In an era of rapid innovation and entrepreneurship, startups find themselves at a crossroads in seeking financial backing to fuel their growth. Traditionally, the paths available to these fledgling companies have primarily been through securing venture capital or pursuing traditional bank loans. However, both routes come with distinct challenges and constraints, from dilution of ownership to stringent credit requirements and collateral. 

This continuous challenge in getting access to funding resulted in a 30 per cent year-on-year decline in startup fundraising in Southeast Asia in 2023. More substantially, the total capital raised by venture-backed companies in the region fell 53 per cent to US$7.72 billion.

Thankfully, the landscape of startup financing is undergoing a significant transformation with the emergence of alternative funding options.

Breaking the mould

For decades, venture capital has been the go-to source for startups needing significant capital. This method injects substantial funds into the business and opens doors to networking, mentorship, and further business opportunities. However, the cost is substantial – losing equity. Founders often relinquish considerable control and future earnings, betting on long-term success driven by external partners.

Similarly, traditional bank loans offer another path but come with their hurdles. Startups, particularly those in the nascent stages without solid credit histories or substantial collateral, find this path steep and sometimes impassable. Moreover, the fixed repayment terms set by banks do not account for the volatile nature of startup revenues, posing a substantial financial strain during lean periods.

A fresh alternative for startups

Revenue-Based Financing (RBF) offers a fresh alternative for startups, particularly for those with consistent revenue inflow but who remain reluctant to part with business equity or are unable to satisfy the stringent conditions of traditional banking. It also allows business owners to access capital that might be tied up in payment cycles or to free up capital that can be better spent elsewhere.

RBF allows companies to receive upfront capital in exchange for a percentage of their future ongoing revenue, incorporating a cap on total repayment. This dynamic arrangement means repayments decrease during lower revenue months, creating invaluable flexibility.  

Also Read: Navigating the shifting landscape of Southeast Asian funding: An analysis of H1 2024 trends

This model offers several compelling advantages:

• Adaptable repayment terms: Repayments are tied to real-time revenue, accommodating the ebb and flow of business cycles and providing breathing room when needed.
• Preservation of control: Entrepreneurs retain full ownership and creative control over their startups, avoiding the equity dilution often associated with venture capital investments.
• Swift and accessible funding: RBF processes are typically less cumbersome and faster than traditional loans, making them ideal for seizing timely market opportunities. 

Crossing the finish line

Consider the case of Cheak (formerly known as butter), a Singaporean activewear startup launched during the pandemic. Cheak initially relied on bootstrap financing as a young brand in the capital-intensive retail industry. However, this method struggled to cover the significant upfront funding required to fulfil orders.

Facing challenges such as supply chain disruptions and shipping delays and being unable to meet the stringent requirements of traditional financial institutions, Cheak’s co-founders turned to RBF through Choco Up. This strategic decision marked a turning point, enabling Cheak to generate six-figure revenue in its first year and ultimately lead to its acquisition by Love Bonito.

Catalysing innovation through diverse financial instruments

The rise of RBF indicates a larger movement towards varied and accessible funding models tailored to the unique needs of modern startups. Malaysia serves as a prime example of this shift in the financial landscape. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) platforms in Malaysia raised over US$1.6 billion in 2022, significantly challenging the traditional venture capital model.

This substantial capital flow through alternative platforms is a testament to their growing popularity and effectiveness in supporting a wide range of industries beyond the typical tech-focused ventures. Each ecosystem offers distinct benefits and enables startups to tailor their financial strategies to best fit their operational and growth objectives.

The evolution of startup financing reflects a broader democratisation of entrepreneurship. As we continue to rethink capital, the landscape for startup success becomes increasingly diverse and inclusive, breeding more innovation without the constraints of traditional capital sources. This shift not only empowers founders but also enriches the entire startup ecosystem, fostering more sustainable business growth and innovation.

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Our story at NalaGenetics began with a deep commitment to advancing genetic testing, particularly in the field of pharmacogenomics — the science of identifying the right medications based on an individual’s DNA. However, as our company grew, we quickly realised that delivering these tests alone was not enough to truly impact health outcomes. To create lasting change, we needed to build a sustainable business model that integrated preventive care with genetic insights.

This shift in focus led us to restructure internally and expand our scope beyond delivering cutting-edge genetic tests. Inspired by the success of wellness and beauty clinics, which offer a more consumer-friendly approach to healthcare, we began exploring ways to make genetic testing more accessible to out-of-pocket payers. This marked a pivotal moment for us as we transitioned from a purely product-centric model to one that combined both product and service.

Looking forward, we see insurance reimbursement as a crucial milestone for the future of genetic testing. While the U.S. took decades to reach this stage, we are optimistic that other markets will follow suit, opening significant opportunities for growth and wider adoption.

Challenges and resilience: The startup’s journey

Like many startups, we encountered numerous challenges along the way, particularly in the rapidly shifting landscape brought about by COVID-19. The pandemic accelerated adoption in some areas while stalling it in others, forcing us to adapt quickly.

One of our most significant hurdles was the prevalence of unvalidated genetic testing products on the market. Many of these tests offered risk predictions with little to no actionable insights, eroding consumer trust. We made the difficult decision to prioritise quality over speed, ensuring that our tests were both scientifically sound and meaningful to users. It took time to find the right product-market fit, but we remained steadfast in our commitment to delivering reliable, actionable results.

Throughout our startup journey, we learned that the product alone is not enough to ensure long-term success. It became clear that a service layer was essential to help consumers interpret their results and make informed health decisions. This realisation led to the birth of NalaCare Clinic, which has become a cornerstone of our offering. This hybrid model, blending product innovation with personalised service, has proven highly effective. Consumers are more engaged when they feel supported, and the clinic model ensures that they receive actionable insights from their genetic tests.

