to integrate this range of financial services into their platform to better serve the users in their ecosystem. They could do this on their own, or they could partner up with any one of these emerging pure-play fintech players. For pure-play fintech players, this solves a big problem for them: Customer acquisition cost.

Also Read: MatchMove acquires stake in P2P lender MoolahSense to strengthen its SME financing capabilities

This is the core of our thesis and the reason the fund has a sector agnostic mandate.

We anticipate that most startups with data and customer reach will have an extent of fintech integration eventually. These founders will be experts in their verticals, but where we can complement them would be our deep expertise in financial services in developing markets as an institution, and our team having had fintech operational experience as well.

Can you explain your investment philosophy? What are the qualities that you look for in a founder or potential investment?

We are thesis-driven, so we form a thesis around a vertical or business model before making an investment. This means that when we find suitable founders who believe in the same thesis, we can move very quickly and conclude the investment with funds transferred within a couple of weeks from the first meeting.

As to what we would define as “suitable”, I would say we look for founders who are ambitious when it comes to thinking about scaling, and also data-driven when it comes to making decisions despite the chaotic environment most startups will operate in.

As our fund is an evergreen vehicle, we are not in a hurry to exit the investment but plan to work with our founders for as long as we can still add value to them. Hence, some level of personal chemistry must also be there, and the founders should also be certain they will enjoy working with the Saison Capital team over the next few or many years.

Also Read: Indonesia’s Investree to launch in the Philippines, set up new subsidiaries

Financial inclusion is a big mission for your firm and its portfolio. What do you think is the greatest hurdle to achieve it? How do you plan to solve it?

My personal belief is that technology is both the greatest hurdle and the greatest solution. It depends on who wields the tool and how it is used.

While access is the key to inclusion, more conversations need to be had around what type of products or services create positive social impact and should have increased access. It is also important to be aware if the access is artificial and generated by subsidising or mispricing the product, rather than possible and sustainable because technology has lowered costs.

What this means for us is that we back founders who have a consciousness of whether their product encourages financially productive behaviour. For founders that believe in that, they can be assured that we will be aligned with them as an investor. Koinworks, our portfolio company that provides financing to underbanked businesses is a good example of that.

—

Image Credit: Saison Capital

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In the food and beverages industry, most of the innovation is centred around delivery and takeaway, but it is just 20 per cent of the global US$3.5 trillion markets, as per an estimate. Approximately US$2.5 trillion sales are through in-dining, yet there hasn’t been any significant innovation to bring about a drastic change to customer engagement and experience.

“We have a startup in the making, which focuses on creating an exciting future for diners,” says its founder Mohd Wassem. “Easy Eat is working on creating a solution to transform restaurants into a technology company.”

Easy Eat is an Artificial Intelligence startup. Using its QR-based solution, which will be available with its restaurant partners, in-dining guests can browse menus online, search for items, and review description and nutrition value. Patrons will also be able to place and track orders, make payments through an integrated interface and keep a record of their dining history.

“It will make dining a more interactive experience, giving customers better control over what they buy and customise rather than being restricted by the restaurant’s creativity, or lack of it,” he adds.

Also Read: An open letter to the almost but never quite there

On the other side, restaurants can save time and money and better manage the footfall. They will also have access to advanced user analytics (the equivalent of Google Analytics for offline businesses). It will give a fillip to their marketing intelligence, customer strategy and business efficiency, claims Wassem who recently quit his previous venture Bobble Keyboard, which provides an AI keyboard app for smartphones.

“While this innovation may not compete with restaurants as an alternate supplier, it certainly has a vast potential to transform the way customers buy and experience dining. Restaurants don’t have to incur any additional cost to use the solution. More importantly, this will increase their bottom-line by 40 per cent,” he elaborates.

Easy Eat, which will have offices in Singapore and Malaysia, primarily targets the Southeast Asian market, the size of which is approximately US$100 billion. Majority of the people prefers eating out; in some countries, more than 90 per cent of the people consume at least one meal outside a day. Plus, the region has a high female working population.

