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3 trends that will reshape the retail and logistics industries in Singapore this 2021

logistics post pandemic

2020 proved to be a year of learning for all of us. We witnessed businesses and consumers move away from their comfort zones in order to adapt and manoeuvre around the challenges that emerged during these unprecedented times.

The retail industry is affected the most by the effects of the pandemic. Businesses that have identified key industry and economic trends early benefited greatly, enabling them to adapt their services and operations to meet the changing demands.

There will be opportunities for growth in 2021 as we learn to adjust to the post-COVID-19 world and form business decisions around the new trends and parameters.

New trends have emerged at the back of these customer behaviour shifts and it is vital for SMEs to be on a constant lookout to capture opportunities as they weather the COVID-19 crisis. For starters, here are some that we’ve identified across the retail and logistics industries and expect to continue as the economy recovers.

Transforming business through delivery

The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and shown both established and new retailers that e-commerce is a necessity. Speed of delivery is the secret for winning in the battle of online commerce, from adjusting the strategy to delivering the products and services efficiently.

Take Singapore’s estate group buys, for example. As consumers continue to work from home in Phase 3, many are opting to shop and dine from the comforts of their home. This change in behaviour has accelerated the growth of estate and community group buys during the pandemic as citizens look for ways to minimise the delivery costs for their purchases. Group buy orders can range from food, fresh groceries, to even electronics and apparel.

Also Read: Ex-Nordic Eye chairman’s new Singapore-based fund to back tech startups solving logistics challenges

Along with social initiatives to support local brands, these trends result in a growing interest in hyperlocal e-commerce and deliveries, where customers seek to receive their orders at their convenience within a short time span from when the purchases were first made. It emphasises the need for retail SMEs to adjust their logistics strategy to provide prompt and reliable delivery services.

As customers ourselves, we know that prolonged and delayed delivery can be a painful experience. With the increasing demand for speed and efficiency, retail SMEs can enlist aid from logistics experts to capture new opportunities and scale their businesses.

Successful enterprises have enlisted help from logistics partners to enhance the efficiency, reliability, affordability, and flexibility of their delivery services, ultimately improving their overall capability to deliver customer satisfaction. Furthermore, working with the right delivery partner who is truly dedicated will enable you to focus on business growth instead of responding to poor delivery experience complaints.

Rise of hybrid events

The year 2020 was not easy in the events landscape. Businesses will risk missing hundreds of millions in revenue if they fail to respond to the default demand of providing a seamless shopping experience across online and offline platforms. As a result of challenges in holding physical events, organisers quickly pivoted towards virtual alternatives for conferences, concerts, marathons, and even food festivals.

For example, the annual Singapore Shilin Night Market has been a popular physical event that draws large crowds with various limited-edition Taiwanese food and product offerings. Due to the pandemic and safety regulations, the organisers had opted to launch it as the largest virtual event last year.

Pickupp had helped support the digital version of the food festival by hosting it on our web portal and mobile app. A category called “Digital Shilin 2020” was curated specially for the event, which included close to 100 unique F&B vendors. At two weekends, thousands of orders were received and fulfilled by us.

Also Read: Asia’s logistics industry must be ready for blockchain, and here’s why

The virtual Singapore Shilin Night Market is a great example of how businesses can flourish by adjusting to the changing conditions and leveraging logistics solutions to meet new customer demands.

As physical events are gradually being introduced under stringent circumstances, we anticipate hybrid events to surface where online and offline options will be made available, making delivery an essential part of the overall experience.

Evolution of logistics models and services

Over 39 per cent of consumers in ASEAN expressed their dissatisfaction with their e-commerce experience last year, indicating delivery costs and services as main issues. Consumer frustrations can result in severe consequences if left unaddressed– making or breaking the trust in the brand. To stand out from the crowd, retail SMEs must improve their logistics processes and services, ensuring flexible options are available and that orders are fulfilled efficiently.

Most enterprises are using a fixed fleet model today, where supply cannot adapt to the volatility in delivery orders. In contrast, Pickupp uses a hybrid of freelancers and an in-house delivery fleet, allowing enterprises to cater to fluctuating levels of demand, and allowing merchants to fulfill orders of up to five-folds, especially during festive periods.