Also Read: Bridging healthcare gaps in the Philippines: Innovation and opportunities beyond telehealth

Navigating the healthcare startup ecosystem: Short-term goals vs long-term vision

As a healthcare and biotech startup, we’ve had to navigate the delicate balance between short-term goals and long-term vision. While we believe that genetic testing will eventually become a universal need, in the short term, we’ve focused on segmenting our market to reach those who will benefit the most from our services.

For example, a large study with 6,944 individuals has shown that 93.5 per cent of people carry at least one actionable variant for pharmacogenomics, making it a cost-effective solution at the population level. However, current practice often limits the use of these tests to patients with indications of medication resistance. By focusing on those who need it most initially, we ensure that the resources spent are maximised while continuing to innovate for more affordable and comprehensive genetic testing for broader use.

Product-market fit in one country can be achieved with a slightly different algorithm based on the country’s ancestry and the availability of follow-up services. By tailoring our approach, we ensure that our solutions are not only well-researched but also capable of delivering long-term value to both our business and customers.

Zurich Innovation Championship: A transformative experience

Participating in the Zurich Innovation Championship (ZIC) 2024 has been a pivotal moment in NalaGenetics’ journey. ZIC is an annual program coordinated by Zurich Insurance Group for startups and entrepreneurs around the world to bring innovative solutions that can address pressing challenges in the insurance industry. We were honoured to be selected as one of the nine global winners for this year.

While insurance is traditionally seen as a slow-to-change industry, Zurich proved to be forward-thinking as they are willing to explore how genetic testing could benefit their customers and the broader healthcare ecosystem.

What made this experience truly transformative was the close working relationship we developed with Zurich’s Malaysia business unit. We didn’t just collaborate from a distance; we became an integrated team, working together towards the common goal of improving health outcomes for their customers. This level of cooperation helped us refine our approach and create a more cohesive product offering.

Also Read: How to tackle employee mental health to build a resilient workforce

Success in the Malaysian market: The pilot

As part of the ZIC’s accelerator phase, one of our most successful initiatives has been our collaboration with Zurich in Malaysia. In a survey of 200 Malaysian residents, 90 per cent were willing to participate in a genetic testing and wellness program. Additionally, over two-thirds of respondents expressed comfort with insurance companies offering genetic tests as part of a health program, seeing it as a proactive way to enhance their quality of life.

We successfully launched the first batch of our genetic testing and wellness program with Zurich’s customers in Malaysia, serving 42 customers who were willing to participate in this profiling exercise, within nine days of recruitment. This early success has encouraged us to continue rolling out the program in subsequent batches, demonstrating the potential for genetic testing to become a key component of preventive health programs when aligned with insurance offerings.

One customer shared their thoughts on the program, saying, “The program helped me to understand myself better and how I should prepare physically and financially for my future. Although I am still worried about my health conditions, I know I am being supported.” This kind of feedback reinforces our belief in the value of what we are building, especially in showing how health and financial wellbeing go hand in hand.

Insurance agent feedback: A new perspective on customer care

One of the most inspiring aspects of our journey has been the feedback we have received from agents who have been involved in our wellness program. One agent remarked, “It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about showing love and care for individuals and their health.”

This sentiment perfectly captures the heart of our mission and aligns with Zurich’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. We’re not just providing a service—we’re helping people take proactive steps to improve their health in a meaningful and supportive way.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised many aspects of our personal and professional lives, but prompt engineering is one often overlooked skill in the AI world. This essential skill ensures you get the most accurate, relevant, and creative outputs from AI models. In this article, we’ll dive into the one rule that governs all effective, prompt crafting, breaking it down step-by-step so you can master this essential skill.

Step one: Understanding the importance of prompt crafting

Before diving into the rule, it’s essential to understand why prompt crafting matters. AI models are powerful, but they rely on clear, structured, and thoughtful inputs to generate useful outputs. A well-crafted prompt can save you time, ensure more relevant results, and enable you to fully leverage the AI’s capabilities.

Why is this important?

Without a clear prompt, the AI may give you broad or irrelevant answers, forcing you to refine your queries repeatedly. Effective, prompt crafting minimises this back-and-forth, providing precise results from the start.

Step two: Introducing the rule — Clarity is king

The one rule that underpins all prompt crafting is clarity. When crafting a prompt, the clearer you are, the better the response you will receive. Whether you’re asking for a specific piece of information, generating creative ideas, or solving a complex problem, a clear and unambiguous prompt is key to getting the best result.

Example:

Instead of asking:  “What can AI do?”

Ask:  “Can you list five ways AI can help improve customer service in small businesses?”

The difference is night and day. The second prompt is specific, targeted, and leads to actionable insights.

Step three: Structuring your prompts for success

Once you grasp the importance of clarity, the next step is structuring your prompt. A well-structured prompt contains three essential elements:

• Context: Give the AI background information
• Task: Clearly define what you want
• Format: Specify how you’d like the answer to be structured

Also Read: Why AI will be critical to brand strategy

Example:

Instead of: “Tell me about AI tools.”

Try:  “For a small e-commerce business, list five AI tools that can help improve customer experience. Provide a short description and a key feature for each tool.”

This structured approach gives the AI the context (small e-commerce business), the task (list five AI tools), and the format (short description and key feature). This clarity helps the AI deliver precise and useful information.

Step four: The ultimate prompt – A prompt to create prompts

Sometimes, even with the best strategies, we may struggle to come up with the perfect prompt. That’s where the “prompt to rule them all” comes in. This technique allows you to ask ChatGPT to generate prompts for you, creating a recursive system of improvement and refinement. Essentially, you’re using AI to help you interact more effectively with AI.

Here’s the ultimate prompt to guide ChatGPT in crafting prompts tailored to your needs:

The prompt to rule them all:

“You are an AI expert in [specific field], with [X years of experience]. Your task is to create a prompt that will generate [desired outcome], ensuring the response is tailored to [target audience or purpose].

