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AI Communis: The first B2B ASR-based solution provider in SEA with local language adaptation

Data-centred services have been on the rise in Singapore and around the Asia Pacific over the past few years. Clubbed together with machine learning and artificial intelligence, big data has risen to become one of the most promising sectors in the region. Businesses today are able to leverage data analytics for growth and scalability.

One of the most crucial and biggest aspects of data is audio, and automatic speech recognition solutions based on AI and machine learning plus data analytics are changing the audio data industry in the 4.0 era. On a global level, the speech and voice recognition market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.2% from 2019 to 2025 to reach $26.8 billion by 2025.

Also read: How this Tokyo-based startup is protecting e-Commerce merchants against fraudulent orders

However, when it comes to enterprise ASR solutions, there are still some major gaps and scope for improvement. AI-based ASR transcription in the enterprise has an accuracy of just 60 to 70 per cent as compared to 80 to 90 per cent in consumer applications like Alexa and Siri. Furthermore, the processing speed of the ASR engines tends to be a lot slower than what is required in enterprise use cases where large volumes of audio data need to be transcribed and long turnaround times make it inefficient. Data privacy and integrity is yet another problem faced by the enterprise ASR sector where there is a lack of clarity on segregation, storage, usage, and security of data.

As such, Singapore-based AI Communis is helping address these three core challenges so businesses can benefit from their audio data and increase productivity.

Addressing the core challenges faced by the enterprise ASR industry

AI Communis provides customised engines that provide better accuracy that can go as high as up to 85+ per cent. They are able to achieve this because each ASR engine is custom made to suit the need of the specific client enterprise in that engine learns from the client’s unique audio data, understands the industry and company jargon, and thus is able to provide a more accurate transcription. They do not follow a one-size-fits-all model.

“When I first met with my co-founder, we spoke about the future of AI and ASR. We quickly understood that to realise our vision, we need to have proprietary technology and that is why we are very focused on our core technology,” shares Nobuhiko Suzuki founder and CEO of AI Communis who comes with over 18 years of experience in banking as well as corporate strategy.

Furthermore, AI Communis’s engines are much faster by up to 20 times, transcribing a one-hour file in just 60 seconds. Big tech and legacy companies take about an average of 1200 seconds to transcribe a one-hour audio file.

Another key highlight is that the startup has full ownership of the entire technology life cycle and thus complete control of the data, which ensures that there is no cross-contamination of data plus the enterprise has complete visibility into the data’s storage, access, and control.

Also read: Why a robust digital insurance distribution system is the future in APAC

Data privacy and security is one of the major challenges faced by startups, SMEs and big corporations alike in Singapore. This is even more pertinent today amidst a dramatic shift towards digitalisation following the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. While businesses are being encouraged to leverage big data and embrace digital transformation for survival, growth, and scalability, the risks of cybersecurity is one of the main threats faced by companies. With AI Communis, businesses need not worry about data contamination and other risks because they have dedicated virtual private clouds ensuring maximum data integrity and security.

“We own the underlying AI technology and that is what separates us from the rest of the players — having the ownership of the entire tech stack. This also helps us ensure maximum data integrity and privacy,” says Devanjan Sinha, VP of Operations at AI Communis who comes with 12+ years of experience in equity research and investments.

Additionally, AI Communis’s ASR engines are able to support three different languages, including English (UK, US, and Japanese. Singapore Standard English and Bahasa are under development. They offer real-time transcription and are able to offer on-premise support.

Improving efficiency in compliance monitoring at Financial Institutions and other sectors

Financial institutions, such as banks and fintech startups make sales calls all day long and they have to comply with a host of regulations and guidelines. It can be tedious for a small team of compliance professionals to monitor all sales conversations which can be around 100 to 200 hours per day. A single slip can lead to risks of fines, lengthy customer remediation processes and loss of brand credibility. This is where AI Communis’s ASR engines can help: they transcribe the conversations, then run their algorithm to pick up problematic keywords and flag them, reducing time and effort, and increasing productivity.

In addition to the finance sector, the core technology of AI Communis’s ASR solution has a wide range of use cases. They can help enterprises in different sectors, including real estate, logistics, education, governments, as well as corporates.

Also read: How this Tokyo-based IoT startup seeks to revolutionise healthcare

Startups and SMEs looking to enhance productivity by making the most of their audio data can engage AI Communis’s SaaS model via APIs to leverage their customized ASR solutions. Whereas, for large enterprises that have more robust tech infrastructure, AI Communis can to license their core engines.