Those who also leverage technology and implement strategies to facilitate transparency and flexibility will enhance the quality of their online-to-offline customer experience, thus, improving customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Apart from offering same day, next day, and one to three day deliveries, we have recently launched our express two-hour delivery services in Singapore to provide more flexibility for merchants to better meet their customer demands.

Sustainability has also risen in importance in the past year – with Singapore recently announcing its erstwhile efforts to transition into a car-lite society. On this account, we expect walkers (agents who deliver goods on foot) and bikers to grow in popularity, given their proven efficiency and smooth delivery in crowded and dense geographical areas.

In Singapore, almost 50 per cent of our active delivery agent pool consists of walkers or bikers. We expect these numbers to grow with the expansion of Singapore’s cycling network and the public transport infrastructure.

Also Read: iStore iSend raises US$5.5M to grow its logistics and supply chain biz beyond Malaysia

The scaling of orders will drive hyperlocal deliveries, where merchants can rely on walkers and bikers to fulfill deliveries within their district, leveraging their mobility and flexibility as they are not affected by traffic conditions and the lack of parking spaces during peak hours. This results in an increased efficiency and costs saved on gas or parking.

With enterprises facing steep competition due to the e-commerce boom, delivery, which plays a major role in the overall customer experience, can influence purchase behaviour and brand loyalty.

To capture the new breed of customers, retail SMEs must re-evaluate their current logistics strategies and be open to adopting new approaches to meet the increasing fluctuations in demand. Partnering with established logistics companies is a great way for retail SMEs to start.

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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How leveraging a corporate innovation challenge helped CAWIL.AI fuel its growth

CAWIL.AI e27

Corporate innovation, for many of us, is like a long-time acquaintance whose complete persona remains unknown. Personally, I only see bits and pieces of it, having worked on a handful of these programmes such as the recent twinning ICMG-led, e27-backed initiatives: the Aichi Smart Sustainable City Co-Creation Challenge and the Aichi Startup Festival 2021 with e27.

Usually, we only know of the hustle that happens on the e27 side of the programme. Tweaking and finalising of problem statements. Organising rounds of intensive calls for application to our pool of relevant tech startups. Responding to enquiries on solution relevance, timeline, requirements, and what have you.

Once the startups have submitted their applications, after the organisers have addressed frequently asked questions, and as soon as the partner corporates kick off their course of selection, the space on this side of the world grows quiet again.

That is why we are so thrilled to sit down with Cherry Murillon of Philippine-based CAWIL.AI, one of the startup finalists of the first Aichi co-creation challenge. This open innovation programme gathered several global participants, over 40 of which came from the diverse pool of startups within the e27 community.

Murrillon, the passionate Co-Founder behind CAWIL.AI, gave us a glimpse of what happens beyond the application process as she narrated their team’s corporate innovation journey, motivations, challenges, and key learnings.

The case for international open innovation challenges

CAWIL.AI is an industry-agnostic AI solution with customised tooling that focuses on computer vision (providing accurate datasets for machine learning models).

Murillon recounts that when e27 invited them to join the co-creation challenge, their team has already built the core development of AI in several of their products and that their team is very agile in the implementation of AI especially in computer vision. All they needed to have is data to train the AI tool.

However, she mentions that being a deep tech AI company in the Philippines can be challenging, what with an environment where most solutions are consumer-driven.

Hence, Murillon admits, “my experience in joining international open innovation challenges has fueled the desire to present and showcase our capabilities and services especially in the Japanese market.”

Statistically speaking, the majority of corporates see less than 25% of their initial pilots with startups scale into solutions that can be taken to the market. However, this does not diminish the appeal and necessity of corporate innovation for both startups and corporates. For the latter, enabling innovation is key to survival and growth in an ever-changing business environment.

Startups benefit from the process, too. According to Murillon, the idea of joining the open innovation challenge has given them much-needed exposure to technology users and adapters.

“This is in addition to the possible funding that the partner corporate may provide if our solutions get chosen,” she adds.

Also Read: The corporate-startup tango and why it continues to be relevant

Pushing through despite the big unknown

When asked why CAWIL.AI pushed through with their application considering the limited amount of resources coupled with the heavy time investment of joining a competition without the guarantee of successful commercial engagement, Murillon has this to say:

“For me as a tech founder, the exposure and marketing outcomes of the challenge have added value in pursuing it. We don’t get international exposure like this every day, especially with Japanese corporates.”