For example, if you want to generate blog ideas for a marketing audience, you would prompt ChatGPT like this:

Example prompt:
You are an AI expert content creator with 15 years of experience in digital marketing. Your task is to create a prompt that will generate blog post ideas for small businesses looking to improve their social media presence.”

ChatGPT would then respond with a list of tailored prompts that you can further refine and use.

This technique enhances your productivity and ensures that the AI consistently provides relevant and focused outputs. It’s especially useful when you’re unsure how to approach a complex question or need inspiration for creative tasks.

Step five: Iterating and refining your prompts

Even with a well-crafted prompt, it’s sometimes necessary to refine it based on the AI’s response. This process is called iterating. If the response isn’t exactly what you need, tweak your prompt until you get the desired outcome.

Example:

Initial Prompt:  “Explain AI.”

Response:  “AI is a broad field of computer science…”

Refined Prompt:  “Explain AI in the context of customer service automation, focusing on chatbots and sentiment analysis.”

Also Read: Adobe’s APJ Digital Trends Report 2024: The rise of generative AI

By narrowing down the context, you guide the AI to focus on specific areas, ensuring that the response is aligned with your needs.

Step six: Practical applications of effective prompt crafting

Prompt crafting is not just a theoretical skill –f it has numerous practical applications across industries. From improving workflows to generating content, here are some ways clear prompts can make a difference:

• Content creation: Generating blog ideas or drafting articles based on clear prompts
• Data analysis: Summarising large datasets or identifying trends with targeted prompts
• Customer support: Automating responses and troubleshooting with well-defined questions

In all these cases, the clarity of the prompt determines the usefulness of the AI’s output.

Conclusion

By following this step-by-step guide and applying the one rule of clarity, you can ensure that your AI tools work smarter for you. Whether you’re automating tasks, generating content, or solving complex problems, mastering this skill will help you get the most out of AI technology. Don’t forget to leverage the “prompt to rule them all” to enhance your productivity by having AI assist you in generating effective prompts.

In the evolving world of AI, the ability to craft clear and structured prompts will give you a competitive edge, enabling you to unlock the full potential of these powerful tools. Happy prompting!

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The business landscape — plagued by economic headwinds, trade sanctions, supply chain disruptions, and staffing shortages, amongst others — is a shifting terrain that demands constant adaptation. In this environment, a strong foundation in ethics and compliance (E&C) becomes even more critical.

However, navigating this terrain requires more; it demands a dedicated and ethical workforce. Employees are the backbone of every business, and their decisions and actions all have an impact on an organisation’s reputation, resilience, and ability to adapt.

Yet, a common misconception amongst startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore is the belief that ethics and compliance training is complicated and cumbersome and something that only larger, established organisations and multinational corporations need to deal with.

However, the reality is that E&C is crucial and beneficial to all organisations, large and small, including SMEs. Recent high-profile cases of bribery and corruption, false testimony and even degree forgery serve as a sober reminder that not adopting standards and strategies for E&C training can be detrimental in the long term.

In fact, LRN Corporation’s recent Benchmark of Ethical Culture Report 2024 found that companies with strong ethical cultures outperform those with weak ethical cultures by an average of ~50% across traditional business metrics such as customer satisfaction, employee loyalty, competitiveness, innovation, and adaptability.

Adopting a foundational E&C training programme can help organisations better navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, avoid fines and ethical pitfalls, and build a positive workplace culture where the business and its people can thrive by acting upon shared values. It also contributes towards the building of an organisation’s ethical culture – the values, attitudes and behaviours of individuals and organisations that influence ethical decision-making.

Proper E&C training and up-skilling are more crucial than ever, and building an effective and measurable E&C training programme will look different for every organisation. However, there are a few key concepts that are universal and can help guide organisations, big or small, to ensure a secure and well-supported programme.

Create a clear code of conduct

A code of conduct is a set of principles and expectations that employees are expected to adhere to, and should accurately reflect the organisation’s values, beliefs and aspirations. It includes codifying key policies on anti-discrimination, harassment, data privacy and more.

Serving as a useful guide for employees at various levels to help influence ethical decision-making, the code of conduct should be easily accessible, visually engaging and simple to parse. For instance, by making its code of conduct searchable, web-based and mobile-enabled, a company can ensure that employees can easily consult it regularly to check misconduct parameters or locate a reporting hotline.

Also Read: Empowering change: Singapore’s female-led startup success stories

The code should not just be a check in a box for leadership or employees. To make it a ‘living document’ practised across the organisation, leadership teams need to champion the code and demonstrate the right behaviours, including treating everyone in the organisation with equal respect, acting with integrity and taking a values-based approach to decision-making.

Further strengthen the code of conduct by regularly recognising and rewarding employees who exemplify the code’s values. This encourages a holistic, top-down, bottom-up approach towards E&C.

Identify and avoid cultural hindrances

The fastest growing cohort of workers, Gen Z, is making it known they won’t work for companies whose visible values don’t align with their own. Furthermore, LRN’s Benchmark of Ethical Culture Report has also revealed that 25 per cent of Gen Z and 45 per cent of Millennials surveyed in Singapore find it acceptable to break the rules if needed to get the job done. Such attitudes directly undermine the importance of an organisation’s code of conduct, perpetuating the notion that it’s irrelevant or unimportant.

To prevent this, organisations should also evaluate if a potential new hire’s values align with the organisation’s values and ethical standing. Additionally, retaining employees with strong ethical compasses can help foster and strengthen a positive and inclusive work environment. Ensure that E&C objectives and criteria are inbuilt into performance evaluations – making ethical behaviour a core job requirement while also recognising employees that contribute towards organisational culture.