With a keen focus on banks and financial institutions, such as insurance companies and fintech startups, AI Communis is looking to onboard clients and collaborate with partners in Singapore and across Southeast Asia. To learn more about them or to connect with them, visit https://e27.co/startups/ai-communis-pte-ltd/

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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by 
JETRO

We can share your story at e27, too. Engage the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem by bringing your story to the world. Visit us at e27.co/advertise to get started.

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What is keeping founders up at night?

founder risks

We know that 90 per cent of all startups fail, and failure is most common in years two to five. It is a no brainer that startups are risky businesses. But we were keen to find out what the perceptions of risks are from the people on the ground running startups.

We recently ran a poll to find out what keeps businesses owners up at night and what they are looking out for to ensure they stay on track of their plans for the year.

The results are in. Tied in first place are fundraising and execution risks. Talent risks came in third place. Let’s explore what these risks entail and what founders need to look out for.

Perhaps it was no surprise that fundraising risks topped the list. A lot of founders spend a lot of time fundraising. Fundraising usually becomes a big part of a CEO or founder’s job every one to two years and is crucial to keep the business afloat with runway in order to keep operating. Understandably, once funding runs out, the business reaches a grinding halt; a massive risk to the company.

There is so much involved with fundraising, and many areas where things can go pear shaped. Founders need to learn to anticipate the length of time it takes from fundraising to actually getting the money in the bank. That timing is crucial to take the company to the next milestone to live another day so to speak.

Founders also need to learn how to pitch to investors, how to master the art of storytelling through their pitch deck. That’s the first step to opening the conversation with potential investors.

Fundraising is a time-consuming task that can be mentally draining. Some liken it to dating where you need to cast your net far and wide and spend a lot of time getting to know the potential partner on whether it will be a good match. The 30-10-2 rule is a good example of this.

Also Read: TRIVE Ventures launches US$2M venture philanthropy fund to support cash-strapped founders in Singapore

According to this rule, you need to find 30 potential investors who are willing to invest in the business. Only 10 out of the 30 investors will show interest in your business proposal, and only two out of the 10 will actually invest. It’s a numbers game and emotions will go up and down during this period. You need nerves of steel and the ability to move on to the next investor when you face rejection.

As startups move up the chain in the stages of pre-seed, seed to series A, B and beyond, the types of investors change from family and friends, angel investors, to accelerators, VCs and other institutional investors. There are different expectations and demands by investors as there becomes more at stake. Founders need to show existing and potential investors that they are proving their worth. This comes all down to execution, and perhaps interestingly why execution risk was voted in a tie at first place.

The value of a startup is an important factor in its success. The definition of success can be anything from the ability to raise more funds to continue on, creating a great product or service that addresses a market need or pain point, to having happy customers. Whatever the definition of success is to the founders, it mostly relies on the company executing on its goals.

Execution is a pretty big word as it can encompass the product strategy, the people strategy, fundraising strategy, customer service strategy and so forth. I understand execution as ‘doing-what-you-say-you-are-going-to-do’. There are many factors that can derail companies from achieving what they say they are going to do. Some of this is external and out of your control.

Take COVID-19 for example which has basically grounded international leisure travel. That would be a huge element for many companies in the travel industry in being able to execute on their strategies. Companies have had to pivot and find a new way forward to continue executing with headwinds.

I can imagine that the challenges COVID-19 has thrown at everyone might have been a factor to execution risk being ranked in the top spot. Startups don’t have the luxury to take their time to test out new ideas. If something is not working, they need to find another way.

That could mean iterating or pivoting and getting a minimum viable product out into the market to retest. The risk of not finding another way to execute your vision could be detrimental. It requires being agile, thinking on your feet and not resting on your laurels.

Talent risks were voted as the third highest risk for startup founders. This is a risk that can also be linked to execution. One can argue that if you don’t have the right talent in place you can’t execute on your strategy. Attracting talent can be difficult for startups. Whilst the proposition of addressing a big pain point and working with passionate founders can be an attractive proposition to candidates, for young startups, prospective candidates may be concerned about the long-term sustainability of the company.