“I see a big opportunity in Southeast Asia, where 40-50 per cent of the working population is female. In countries like Malaysia and Singapore, the average money spent on dining out is approximately US$200 per month,” he says. “Plus, diners are cost-, time- and health-conscious. I see a lot of time is spent on non-dining activities, like scanning menu, understanding menu, waiting for the bill and change. This presents an opportunity for us.”

According to him, there is enough innovation happening in food, health and payment. Now is the time to bring them together on a common platform and create an engaging experience for users.

Easy Eat, which plans to commercially roll out in January 2020, has already started signing agreements with a few restaurants  — local and international chains — in Singapore and Malaysia.

As for revenues, Easy Eat will take a transaction fee from the restaurant (a fixed slab-based fee for every item ordered through the solution). It will also have a revenue-sharing agreement with payment gateways and will charge a subscription fee for advance analytics.

“I foresee a competition from existing players in the delivery space, but I am confident that I can partner with a few of them to better serve customers,” he says.

Easy Eat has already received financial commitments from a few angels, who had supported him in his earlier venture. “We look forward to closing our first round by the end of November,” he says.

The post AI startup Easy Eat aims to transform restaurants into tech firms and make dining more interactive appeared first on e27.

When you think of Southeast Asia, would you think of food? Even if you’re not a foodie, these days technology has made food to be more than a necessity; it’s a content you follow and graze offline and online.

On top of that, Southeast Asian cuisine is something that we, Southeast Asian, can agree on as the region’s most prized possession.

That’s why it’s only natural when the region’s tech explosion resulting indirectly to many startups focussed on food starting to emerge. Food tech is on the rise, simply because everyone needs food to survive, and food has become more and more satisfying thanks to social media and technology.

Our first stop in this culinary tech tribute is in Cambodia and Myanmar, two countries that are in their nascent stage of establishing a startup economy but filled with a food culture that the tech world shouldn’t let pass by.

Cambodia

In a recent tech startup report by Capital Cambodia, the country is still deemed young for its startup scene to be able to compete at a regional stage. The report further stated that this is partly because of its “relatively small population and economy with a small local market”.

The report continues that Cambodia’s startup scene is on its way to leaning towards more diverse and digitally focused entrepreneurship, particularly in the tech industry because of the support that the private sector, nonprofit organisations, and the government have given.

For food tech, Cambodia has one consistent player that’s been backed multiple times and put the country on the regional map. Meal Temple Group.

Meal Temple

Meal Temple Group was founded in 2013, during the early days of Cambodia’s tech ecosystem. It boasts a local business model and operations that Founder of Meal Temple Group, Maxime Rosburger said has allowed it to beat Rocket Internet-based ventures in the past and other big players.

Last year in October, Meal Temple Group raised a six-figure round from private Australian and European investors. The amount was undisclosed.

Also Read: Meet the 10 startup finalists competing for Future Food Asia’s US$100K prize

In June, Meal Temple Group announced a strategic equity investment into Freshgora.com, an on-demand food and grocery delivery startup in Myanmar.

Recently in September, the group announces its entry to Bhutan via an investment in Thimphu-based DrukRide, an online bus ticket booking platform. Meal Temple will deploy its tech and operations locally through its food delivery unit DrukFood.

In the same month, it also launched the DriveUp app, its ride-hailing extension in Vientiane, Laos.

The group operates food delivery service Meal Temple and Grocery Delivery Asia

Grocery Delivery Asia

On its platform, Grocery Delivery Asia’s mission statement reads “to deliver the future of food in Cambodia and save time to our food lover community for the things that matter”.

It is, quite simply, a groceries and home essential product delivery service just like what the name giveaways. It allows a 7 day-a-week delivery in the customer’s chosen time slot and offers the same prices with the shop with more promotions.

It started with Meal Temple’s food delivery service before the group realised the need of having a certain marketplace to provide grocery in town as a gateway to the option of cooking rather than just ordering food from restaurants with Meal Temple.