The importance of relevant and effective E&C programmes

New ethical issues and compliance risks arise all the time. Regulations are constantly being updated with increasing regulatory scrutiny, and a heightened public awareness of ethical issues has put a spotlight on corporate behaviour. Outdated E&C training leaves companies and their employees vulnerable to lapses, penalties, lawsuits, and blowbacks.

Also Read: Navigating the AI maze in Malaysia’s martech: Striking a balance between efficiency and ethics

Organisations need to ensure that their E&C programmes are up-to-date and relevant — equipping employees with training and knowledge to handle new challenges and the latest threats ethically and compliantly.

Start by regularly measuring ethical culture and relevant qualitative key performance indicators, such as behaviour change to determine employees’ compliance and ethical standing against the current code of conduct; and revising training programmes where required. This can help organisations stay ahead of potential misconduct while identifying potential areas of improvement.

Model programmes should also foster alignment across relevant departments such as human resources (HR), legal, compliance, risk and information technology to ensure that all knowledge gaps are addressed. This should be done regularly to ensure that training is up-to-date according to evolving needs.

Additionally, employ the latest technology to make training more engaging and effective. For example, gamified compliance training – utilising points, badges, leaderboards and interactive scenarios – can turn a dry and tedious topic into an enjoyable and stimulating experience that encourages active participation. Pulse surveys can also be incorporated into the gamified training to track sentiment, identify problem areas, measure change over time and benchmark performance.

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape shaped by shifting E&C demands and compliance pressures, companies must mandate an effective E&C training programme that will help inculcate a strong, resilient and positive ethical culture and boost an organisation’s ability to stay ahead of growing uncertainties.

Far from just an optional extra adopted by MNCs, E&C training is crucial to success for organisations of all sizes, and the creation and upkeep of such programmes can empower sustainable growth and resilience.

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Workplace safety is a rising concern in the present times due to the intensity of work going on around the world and the number of human lives dependent on it. It is a much higher concern in labor intensive sectors such as construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and mining. These industries are known for being involved in demanding physical tasks where the application of heavy machinery creates a high-risk environment.

Ensuring the well-being of workers in these sectors is not only mandatory compliance with the regulation but also a moral imperative of every stakeholder. Effective safety protocols, advanced technologies, and a culture of vigilance are essential to mitigate risks and prevent accidents.

According to the International Labour Organisation, the per year count of men and women losing their lives to workplace fatalities and diseases stands at 2.6 million. Making it simpler, this leads to around 6000 deaths per day. Whether it is accidents occurring at the work sites or the occupational diseases that they incur, the rate coming out of it is very concerning.

What is the modern-day solution to ensure safety?

Technology! The answer is simple. With the growing scope of technology, it has extended its solutions to make the workplace safer. Generative AI is a tool that is working towards deriving workplace safety, most importantly in high-risk and labour-intensivesector such as construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and even mining. By using advanced technological solutions based on AI algorithms and models there can be a better solution expected.

One of the applications of Gen AI that has managed to create a significant influence on workplace safety is the development of Chatbots. It has altered the approach of companies to secure their employee well-being and risk management practices.

Five ways to use Gen AI-enabled chatbots for workplace safety

According to Hugo Cheuk, COO, viAct,  “Generative AI can analyse complex datasets from various sources, including historical incident reports and real-time sensor data, to identify and predict risks. This capability enables construction managers to implement timely interventions, thereby preventing accidents and enhancing worker safety.”

Also Read: How AI enhances content creation and sales strategies for live commerce in the Philippines

As rightly pointed out, whether it is a safety officer trying to ensure construction safety or managing an automated incident analysis and reporting in a manufacturing unit, the use of Gen AI can be of good use. The use of AI-powered video analytics in Gen AI-enabled chatbots makes the usage optimum.

Here are five ways where the use of Gen AI-enabled chatbots can be the most effective:

Real-time safety guidance

The best part of Gen AI chatbots is their 24/7 working ability. In contrast to the traditional human monitoring capabilities, these chatbots can provide instant, on-site safety instructions and guidance, ensuring workers have access to accurate safety protocols at all times.

Let’s consider a situation — A worker who is new to a manufacturing unit experiences an equipment malfunction. This can cause hindrance to others at work and there is no time to get back to his supervisor. At this critical point of time, he can ask the chatbot for the correct procedure to handle the malfunction, and receive immediate, precise instructions.

Incident reporting and documentation

The chatbots can be easily integrated with the surveillance system of the worksites. This allows it to take the information from the recorded shreds of evidence and store it in its database. As it is based on large language models (LLMs), these chatbots can hold a much larger quantity of data as compared to a traditional system.

With its storage capabilities, the streamlining of the reporting process for any accidents and even near-misses in the sites becomes easier and more accurate. This process allows the workers to quickly log incidents through conversational interfaces and record them for future requirements.

Personalised safety training

The training sessions provided to the workers are often limited based on the time period and frequency. With AI-driven chatbots, the facility to receive safety briefings as and when desired by the worker gives a good edge. With a Gen AI-enabled chatbot, the training on safety can now be received:

• Customised based on the situation enquired
• Personalised based on the profile of the worker
• Curated in relevance with the previous training performance
• On the Job training facility
• Levelled based on the urgency of the situation
• Obtain Digital Permit-to-Work (PTW)

Example: New employees can receive personalised onboarding safety training through interactive chatbot sessions, ensuring they understand and retain critical information.

Proactive risk assessment

It is one of the main features of having a Gen AI-enabledChatbot. It can retain enough information to detect patterns and present a forecasting scenario. It can analyse data from various sources to predict potential hazards and advise workers on preventive measures.

Also Read: Will China lead the Artificial Intelligence game by 2030?

For instance, the chatbot can alert workers about specific risks based on recent incident trends or environmental conditions along with suggesting the best pre-emptive action to be undertaken. The necessity of PPE compliance in the situation or being aware of vehicle/machinery collisions.