Truer words have never been spoken. Indeed, corporate innovation programmes:

  • Create a startup-friendly environment for corporates to share their different problem statements,
  • Generate opportunities for startups to scale and grow their business, and
  • Facilitate manageable and transparent expectations for both sides.

It also helps that corporates tap strong ecosystem partners such as e27 to leverage their wide network of various startups across the region.

CAWIL e27

Programme walk-through

The pandemic-induced physical restrictions brought about a unique set of opportunities in the realm of corporate innovation. For one, qualified startup participants have a higher chance of pursuing the programme as they are not bound by the obligation to travel and be physically present on-site.

In turn, this gives the partner corporates a bigger pool of potential startup collaborators to tap from all over the region.

“We meet every two weeks on Wednesdays for updates, although we send slide updates in advance,” Murillon recounts her open innovation experience.

For the challenge, CAWIL.AI presented a mobile application-based AI that will detect the fault in bead weld default for manufacturing.

On her experience in co-working with the Japanese corporates, Murillon notes that they “are very straightforward and supportive. They presented us with the requirements that we need to fulfil.”

Challenges and key learnings

Virtual collaborations are not without challenges. For one, the language barrier can restrict progress. To this end, Murillon shared how they rose above this hurdle: “I commend my lead engineer who can understand the Japanese language. She was the key to letting us know what our co-creator has in mind. Also, the company president can speak English and helped in translating some of the ideas they wanted to implement.”

The tight timeline also posed a challenge for Murillon’s team. “The three-month co-creation and development of MVP was a bit fast given we got very little data from them. We have seen the constraint and the difficulties of the partner corporate in conducting the inspection.”

Additionally, the team has also had to deal with last-minute changes and updates with their algorithm because of the manner in which to integrate it into the system.

“Overall, however,” Murillon contends with fondness, “it was both an interesting and a learning experience for us.”

As for key learnings, Murillon shares about exciting opportunities for startups because “the Japanese government and corporates have been propelling the society toward Industrial Revolution 5.0 through their various corporate innovation programmes.”

“They are working to convert most of their operations into digital AI-driven processes, which have opened new possibilities for tech providers like us.”

With regard to which aspect of the process she enjoyed the most, Murillon recalls the fun side of exchanging ideas with their Japanese counterparts.

Also Read: Messaging tips for startups: a primer on improving one’s customer service

What lies ahead

“We have achieved our goal in terms of coming up with the solution within a set period of time,” Murillon narrates. “We don’t know the final outcome of the challenge yet, but we are very much positive that our partners will give us the support needed for the final development.”

Additionally, according to Murillon, joining the competition has allowed CAWIL.AI to “take advantage of the challenge so we can showcase our capabilities in AI to targeted audiences.”

When asked to give her advice to startups in the context of joining innovation challenges, Murillon has this to say:

“I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone. Explore other markets and don’t rely on purely investor opportunities. At the end of the day, your value is on the user, not just on the fancy tagline.”

e27 continues to believe in the robust opportunities brought about by corporate innovation. Whether it’s end-to-end execution or amplification of your call for open innovation applications, let us know how we can help you. If you are a corporate or entity looking to organise an open innovation challenge, talk to us today!

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Qoala expands into Thailand by acquiring local insurtech platform FairDee

Qoala

Qoala, an Indonesia-based insurtech startup, has announced the strategic acquisition of Thai insurtech platform FairDee.

According to Qoala, this move marks its expansion into the Thailand market as part of larger regional expansion plans.

Besides providing access to the Thai insurance market –which Qoala claims is the largest consumer insurance market in Southeast Asia — the acquisition also serves to “speed up technology scalability and innovation” across Qoala’s businesses.

As per a press note, the entire FairDee team will join Qoala to continue the latter’s growth in Thailand.

Launched in 2018 by Harshet Lunani and Tommy Martin, Qoala claims it processes over two million policies per month, serving industries including automobiles, health, life, travel, fintech, consumables, logistics and employee benefits.

Established in 2019, FairDee’s platform helps independent brokers digitise their offerings, enabling them to increase their productivity and access more insurance products to better cater to the needs of their customers. The Thai firm claims its annual Gross Written Premium has grown by seven times despite headwinds brought about by the pandemic.