Nham24

Nham24 is another app-based food ordering and delivery platform operating in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The company said that it was initially built because its founder wanted to enjoy coffee without going out into the crowded streets of Phnom Penh.

Long story short, Nham24 has grown to partner with over 400 restaurants, mostly in Phnom Penh, allowing web or mobile app orders for food and drink delivery from nearby restaurants. It offers payment options with cash upon delivery or using e-payment.

Compare to Meal Temple, Nham24 is just three years old. Right now, the company plans to accelerate its service by launching a grocery delivery service.

Nham24 was one of nine startups that showcased its business in Echelon’s Cambodia Pavilion, a roadshow part of e27’s annual Echelon Asia Summit back in June 2018. Echelon’s Cambodia Pavilion had the support of Cambodia Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the National Institute of Posts, Telecoms, and ICT, and Smart Axiata.

Delishop.Asia

Delishop.Asia describes its business as an online supermarket and grocery and other consumer goods delivery of Cambodians, clocking numbers of 8,000 products from more than 40 suppliers.

Just a few days ago, Phnom Penh Post reported that it has received an early-stage equity fresh capital from Phnom Penh-based venture capital firm Obor Capital Co Ltd. The deal also includes the acquisition of Delishop Asia’s secondary shares.

The next in the pipeline for the company helmed by founder and CEO Julien Nguyen is to use the funds to develop a more user-centric and scalable web portal, as well as Android and iOS apps, which are scheduled to be launched by the end of the year.

Obor Capital’s sister company, CamboTicket has also acquired a minority stake in the business. Together with Obor Capital, CamboTicket will provide strategic support to Delishop.Asia in key functional areas.

Also Read: [Exclusive] Foodtech startup Ai Palette gets US$1M seed funding from Decacorn Capital, others

The company’s backer, Obor Capital, is one of the very few active seed-stage venture capital firms investing in Cambodia. In the past, the firm focusses on technology startups engaged in areas such as Online Travel and also in offline start-ups such as Water Management, Fertilizers.

Its chairman Christophe Forsinetti stated that the firm believes the food startup sector has strong potential and is ripe for disruption.

According to Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth, Cambodia’s digital economy remains at a nascent stage and will need at least 10 years to grow and aim for a technology-driven economy.

On October 8, the National Assembly approved the Kingdom’s draft law on e-commerce aiming to regulate the sector as well as boost confidence domestically and internationally. The draft, Phnom Penh Post said, will actively contribute to the development of the digital economy in Cambodia and embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

As to how Cambodia would compete or at least be at the same level as other Southeast Asian countries in terms of tech achievements in startups, Obor Capital’s Managing Director Shivam Tripathi weighed in on the matter.

“Few companies are looking to actively invest in Cambodia and there are not many dedicated funds. But investors will come when you show them there is an opportunity for growth. Entrepreneurs should also avoid building and launching products that are not suitable for the Kingdom’s small market. Developing a product or service that matches consumers needs opens more opportunities for investors to take notice of the new venture and make an investment,” Tripathi said in a startup report by Capital Cambodia, which explained why the food tech startups industry of the country remains in uniform: mostly food and grocery delivery.

Aside from the lack of investors, the challenges for the Kingdom still revolve around the lack of young tech talents with technical skills.

Myanmar

In an article by Tech Collective Asia, it’s stated that the Asian Development Bank estimates that Myanmar may rise to have the fastest growing GDP of all the ASEAN economies, at 8 percent in 2018.

Prospect ASEAN also shared that since opening the telecoms market in 2013, Myanmar has been experiencing leapfrogging digital advancements that are shaping the country’s social and economic landscapes.

The region is introduced to Phandeeyar, a startup accelerator that aims to change and develop the region by taking advantage of key global trends, the article from Tech Collective Asia stated. Established in 2014, Phandeeyar provides access to innovation labs, acting as a ground for training and investing in startups.

Also Read: Foodtech in Singapore through the eyes of startups

An article by Prospect ASEAN, written in collaboration with Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2016, Myanmar Entrepreneur Thet Mon Aye, provides fresh insights on how the country can cultivate its best culture and marrying them with technology. Food in Myanmar, which is an intersection of China and India, has become traditions that digitalising it is unavoidable.