This can be highly effective especially in detecting environmental hazards in crucial working conditions like confined spaces or ensuring drilling rig safety further accurately.

Enhanced communication and support

The role of supervisors can be taken forward by Gen AI chatbots due to their information generating feature. Itensures continuous support by providing answers to safety-related questions, thus reducing the burden on human supervisors and safety officers.

The unavoidable situations that a safety officer needs to undergo can now be managed effectively by using these bots. Workers can ask the chatbot about safety regulations or emergency procedures and receive accurate information instantly, even during off-hours. It can be easily communicated using smart wearables such as smart helmets and vests which can closely monitor the signs shown by the workers.

Conclusion

As we embrace these technologies, the goal is clear: to reduce workplace accidents, ensure compliance with safety regulations, and ultimately, save lives. It is mentioned in a report by McKinsey, that using AI-powered safety monitoring in a sector such as construction can also help to increase productivity levels by 50 per cent.

We envision the future of construction safety, the seamless integration of generative AI and cutting-edge video analytics, combined with the power of large language models, will redefine the landscape, fostering an environment where innovation aligns with safety, setting new standards for industries.

The deployment of AI-driven solutions like chatbots extends the potential of technology to create safer, more efficient, and more productive work environments. By using the power of Gen AI, industries can not only meet but exceed current safety standards, setting a new benchmark for the future.

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On the final day of All That Matters 2024 in Singapore on September 18, James Redden, CEO APAC & US of 2CV Research, revealed the results of a survey among marketing professionals about Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in their work.

The adoption of AI among marketers has seen a remarkable surge over the past year. The survey revealed that while only 27 per cent of marketers reported using AI frequently in their work a year ago, that number has now climbed to 65 per cent.

This significant increase underscores the growing reliance on AI tools in marketing, with the majority now leveraging them regularly. According to the survey, marketers are utilising AI for various purposes, with the top four areas being market research, competitive analysis, social media management, and content creation.

This trend will continue as AI becomes more integrated into marketing processes.

The survey also revealed how these marketers feel about the advancement of the technology.

Also Read: Why is a customer-centric digital marketing strategy the way to go?

“With this rate of change comes anxiety, and this was a really interesting finding. Almost three quarters of marketers said, ‘Yes, I am feeling overwhelmed.’ They do not feel sure if they are keeping up. They are not sure if they are still going to have a job in the future,” Redden said.

“Most marketers see the change happening very fast, and this is creating a lot of anxiety, uncertainty amongst the marketing community … But there is also a lot of excitement.”

Using AI to improve fan experience

All That Matters 2024 is a conference that brings together industry professionals from the media, entertainment, and sports industries. The event discussed various relevant issues including the implementations of AI technology across these industries.

The final day of All That Matters 2024 also featured a fireside chat with Yu Sasamoto, CEO Japan and APAC Business Development at DAZN Japan Investment GK.

In discussing about how the company is using AI technology to improve the experience of sports fans using their platform, Sasamoto stresses on the importance of “emotional moments” in sports that are the often the key focus of a sports event itself.

Also Read: FC Barcelona looks to score big in Asia’s sports-tech arena through its innovation hub

“The AI technology helps us collect those moments and maybe connect them to brands,” he explained to moderator Anna Lockwood, Head of Media & Sport at Telstra International.

He gave an example of watching baseball tournament in Japan, which is a wildly popular event. There will be emotional moments during a single tournament such as home runs or even errors, and these moments can potentially be used by brands to connect with their audiences.

“What if we are able to take those moments, automatically implement AI technology on them, then connect those emotions with the brands who want to celebrate the goals or home runs. That would be a fairly innovative way that we can offer the brands to connect with those emotions.”

Sasamoto also shares some details about a new project from DAZN that is coming to alpha stage soon.

“We are trying to build this full funnel experience, and fan zone could be one of the viewing experiences that could appreciate the technology, and again, taking fans emotions is most critical for us to enhance the viewing experience on the platform.”

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Thailand’s startup landscape is rapidly growing, fuelled by government support, investor interest, and an evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The startup ecosystem is diverse, with intense activity in fintech, e-commerce, healthtech, agritech, and travel tech.

Fintech is particularly robust in Thailand due to its cash-heavy economy and the government’s push for digital transformation. Healthtech and agritech have also gained momentum due to the country’s strong agricultural roots and focus on healthcare innovation.

Bangkok is the main startup hub, but Chiang Mai and Phuket are also emerging centres, especially for startups focusing on tourism and agriculture.

The Thai government actively fosters the startup ecosystem through programs such as the Thailand 4.0 initiative. This initiative aims to transform the economy by promoting innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. The National Innovation Agency (NIA) also provides funding, mentorship, and resources for early-stage startups.

There is increasing interest from local and international venture capital firms. Thailand has seen a rise in Series A and B funding rounds, with notable exits and a growing number of Southeast Asian unicorns inspiring further investor confidence.

Also Read: Thailand’s tech renaissance: Building bridges to global success

Below we bring you the list of Thailand’s fast-growing startups.

Pomelo

Pomelo Fashion is an internet-first brand offering multi-category fashion products for women. The product catalogue includes apparel, activewear, footwear, and accessories. The company also offers beauty products.

Founding year: 2013
Total funding raised: US$79 million
Investors: Jungle Ventures, Rich Sport Public, PTT, Central Group, Provident Growth, InterVest, Ambient Sound Investments, Lombard Investments, Lyra Ventures, JD.com, Provident Capital Partners, 500 Global, Innoven Capital, Fenox Venture Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, START TODAY, Kejora Capital, Coffee Ventures, Cento Ventures, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Iris Capital Partners, ORZON Ventures.

eatigo

eatigo is a mobile-based app that provides restaurant reservation service in Thailand. It enables users to search for restaurants or recommend nearby restaurants. It also provides discounts at restaurants on booking through the app.