Also Read: Why Asia’s insurance industry is poised for collaborative disruption

“FairDee and Qoala share the same vision in how insurance can be reimagined. Hence, we are doubling down on developing technology to deliver an excellent insurance experience to the community digitally in Thailand on the back of our strong SEA presence,” said CEO Lunani.

“With this acquisition, we are taking a big leap in the group’s regional ambition to be the number one insurtech in Southeast Asia. Given the shared vision and expertise that FairDee’s team has been able to cultivate since its inception, we are confident to continue to serve millions of underinsured in the region,” he added.

“We started FairDee to bring the best insurance experience to customers across the region. Being part of Qoala will greatly accelerate that vision, and together, we are more than excited to deliver further innovation in Thailand and beyond,” commented Yujun Chean, co-founder and CEO of FairDee.

In April 2020, Qoala announced its US$13.5 million Series A fundraise led by a joint venture between funds from South Korea’s Kookmin Bank and Telkom Indonesia, Centauri Fund.

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Image Credit: Qoala

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Behind the scenes: How F10’s accelerator programme helps founders go from ideation to market-ready stage

Jonas Thürig, Head of F10 Singapore

As a matter of fact, many established startups including unicorns would have gone through an incubation/acceleration programme at some stage of their journey.

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For example, Airbnb, which joined Y-Combinator back in 2008 when the co-founders realised they were running out of money; Twilio, a billion-dollar company which was accelerated by 500 Startups; and Khatabook, a 3-year-old Indian startup currently valued at US$300 million, which was part of Sequoia Capital’s Surge.

The role of an accelerator is to help startups become fully operational and sustainable. It doesn’t however mean these companies are not capable of running their business without any external help.

Having said that, being a part of an accelerator certainly offers many benefits to startups.

The idea of an accelerator is to provide founders with all the necessary resources that could polish them, so they don’t make avoidable mistakes. Some accelerators help startups by providing direct or indirect financial support while others offer a combination of non-financial and financial support.

But what goes into running a truly successful accelerator programme?

To answer this, e27 decided to interview Jonas Thürig, Head of F10 Singapore, a fintech-focused accelerator and incubator.

Launched in 2015 with the help of Swiss and Spanish stock exchanges, F10 has today expanded its programmes globally to Zurich, Singapore, Madrid and Barcelona.

What makes the organisation stand out is its strong network of influential banks, consultancies, insurers and tech firms. Consequently, all of its mentors hail from some of the largest corporates in the world, including Accenture, DBS, Deloitte, HSBC, NETS, Oracle, Standard Chartered and UBS.

Also Read: Meet the 6 fintech startups graduating from F10s inaugural accelerator programme

With a strong footing in finance, F10 ultimately wants to help founders contribute towards the innovation of the fintech industry.

Here, Thürig discusses how F10’s programme is designed to help cultivate the fintech innovators of tomorrow.

Part 1: The selection

A multi-phased process

Before we actually start scouting for startups, we identify challenges and problem statements from our corporate partners. With this information, we then go out and discover startups.

We receive about 300 applications per batch. The F10 team then pre-selects the top 50 startups. We then invite them for a 30-minute pitching session before we share their details with our corporate partners.

From there, we select the top 25 companies and invite them for a 1-day speed dating event with corporates, after which we select the top 10 finalists that make it into the programme.

Screening criterion

When we screen the startups and interview them, we look at various aspects: team composition and experience, the problem they are trying to solve, how big is the opportunity they are trying to address, technology, etc.

Our programme prefers a combination of two co-founders (rather than solo founders) with one being technically focused and the other business-focused, as this structure has proven to be more resilient.

Here are also some other qualities that the accelerator looks for in founders:

1. Coachability of the founders: Are they open to feedback and able to act on and apply inputs from experts? Do they listen and understand their clients’ needs?

2. Professional and educational experience of the founders: This is less about their working experience with big brands but more about understanding the industry relevance and skill sets they bring to the table.

3. Past successes and failures as founders: For instance, if they have previously worked in/built a startup, which is useful to understand how they tackled hurdles and triumphs.

4. Immediate network: The blunt reality of being an entrepreneur is that it is a life choice with an impact on an individual’s family and friends as well. Having a strong circle of support is essential to ensure they can manage the journey as a marathon, not as a sprint.