As highlighted by Htet Myet Oo, Founder of Rangoon Tea House, something called a ‘Mohingya Diplomacy’ -taken from the name of its national cuisine Mohingya, promotes the uniqueness of Myanmar as a golden land and eventually bringing the international communities closer to the locals. In place of timber, underground, and underwater resources, food is also a sustainable industry that can drive the economy with the creation of millions of jobs.

Here are the Burmese entrepreneurs focussing on food and technology.

Freshgora

Started less than a year ago, Yangon-based Freshgora offers food and grocery deliveries from restaurants and local markets in less than one hour through its fleet of drivers. It clocks more than 100 deliveries a day in the city.

Founded by Daniel Htut, the startup snagged an equity investment from Cambodia-based food delivery and logistics company Meal Temple Group in June

As per the deal, both companies said they plan yo address the market in Myanmar and expand operations nationally. In the long run, the companies will add more services and work together for an on-demand super app for frontier markets.

Myanmar Innovative Life Sciences (MILS)

The article on Prospect ASEAN further highlighted another food tech startup, this time a biotechnology one.

Myanmar Innovative Life Sciences (MILS) is a biotechnology company for food safety along the food chain vertically, the article said. With antimicrobial resistance becomes increasingly alarming to human patients, its effect on livestock animals are often still overlooked.

Also Read: Meet the 10 agritech, foodtech startups pitching for Future Food Asia’s US$100K grand prize

MILS was established in 2012 to address this. It produces probiotics for animal feed, resulting in probiotics meat that is analogous to organic vegetables.

MILS is supported by Danish Responsible Business Fund (RBF), a food safety laboratory that’s in the pipeline to provide safety and nutrition testing for midstream producers.

Shwe Bite

With the mission to empower women and housewives, food startup Shwe Bite delivers home-cooked meals to customers. This approach enables them to make extra income without leaving their homes.

It also provides healthy home-cooked meals to busy workers at affordable prices.

Shwe Bite was one of seven startups selected into Phandeeyar Accelerator, a local innovation lab that focusses on the development of Myanmar’s tech ecosystem by investing in local technology startups, training new entrepreneurs, and building a pool of tech talent.

It was launched in 2018 by CEO Moe Htet and has Been dubbed as “the most awarded Myanmar startup of 2018”, picking up awards and fellowships as a Myanmar representative in Israel, China, Indonesia, Germany, and Singapore.

The Lost Tea Company

Using the power of the internet, The Lost Tea Company fully harnesses the tea culture and tradition in Myanmar to export it and immerse it in the British love of tea.

Founded by Harry Carr-Ellison, The Lost Tea Company helps to bring packaged Myanmar fermented tea salad and green tea from “the hills of Shan State to the UK”.

The company stated that it provides an ethical platform for the international sale of Shan teas. It aims to share its appreciation and garner “well-deserved attention” for Myanmar’s teas in the most sustainable way possible.

The Lost Tea Company’s tea is farmed in the hills of Pindaya, Shan State, where it works with small hold farmers who possess tea-growing knowledge, ensuring that the tea comes from a unique supplier that can ensure high-quality tea all year round. The MSG-free Myanmar fermented edible tea and green tea seeks to supply restaurants, delis, cafes, and individuals.

Also Read: 9 Asia-based foodtech startups that will satiate your culinary desires

Myanmar’s food tech has a more diverse facet aside from just a meal delivery service. However, the country’s yet to see a level playing field for food tech startups aside from the obvious names like Shwe Bite.

Myanmar’s GDP growth is projected to be robust at 7.2 per cent for this year, which Prospect ASEAN pointed out to be the highest among ASEAN member states. This is not without any basis, as the country’s economy just warms up to enter the race, marked with a series of investments fairs and company registration made online aimed at attracting investors.

With that being said, the food startups sector in Myanmar immediately is out in the open. The ones that are in operation with promising numbers are primed for investments and innovations are still to come.
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Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

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