Also Read: The concerns, risks and success factors of any startup

Startups don’t have the luxury to get talent acquisition wrong. The cost of poor recruitment can be extremely high not only from a financial standpoint, but if the candidate is not the right fit, they can potentially slow the company down or take the company in a different route which is possibly even more detrimental. Understanding your employer value proposition and defining a clear employer branding message can help attract the right candidates.

There is also a risk associated with the founding core team. Disagreements between founders over topics such as finances or the direction of the business can be very destructive and affect the longevity of the company. Having a founders’ agreement can help minimise the probability of disputes about ownership and responsibilities and providing equity that vests over time can potentially reduce the risk of losing the founding team.

Whilst this was not brought up during our poll, I believe that the mental health risks of founders need to be taken into consideration too. There is so much riding on the shoulders of founders and there is only so many hours in the day. Not only are they overseeing business activities to ensure they stay afloat, but they are also planning for growth and have many stakeholders to manage. I think it’s important for all founders to ask themselves whether they have the support they need.

Building up a support network whether it is within the company, or looking for external help such as a mentor, coach or even an advisory board can help tremendously to provide direction on how to balance your time as the company grows. There are so many things that can go wrong and weigh down founders. It’s all about prioritising the risks and making sure you have a risk management plan in place.

At Anapi, we’re on a mission to help founders transfer some risks to insurers so that you can continue building an awesome business that transform the world around us. We collaborate with many insurers to offer innovative insurance products that are purpose built for startups.

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.

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The world of proptech and its fate in a post-pandemic world

proptech 2021

The pandemic has affected many businesses. Some businesses went bankrupt, while others could change their business models and adapt to the situation. The year 2020 was a transformational year for technology, and it has changed the way we live.

Many of us stopped commuting, dining at restaurants, and started using online platforms for attending meetings at work or school. Technology changed the way we shop and the way we workout. We were able to adapt to the digital lifestyle during the lockdown.

Proptech is one of the businesses that has been affected by the pandemic. Proptech is a combination of real estate, construction, and finance startups. Even though the economy has restarted, the demand for properties remains subdued. People are still actively searching for homes, co-working spaces, and offices.

But how has the price and their behaviour been affected by the pandemic? According to asean.org, unemployment expecting to increase in South East Asia due to the impact of COVID-19. The Philippines has an all-time high of 17.7 per cent from a 5.1 per cent in the corresponding 2019 period.

While people are concerned more about the uncertain economy, real estate professionals are left wondering how they can continue to persuade people to buy houses during this difficult time. Nonetheless, as we enter 2021, three predict technology trends that real estate professionals will adapt to use during the pandemic.

Virtual meetings on the rise

Many real estate professionals use technology like virtual viewings and live walk- through videos to make tenants feel like they are visiting the property without setting the foot inside the space.

Also Read: Proptech is changing the face of real estate in Asia Pacific

This year, the prediction could be the quality improvement of virtual viewings, including 3D video tours and 360° virtual viewings, which would increase the experience of viewing and experience of interacting with real estate agents and tenants.

AI and data analytics

Statistical data science study has proved to help humans understand the pattern of problems regarding generalisation and prediction. The big data and massive computation power on the cloud have unleashed its full potential of AI and machine learning.

The McKinsey Global Survey 2020 showed that 22 per cent of respondents report at least 5 per cent of EBIT attributes to AI. They have become the mainstream adoption for most businesses, especially in marketing and sales.

As we witnessed, it has already played a significant role in property management and asset management services. We also use data to predict the behaviour of people who have interacted with a property. Another fair use case is the pricing prediction powered by AI to help property management professionals with profit optimisation.

AI also helps our clients and tenants make better decisions as we can mitigate risks by providing accurate predictions. Many real estate professionals use AI or space-planning or create new spaces to increase landlords’ revenues and understand market demand.

Ageing population

Seniors spend more time at home during the pandemic, so improving resident experience is something that real estate professionals should focus on. Senior living is a blend of healthcare and hospitality.

Real estate professionals are improving the experience of living for seniors, including making them feel more connected with the community, including offering zoom happy hours, video chats, wearable smart technology, voice assistants, tele health, and GPS tracker. Technology plays a significant role in helping seniors stay connected.

As COVID-19 forces us to change our lifestyles and business models, businesses are striving to survive. There are many areas where technology can help the real estate sector.

We will not be able to replace human interaction, but technology allows discover a range of useful selling and marketing tools to utilise during this pandemic. To the pandemic, these above technologies can help agents in a wide range of activities.

This article is co-authored by Sorakrit Phruthanontachai.