Founding year: 2013
Total funding raised: US$25 million
Investors: The Fork Manager, TripAdvisor, Plan B Media, 8i Ventures.

Hungry Hub

An online platform for booking tables at restaurants. It allows users to search for restaurants based on their locations and book tables based on their preferences. The venture also offers food delivery services.

Founding year: 2013
Total funding raised: US$450,000
Investors: Orzon Ventures, ECG-Research, Expara, 500 Global, Digitaraya.

Finnomena

Finnomena is an online investment platform for equities and mutual funds. It offers tools to manage public funds and customise investment strategies. It also provides updates, insights, expertise, and alerts on public market investment.

Founding year: 2016
Total funding raised: US$18.7 million
Investors: Openspace Ventures, Gobi Partners, Premier Advisory Group, Krungsri, Finnovate, BCH Ventures, 500 Global, BCG, Mavcap, RISE.

Salary Hero

It is a cloud-based platform for financial benefits. It offers tools for improving employees’ financial health and productivity, increasing savings, etc.

Founding year: 2021
Total funding raised: US$2.8 million
Investors: Global Founders Capital, MVP, 500 Global, Titan Capital, 1982 Ventures.

PropertyScout

An online listing platform for commercial and residential properties in Thailand. It enables users to find real estate properties through the platform for rental processes. Its features include 3D virtual tours, 3D floor plans, and pictures of the properties.

Also Read: ‘AIS The StartUp’ wins Thai Prime Minister’s award for promoting entrepreneurs

Founding year: 2019
Total funding raised: US$7.8 million
Investors: Altara Ventures, Asymmetry Ventures, AngelCentral, Hustle Fund, Partech Partners,
Iterative, Swiss Founders Fund, CAV Investment Group, Alpha Founders Capital, simple.Capital, TK & Partners.

Zentry

It develops casual games and MMORPGs, powered by a blockchain infrastructure, consumer apps, and captivating IP. It also develops games for PCs and consoles. Its products include radiant, sigma, nexus, and Azul.

Founding year: 2021
Total funding raised: US$146 million
Investors: Binance, Coinbase, Animoca Brands, Pantera Capital, Hashed, DeFiance Capital,
Play Ventures, Alameda Research, Dapper Labs, Skyvision, Coin98, Arche Fund, CatcherVC,
RR2 Capital, Chilli Padi Capital, Lysithea Ventures, Maven Capital, X99 Ventures, AC Capital.

Flash Express

It provides end-to-end delivery solutions for e-commerce logistics companies and integrated service deliveries in Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. It is also a leading firm in the next-day delivery space with nationwide coverage.

Founding year: 2017
Total funding raised: US$997 million
Investors: SCB 10X, Krungsri Finnovate, PTT, eWTP Capital, Chanwanich Company, Durbell,
Banyan Ventures, Cloud Angel Fund.

Spacely AI

Spacely AI is an AI-powered interior design tool that allows architects and designers to experiment with styles and materials quickly, accelerating the conceptualization of designs. With its impressive AI visualisation capabilities, Thailand-based Spacely AI rapidly renders dream spaces, making it a practical solution for interior designers.

Founding year: 2023
Total funding raised: Undisclosed amount.
Investor: SCB 10X.

DRVR

DRVR is a big data analysis firm focused on driving behaviour to improve fleet efficiency and direct costs and deliver improved customer service. It also gathers data important for driving more business and offers solutions for fleet utilization and real-time monitoring.

Founding year: 2014
Total funding raised: US$450,000
Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund, K-Startup Grand Challenge, Global Acceleration Academy.

MoneyTable

Moneytable is an online platform for payroll loans that facilitates online finance for workforce personnel and allows employees to explore personal financial options. The platform uses big data and machine learning algorithms to analyse applicants’ credit score information. It also uses blockchain technology to develop smart contracts and smart payments.

Founding year: 2016
Total funding raised: US$1.5 million
Kejora Capital,
K2 Venture Capital.

LINE MAN Wongnai

An online platform in Thailand that offers food ordering and delivery solutions, POS, advertising, and financial services.

Also Read: How 73-year-old Thai Wah works with tech startups to break new ground in noodles production

Founding year: 2020
Total funding raised: US$37,50,00,000
Investors: GIC, LINE Corporation, PTT, BRV Capital Management, Bualuang Ventures, Taiwan Mobile, Beacon VC

Ascend Money

A financial services platform for individuals. Its product includes True Money, an app-based wallet for money transfers and online payments, Ascend Wealth for mutual funds, Ascend Nano for consumer and business loans, and more.

Founding year: 2013
Total funding raised: US$34,50,00,000
Investors: MUFG, Krungsri Finnovate, Bow Wave Capital Management, Charoen Pokphand Group, Ant Group.

aCommerce

An online platform offers end-to-end e-commerce solutions for brands in Thailand. Its services include website development, performance marketing, warehousing, fulfilment, shipping, delivery, and more. The offerings also include multi-channel management, inventory management, logistics management, custom integration, and more. The platform also allows users to manage multiple stores, engagements, and orders.

Founding year: 2013
Total funding raised: US$118.8 million
Investors: Indies Capital Partners, Emerald Media, Blue Sky Alternative Investments,
DKSH, Sinar Mas, January Capital, MDI Ventures, Inspire Ventures, Ardent Capital, Sumitomo,
JL Capital, APD, CyberAgent Capital, NTT Docomo Ventures, Asia Pacific Digital, GMO Venture Partners, Ideosource, Alpha JWC Ventures, Maloekoe Ventures.

Deliveree

Deliveree is an app and web-based platform for booking on-demand cargo transportation services. Users can enter shipping and delivery details and choose among the company’s fleet of various trucks. They can select the service type and receive freight shipping rates.