5. Startup solution: Once this is established we can see how that can be developed for commercialisation.

Examples:

1. There is one Verticys (supply chain finance) in the current cohort, whose co-founder Volkmar Ahrens has two decades of experience in the supply chain industry.

He understands the pain points of the SMEs and their financing well. He also knows where the data sits within the MNCs and how this data can be utilised to develop its supply chain financing solution.

Also Read:  6 notable accelerators and incubators in Southeast Asia for startups of all sizes

2. Another example is Data Lagoon. Its team members have a very strong track record of working with Israel’s airforce and an investment firm (as data analysts).

The solution Data Lagoon is building comes from their previous experiences and is now applied in the areas of family offices and smaller asset managers — who require alternative data for their investment decisions but are not able to afford to have a huge team of data scientists.

Part 2: Entering the programme

The first day

It’s in a way like your first day at school. The first day with F10 is very much about setting the scene and getting to know each other.

We start with an outlook on the overall programme. This is like a briefing session that includes a masterclass, a gist of the expected outputs from teams, ice breakers and speed dating elements to get everyone familiar with each other.

We then introduce teams to the corporate partners, as well as the mentor network to whom they present and tell them what they are looking for.

Requirements for successful graduation

In order to make sure the teams are ready for long-term partnerships and growth, we expect them to fulfil several criteria by the end of the programme:

1. Teams have developed an MVP

2. Teams have acquired a first client (minimum letter of intent)

3. Finances are stable to conduct PoC (proof of concept)

4. Teams are incorporated and have investor deck ready to be shared with investors

How F10 supports the startups

1.  Ensuring readiness: We ensure that the teams have their prototypes tested and adjusted and are ready for launching the MVP.

2. For acquiring their first client: We host multiple networking events with industry experts and run workshops for improving the teams’ business development skills.

3. For a sufficient cash flow to stay afloat during PoCs and pilots: We get them to create a risk mitigation plan and get them ready to fundraise according to their timeline.

Also Read:  Swiss fintech incubator F10 enters Singapore, soon to kick off accelerator programme

4. To execute projects with (potential) clients: We ensure the team has sufficient resources to set them up for the best opportunities to succeed.

5. To coach: During the programme, we cover common topics each startup founder and team needs to be aware of — from design thinking to interviewing, refining value proposition, prototyping, go-to-market strategy all the way to getting investor-ready and pitching their business idea to various stakeholders.

6. To accommodate individual needs and questions: We work with the startups as coaches and address their specific needs in our weekly coaching sessions. We also assign 1-on-1 mentors that are working with the founders on more specific topics, which can range from marketing and communication via product development to value proposition adjustment.

Examples: 

1. APIAX, a graduate of our Zurich programme, later joined our Singapore programme. We supported its APAC manager in launching its business in the city-state. By connecting them to our local corporate partners, the Singapore-based team was able to take the startup’s success to Asia.

2. From our second Zurich batch, the three co-founders of Vestr had left their full-time jobs to start the company. They were frustrated with the manual process of managing a specific structured product in the capital market and decided to build a more efficient web-based solution.

They demonstrated that their industry and educational background helped them get kickstarted. Today, their 30-member team gets together on a regular basis to get all their employees across the globe (offices in Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, and Singapore) up to date about its product and client progress.

Part 3: Graduation

Added support

After the startups graduate from the 6-month-long programme, F10 additionally provides its batch of companies with the following support:

1. Continued promotion and introduction to existing and new corporate partners

Also Read:  Meet the 6 fintech startups graduating from F10’s inaugural accelerator programme

2. Community sessions and expert sessions with mentors

3. Extended coaching on an ad-hoc basis

4. Cross-promotion of startup updates via F10’s channels and network

5. Opportunities for co-speaking and exhibitions with F10 at conferences

6. Speaker opportunities at alumni events

Image Credit: F10

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How early-stage deep-tech startups can attract and retain the right talent

deep tech talent

“When you’re in a startup, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not.” – Steve Jobs

Love him or hate him, I think Steve Jobs hits the nail on the head with this statement. We all recognise the fact that people on the team can make or break a startup.

The search for great talent is even more challenging for deep tech startups, competing with the tech giants of the world to fill highly sought-after technical roles such as robotics engineers, data scientists, and quantum researchers.