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community or like the e27 Facebook page

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From our community: All the Clubhouse hype, words of solace from Vertex VC and more….

Contributor posts

Have you tried Clubhouse yet? Well, I am still waiting to be invited. It sort of reminds me the time in college when we waited to get on a guest list of the city’s elite clubs.

Speaking of ageing, one of our contributors shares his excellent view on why mid-career professionals make good entrepreneurs. And there’s more on fintech, remote work culture, etc.

Have a good week!

How sailing as a teenager prepared me for a career in tech and gaming by Najwa Jumali UX/UI Designer at Tribe

“At the age of nine, my parents enrolled me and my sister in sailing lessons at the Singapore Armed Forces Yacht Club (SAFYC) and since that day, my sailing pursuit took me to many places around the world including, but not limited to Italy, France and Croatia.

While I haven’t sailed in years, I still look back at the ups and downs of my sailing career as some of the most formative years of my life that still help me today in my tech journey.

Here are some of the skills sailing taught me that I still lean on today”

Of lifestyle apps

Clubhouse: Hype-fuelled gimmick or the future of events and podcasting? by Dean Carroll, founder of C-suite

“Clubhouse is the first audio app. Twitter and Facebook, meanwhile, are already building their own versions. As is the tech entrepreneur and Shark Tank television star Mark Cuban, with Fireside. Not to mention the myriad equivalents in mainland China, where Clubhouse has already been blocked by the Great Firewall. Note to Silicon Valley, freeform dissent against the country’s communist regime cannot be tolerated.

So then, is Clubhouse a hype-fuelled gimmick or a new model that will disrupt the tired events and podcasting industries? It certainly has the potential to become the latter. Then again, it could also quickly morph into the former.”

To bumble or not to bumble: Does Asia need its own dating apps? by Arick Wierson, political and business columnist

“In addition to empowering women to take the lead in kicking off possible romantic connections, Bumble has been leaning in on scores of other matchstick issues ranging from banning profile pics that show men (or women) posing with firearms to her recent fight against fat-shaming on the Bumble app.

But how exactly Bumble will be received across the globe—heavy investment in global expansion is one of the purported uses of the funds raised in the forthcoming IPO—in cultures where gender roles and scores of other cultural nuances are quite different from those in the US, is still very much an open question.”

Founders take note

Note to entrepreneurs: This too shall pass by Carmen Yuen, VC at Vertex Ventures

“With 2020 behind us, and yet the end of the COVID-19 tunnel remaining elusive, I sense some of us in Singapore are getting somewhat careless in how we handle COVID-19.

This resulted in our government imposing rules on gatherings — which is somewhat of an annoyance given Lunar New Year catch-ups is what we do during the festive period.

Thankful as I am that the COVID-19 community spread cases are kind of under control, we should not be “..too excited nor too happy”, and throw caution to the wind because there could be super-spreaders and we could be miserable when more tightening measures are introduced as a result.”

Legal matters: What is the most important business agreement for your startup? by Izwan Zakaria, corporate, tech, venture, and startup lawyer

“After being involved as a corporate lawyer for over a decade on a wide range of legal work for bootstrapped startups to venture-backed companies, I believe there is one single most crucial agreement that every business owner, entrepreneur, and a founder should have is an agreement covering the following items below.

These agreements are usually known as a shareholders agreement, stockholder agreement, founders agreement, and also known as a partnership agreement in some places. Although they may be called by different names, entrepreneurs and founders should ensure that they cover the following issues in such an agreement.”

What is keeping founders up at night? by Ruth Haller, Anapi

“We recently ran a poll to find out what keeps businesses owners up at night and what they are looking out for to ensure they stay on track of their plans for the year.

The results are in. Tied in first place are fundraising and execution risks. Talent risks came in third place. Let’s explore what these risks entail and what founders need to look out for.

Perhaps it was no surprise that fundraising risks topped the list. A lot of founders spend a lot of time fundraising. Fundraising usually becomes a big part of a CEO or founder’s job every one to two years and is crucial to keep the business afloat with runway in order to keep operating. Understandably, once funding runs out, the business reaches a grinding halt; a massive risk to the company.”

Why it is never too late for mid-career professionals to be an entrepreneur by Dr Alex Lin, interim CEO of NTUitive

“According to Harvard Business Review, for the top 0.1 per cent of startups based on growth in their first five years, the founders of these startups had started their companies, on average, when they were 45 years old.