Founding year: 2015
Total funding raised: US$10,95,00,000
Investors: Gobi Partners, spilventures.com, Inspire Ventures, Genesis Ventures, Asia Summit Capital, Inspire Ventures, PSA unboXed, Ardent Capital, Wavemaker Partners.

Lightnet

Lightnet provides money transfer solutions over blockchain networks. It is a decentralised network enabling cross-border money transfer solutions through cryptocurrencies. It utilises the Velo protocol to facilitate remittance transactions for underbanked banking transactions.

Founding year: 2018
Total funding raised: US$81.2 million
Investors: Raffles, LDA, Seven Bank, Hanwha, UOB, Hopeshine Capital, Uni-President,
Du Capital, Signum Capital, HashKey, Everest Ventures Group, Ausvic Capital.

Sunday Insurance

An AI-based health and property and casualty insurance platform for individuals and businesses. It offers quotes for auto insurance, travel insurance, health insurance, and more. It also offers online claims processing and policy management platforms.

Founding year: 2017
Total funding raised: US$75 million
Investors: Tencent, SCB 10X, Vertex Growth, Vertex Ventures, Quona, Z Venture Capital,
KSK Power Venture, Aflac Ventures, Granite Oak, Line Ventures, Accion, OSK Ventures International Berhad.

Roojai.com

An online distribution platform for auto insurance. It allows users to choose an insurance plan with an auto repair garage. Users are allowed to check the insurance quotes by providing the vehicle details on the platform. Its other services include roadside assistance, repair warranty, refund, and guarantee.

Founding year: 2015
Total funding raised: US$69 million
Investors: HDI Global, IFC, Primary Group.

Amity Corporation

It is a platform as a service for enterprise-grade AI applications and agents in Thailand. Its offerings include enterprise and Generative AI chatbots and pre-built social features for apps and websites. The platform enables users to choose from a prompt library or create custom prompts, train the AI assistant, test it in real-time, and deploy it via webhooks or embed codes.

Founding year: 2012
Total funding raised: US$60 million
Investors: Insight Capital, SMDV, Gobi Partners, AlteriQ Global.

Ookbee

Ookbee is a digital platform that offers books, fiction, newspapers, online courses, audiobooks, and magazines. Customers can buy these products from its platform.

Founding year: 2012
Total funding raised: US$28 million
Investors: Tencent, Sumitomo, Beacon VC, Transcosmos, InVent, Intouch, AIS The StartUP.

Freshket

An online B2B marketplace offering farm products. The product catalogue includes vegetables, fruits, meats, grains, soft drinks, and restaurant supplies.

Founding year: 2016
Total funding raised: US$26.5 million
Investors: PTT, OpenSpace, Betagro Group, ORZON Ventures, Volta Circle, Openspace Ventures, ECG-RESEARCH, 500 Global, RISE.

SleekEV

SLEEK EV is an electric two-wheeler brand that aims to establish electric vehicles (EVs) as the standard rather than the exception in urban mobility. In partnership with financial institutions in Thailand, Sleek EV also provides vehicle financing with no down payment required and a low interest rate.

Founding year: 2019
Total funding raised: US$5.7 million
ORZON Ventures, Krungsri Finnovate, January Capital, and A2D.

APX Logistics

APX is a digital freight consolidator offering shipping, pallet, and warehousing services through its network of logistics partners to power Less-than-Truckload (LTL) cargo services for businesses. It aims to build a connected truck transport network in Thailand and the ASEAN region to improve logistics efficiency while reducing CO2 emissions.

Also Read: Thailand’s APX Logistics nets funding from SBI Ven Capital for Vietnam expansion

Founding year: 2019
Total funding raised: US$2.7 million
Investors: Alpha Founders Capital, Orzon Ventures, SBI Ventures, Asian Development Bank.

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Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is the buzzword among senior corporate executives across all sectors and regions, especially with the advent of applications like ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, Claude, and GitHub Copilot. As software providers continue to integrate Gen AI features into their products, its significance has skyrocketed. What was once seen as a cutting-edge technological answer has now evolved into a widely used tool, not just in the Asia Pacific but globally.

Reflecting this rapid evolution, Adobe’s APJ Digital Trends Report 2024 delves into how Gen AI is transforming business operations and customer engagement strategies across the Asia-Pacific region. From reshaping digital customer experiences with enhanced personalisation and interactivity to revolutionising content workflows and customer journey management, Gen AI is poised to redefine the digital landscape. Adobe, at the forefront of this transformative shift, is driving innovation and empowering businesses to harness the full potential of Gen AI in their strategies.

The Asia-Pacific region is at the forefront of digital transformation, with businesses increasingly embracing advanced technologies to stay competitive. Adobe’s 2024 APJ Digital Trends Report highlights how Generative AI (Gen AI) is poised to revolutionise business operations and customer engagement strategies across various industries in the region.

Simon Dale, Vice President of Asia at Adobe, emphasises that Gen AI is not just a technological upgrade but a transformative force reshaping digital customer experiences by enhancing personalisation, efficiency, and interactivity. “APJ brands are leveraging Gen AI to meet the increasing content velocity needed for personalisation at scale,” Dale shares. “This emerging technology is set to transform every part of the enterprise, and while brands in the region are well-positioned, they cannot rest on their laurels.”

Transforming digital customer experience with Gen AI

Gen AI is enabling brands to offer personalised experiences that closely match individual customer preferences and behaviours, creating a more engaging and relevant digital journey. Dale explains, “Through Gen AI, businesses can create interactive and dynamic digital experiences, such as personalised email campaigns or customised user interfaces, which keep customers more engaged and connected to the brand.”

The technology is also redefining content workflows by automating the creation of a wide range of content types, from blog posts and social media updates to videos and graphics. This capability significantly reduces the time and cost associated with content production. Moreover, Gen AI’s ability to analyse customer data to predict future behaviours allows businesses to anticipate market needs and tailor their offerings, staying ahead of the competition.