Yet deep tech startups still enjoy a certain draw, especially amongst Millennials and Gen Zs. A dipstick survey we conducted recently found that they enjoy contributing to a good cause, having more autonomy and flexibility built within the job, and being part of a team with strong potential growth.

The next generation of talent has also shared their aspirations to be part of a collective where they can make a difference and create a real-world impact on issues they care about. This is where deep tech startups, with their promise of developing solutions that address pressing global problems, are well-positioned to appeal to this purpose-driven generation and compete to attract the ‘cream of the crop’.

So how can early stage deep tech startups better their chances at attracting the right talent?  It’s not exactly rocket science, but here are four things to note before going on the talent hunt:

Benchmark remunerations with industry standards

While early stage startups may not have the luxury of offering huge salaries, it is still important to ensure adequate and fair compensation aligned with industry standards. Founders can offer equity plans –an approach we see more widely adopted in mature startup hubs such as Silicon Valley– to help cushion the cash flow.

But how much should be given and to whom? Frankly, there’s no straightforward answer, although the general sentiment is about 0.5 – 5 per cent in equity options, depending on seniority and timing of hire. While there are reports on equity or remuneration in other parts of the world, this data is not readily available in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region.

Recognising this gap, SGInnovate is working with AON to survey startups in the region to gain a better understanding of salary benchmarks and the results will be out in the first half of 2021.

Also Read: Uncovering the rise and challenges faced by deep tech startups in Singapore

Effectively communicate the company’s vision, achievements and plans

Beyond financial considerations, deep tech founders should clearly articulate a vision that resonates with the people they are trying to attract and appeal to their interests. It is important to be able to stoke the passion of potential hires and make a strong case for them to join the company.

Potential hires are assessing the company, as much as interviewers are assessing their ability to contribute to the team. Consider sharing the support that the company has received from investors, and how far the tech or innovation developed has come.

Laying out the company’s business and commercialisation roadmap will further imbue confidence in the talent that the company is forward-thinking, and that the business can remain competitive.

Having the right backdrop is also key to winning that talent over, so be it a formal interview, business lunch or casual coffee, take the time to let these potential talent get to know the team and the company better. It will make all the difference.

Offer enrichment and upskilling programmes

As startups generally play on their agility and small team strength, it is equally important to provide opportunities for upskilling and expansion of job roles and responsibilities. Provide on-the-job learning, internal training and mentoring/coaching with an experienced member of the team to build a good people-centric reputation for the company.

Additionally, there are deep tech workshops available to build talent capabilities, including SGInnovate’s Deep Learning Developer Series for AI and the Cybersecurity Professional Series funded under CITREP+, and many other government-funded schemes such as SkillsFuture that subsidise the costs for talent to pick up new skills through workshops and courses.

Also Read: NextBillion.ai crowned as champion of the SLINGSHOT 2020 deep tech startup competition

To grow, develop, and strengthen resources, tap on these schemes and external learning opportunities to plan a learning path together as a company.

Utilise talent programmes and marketplaces to identify high-potential candidates

Last but not least, start early in the game and think ahead about the types of talent that will be needed in growing a deep tech startup. Actively engage people with a view in assessing if they could be the talent required when the company reaches different stages. At every opportunity, market in the best possible light so that potential hires would be familiar with the company.

Take advantage of talent programmes such as SGInnovate’s Summation and PowerX which are geared towards encouraging fresh graduates/undergraduates and mid-career switchers respectively, gain real-world skills in the Deep Tech space. Community events and talent marketplaces are also effective networking opportunities where potential hires and Deep Tech startups can connect.

The  upcoming New Frontier 2021 on April 10 is one such event that startup founders should keep a look out for to engage with fellow industry leaders and meet potential talent.

Building a deep tech team together

Through my interactions with many leaders, I’ve come to realise that the ones who build the strongest teams often possess one key trait: a strong sense of awareness – both of themselves and also their teammates. They understand the strengths of the team, gaps to fill, team dynamics and are open to bringing in the right people to complement them.

Most times, the right people come from different backgrounds, experiences and academic prowess. So don’t let biases and discriminations be the hurdle to hiring the right people. If anything, COVID-19 has shown that when push comes to shove, talent can be found working from anywhere, anytime.

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

Image credit: Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

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