Mid-career professionals have the resilience and experience to weather the stress and variables arising from being an entrepreneur. Even if they do fail and wish to return to employment, the skillsets and networks built during the entrepreneurship journey will make them highly employable.”

Life after COVID

The world of proptech and its fate in a post-pandemic world by early employee of Plug and Play Tech Center in Bangkok, Alex Chatpaitoon

“Proptech is one of the businesses that has been affected by the pandemic. Proptech is a combination of real estate, construction, and finance startups. Even though the economy has restarted, the demand for properties remains subdued. People are still actively searching for homes, co-working spaces, and offices.

But how has the price and their behaviour been affected by the pandemic? According to asean.org, unemployment expecting to increase in South East Asia due to the impact of COVID-19. The Philippines has an all-time high of 17.7 per cent from a 5.1 per cent in the corresponding 2019 period.”

How the tech industry is redefining the remote work culture by Sabrina Zolkifi, Indeed Employer Brand Program Manager

“You should also look at how you structure and communicate your employee benefits in light of changed work practices. Some benefits, like on-site gyms and catering, will need to be reconsidered. Others may need to be deployed in a way that makes them able to be enjoyed asynchronously for employees in different time zones.

You can’t install a ping-pong table in people’s home offices or buffets in their kitchens. Delivering these kinds of on-site experiences in a remote work environment requires a creative and fresh approach. When examining work culture incentives, look to desired outcomes rather than specific initiatives to determine what will be appropriate for a hybrid or remote work future.”

5 fintech trends to watch out for in 2021 by Josh Luna, Research Associate

“A 2020 study reported that fintech firms in digital asset exchanges, payments, savings, and wealth management saw a 13 per cent growth in transaction numbers and 11 per cent increase in transaction volumes in the previous year.

Around 831 of the 1,385 fintech companies surveyed launched new products and services in response to the pandemic.

With many people opting to conduct their financial transactions online amidst the global crisis, it came to no surprise that demand for fintech offerings has grown as well.”

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Why ‘Iron Man’ star Robert Downey Jr. placed a bet on Singapore’s biodegradable plastic startup RWDC Industries

Robert Downey Jr.

“We believe the movement against plastic is now firmly entrenched worldwide, with many governments acting to reduce or ban the consumption of single-use plastics and businesses committing to reduce their plastic footprint,” says Zhaotan Xiao, President (Asia Pacific) at RWDC.

An increasing awareness about the dangers of single-use plastic and a ban/ restriction on its use in many countries has opened enormous opportunities for startups as well as venture capitalists to develop and promote environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Singapore- and US-based RWDC Industries is one such startup that has long been working on developing a biodegradable alternative. The company, which has secured nearly US$168 million over its six years of existence from renowned VCs such as Vickers Venture Partners as well as the ‘Iron Man’ star Robert Downey Jr., produces medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) biopolymers that are designed for use across a broad range of applications.

In this interview, Xiao, discusses RWDC’s association with Downey, the company’s products and future plans.

Edited excerpts:

Since inception, RWDC has raised US$168 million from about seven investors. Why does the company need this much capital? How much of this capital is going into R&D?

There is no lack of investor interest and financial support for our mission to replace single-use plastics.

Almost all funding raised by us is going towards capacity construction, as there is no lack of demand for PHA. We need to build physical factories that are first of its kind in the world; we are not building apps.

Also Read: Biodegradable plastic startup RWDC Industries raises US$22M in fresh funding

We cannot disclose the exact amount going into R&D. RWDC firmly believes in the importance of investing to maintain our technological advantage, and we are constantly innovating both in our production processes and in the utilisation of PHA in novel end-product applications.

How much did you raise from Robert Downey’s fund FootPrint Coalition? How did this deal come in? How will this partnership mutually benefit?

We cannot disclose the amount raised from FootPrint Coalition (a US-based coalition of investors which invest in high-growth, sustainability-focused companies including in Asia).

We were introduced to FootPrint Coalition (FC) through one of our institutional investors. FC really intrigued and excited about our technology, and completely aligned with our vision of transitioning the world towards bio-based and natural materials that are in harmony with Nature’s regenerative cycles.

Aside from capital investment, FC will be an extremely helpful resource for educating the world about the benefits of PHA. They recently did an excellent short video on this topic, and the recent press coverage about their investment into RWDC has greatly elevated our profile.

You’ve been working on the biodegradable alternative since 2015. However, as per your site, your products haven’t hit the market yet. Why is it taking a long time for the commercialisation of the product?

PHA has been known to mankind for more than 100 years, but nobody had found a way to produce the material on an industrial scale. We have gotten to where we are due to the decades of work put in by our Founders. Again, we are not building an app.

Zhaotan Xiao, President (Asia Pacific), RWDC Industries

The road to commercialising new materials is typically very long (think Goretex, Teflon etc.). The reason is because everything fails at the weakest link, and we need to have solved every single problem from our clients’ perspective for them to adopt the material.

We are very confident that we are now at the cusp of transitioning the world away from plastics towards this much more logical choice of material, as our clients are now able to successfully run our PHA material on their existing equipment as a “drop-in” replacement of the plastics they currently use.

The fruits of successfully commercialising new materials are also typically very big (think Goretex, Teflon etc).

As per your website, you will target the Singapore market in the first phase by introducing a drinking straw. How are you going to price the product? Will it be cheaper than traditional plastic straws?

RWDC is a B2B business. We do not make the end products (bottles, cutlery, straws, coated paper, etc.) ourselves. We provide PHA in the form of a resin or dispersion, and this would be used to produce the end-products on our clients’ existing machines. Our go-to-market strategy is therefore largely determined together with our clients.

Our straws will be more expensive than traditional plastic only if the negative externalities to the environment posed by plastic straws are not taken into account. We know that our pricing is acceptable to clients because we have already signed deals with large MNC clients.

Additionally, a ban on single-use plastic items including straws has been or will be imposed in many countries.

Even in places where plastic straws are not (yet) banned, businesses would like to show their environmental consciousness by replacing plastic straws with other environmentally friendly alternatives. Straws make up a tiny part of overall costs for businesses, so higher pricing is generally acceptable.

Our PHA straws are competitive to other alternatives, including paper and polylactic acid (PLA) straws. In addition, they have several advantages compared to other alternatives.

Also Read: This Indian startup makes cutlery using sugarcane waste

For example, our straws are more functional than paper straws (they don’t turn soggy after a while). They are also biodegradable in the truest sense (i.e., in nature), whereas PLA is only compostable (i.e., only degrades under certain conditions), and will take the same time as regular plastic to degrade if leaked into nature.

When will your other products (cutlery, cups, bags, etc.) will be available in the market? Which are your other key target markets?

We target to launch bottles, cutlery and straws in 2021. In addition, we have made great progress with clients on areas such as coated paper, PHA fibres, injection-moulded articles and so on. We have also demonstrated our ability to make PHA films and foam products.

Is there awareness among businesses, especially F&B ones, about the dangers of plastic in Singapore?

There is definitely increasing awareness about the dangers of plastic in Singapore. We believe the movement against plastic is now firmly entrenched worldwide, with many governments acting to reduce or ban consumption of single-use plastics and businesses committing to reduce their plastic footprint.

Do you also work with the Singapore government in its drive against single-use plastics?

We have had discussions with the Singapore government about the benefits of PHA and the limitations of the three ‘R’s to change the growth trajectory of plastic pollution.

Having said that, concerns about plastic pollution in the Singapore government appear to be less pressing due to the fact that the country incinerates our waste and leverages on the waste-to-energy conversion for power.

RWDC is actively engaged with the European Commission on their Single-Use Plastics Directive. As a natural polymer that is not chemically-modified, we believe PHA should not even be considered a plastic.

Singapore is much smaller than many other markets in the world. Why does RWDC want to introduce its first products in this country?

We are going to commercialise our first products globally, in collaboration with global brand owners.

How big is your total addressable market (TAM) in Southeast Asia?

PHA is a viable alternative to plastic (in terms of functionality, versatility and price), so our TAM is at least the market for single-use plastics.

In reality, adoption (especially in certain applications) will be slowed down by several factors, including the need for extensive product trials to ensure feasibility, our ability to increase production capacity to catch up with demand, and pricing.

We have very aggressive and ambitious plans for scaling up. This is a very long journey, and our partners are all fully aligned with us in terms of values and vision.

Do you have plans to secure additional investments soon?

We expect to raise a new round in the second half of 2021 or early 2022, to unlock funding for our next phase of growth — building the first wave of full-scale production modules in the US and Asia.

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Image Credit: RWDC Industries

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