Also Read: Singapore’s AI-powered future: Reshaping industries and economies

Industries set to benefit the most

While Gen AI is set to impact various sectors, certain industries are expected to see extraordinary benefits. In marketing and sales, Gen AI is revolutionising content creation, email marketing, and personalisation strategies, transforming how brands connect with their audiences.

In fact, a recent study conducted by Salesforce found that seven in ten marketers (71 per cent) expect generative AI to help eliminate busy work, allowing them to focus more on strategic tasks. They also predict that generative AI will save them five hours of work per week, which amounts to over a month per year. The public sector is another beneficiary, with government agencies using Gen AI to gain deeper insights into citizen behaviours, leading to more personalised and efficient services.

A notable example of Gen AI’s impact is Adobe’s collaboration with Singapore’s Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB). Adobe’s solutions from the Adobe Experience Cloud suite helped CPFB better understand member needs, enabling tailored communications and services that enhance the citizen experience. “With Adobe’s tools, CPFB developed personalised digital offerings like the CPF retirement income planner, which significantly improved engagement metrics,” Dale notes. The initiative led to a 10% increase in open rates for educational messages and almost doubled the unique viewership of the Yearly Statement of Accounts.

Balancing personalisation with data privacy

As businesses strive to enhance personalisation in their customer interactions, maintaining data privacy and security remains a critical challenge. Dale underscores the importance of a robust data foundation, stating, “Many organisations struggle with data quality issues, where inconsistencies can lead to flawed insights. The challenge of integrating data from disparate sources adds further complexity, compounded by the need to comply with stringent data governance policies.”

Adobe addresses these challenges through the Adobe Experience Platform, which consolidates data from across the enterprise to create a single source of truth. “Our platform not only enhances data quality but also connects an organisation’s data governance infrastructure with the tools used for managing customer experiences,” Dale explains. “This approach ensures that data remains relevant, accessible, and compliant with regulatory requirements.”

Also Read: Embracing AI in Southeast Asia: The strategy for avoiding cost overruns

Future-proofing with Gen AI and beyond

Adobe’s commitment to security and privacy is unwavering, with ongoing efforts to embed security into its products and services through repeatable processes and comprehensive training programmes for development teams. By addressing data management challenges with advanced solutions, Adobe empowers organisations to build strong data foundations that support current needs and pave the way for future innovations in Gen AI and beyond.

As the 2024 APJ Digital Trends Report illustrates, the dawn of Gen AI marks the beginning of a transformative era for businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. With the right strategies and technologies, companies can harness the full potential of Gen AI to redefine customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive sustainable growth.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Over the past decade, the Asia Pacific (APAC) region has become the epicentre of mobile app innovation.

Mobile apps have shifted from ‘nice to have’ to mission-critical pillars of corporate strategy. APAC now accounts for 33 per cent of the global app market value.  It is forecast to grow from approximately US$200 billion in 2022 to an estimated US$750 billion by 2032, representing a CAGR of nearly 14 per cent.

It’s no wonder why mobile is now an essential part of any business strategy in APAC.

APAC continues to stand at the forefront of the mobile app revolution, capturing 64 per cent of all app downloads globally. This, more than anything, proves why APAC is pivotal to the industry’s future. With smartphone penetration predicted to surpass 90 per cent by 2030, mobile apps are slated to bridge the digital divide by drawing in users across both geographical and socio-economic boundaries. However, with every great opportunity comes great challenges.

In specific the astronomic growth of this new technology has fundamentally changed user behaviour for good. The ever-increasing reliance on apps and soaring engagement in this channel reflect a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour. Marketers are now faced with the ongoing task of influencing, measuring, and addressing these rapidly changing patterns.

After a decade of navigating this dynamic landscape, AppsFlyer’s trajectory closely mirrors the region’s rapid expansion. This year marks a monumental milestone for AppsFlyer as we celebrate our tenth anniversary on the ground in APAC, steadfast in our mission to “make marketers in Asia successful.” This special occasion stands as a poignant time of reflection and a chance to consider the invaluable lessons we’ve learned on this monumental journey.

Reflecting on 10 years of growth and innovation 

As the mobile ecosystem flourished, it reshaped the context within which app developers and marketers operate. Success now hinges on delivering apps that are not only functional, but sustain user engagement through fresh content, intuitive experiences, and intelligent personalisation.

Over this time, AppsFlyer emerged as the market leader in marketing measurement in the fast-paced app economy. With the increased complexity of data, we have been at the forefront of the ecosystem—working to eliminate data blind spots and equipping marketers with the insights needed to not only succeed but excel in their business.

Also Read: What AppsFlyer recommends to keep customers coming back to your e-commerce site

Our customers hail from almost every corner of APAC, operating in industry verticals that have had to evolve rapidly in this era of mobile and digital transformation, including gaming, e-commerce, and finance, to name but a few. Likewise, we have had to continuously innovate to provide a product that can meet the incredible demands of such a dynamic market. This is only possible if you stay close to the market, and we do so thanks to a culture of customer obsession.

Privacy and trust — The non-negotiables

The last decade has been defined by significant changes in policies and regulations relating to data and consumer privacy. They have dramatically reshaped the mobile marketing landscape. Picture the uncertainty of collaborating with a marketing measurement provider that may sell or misuse the data of its own customers, maintain conflicts of interest, or operate its own app business themselves. For brands and marketing teams, the importance of choosing highly objective and impartial vendors for their marketing technology cannot be overstated. This choice gives businesses the assurance and vital competitive advantage that is key in maximising the value of their data.

Fundamentally, gaining customer trust is what fuels any business’s success. At AppsFlyer our primary focus is to ensure strict adherence to data privacy principles, increasing consumer trust in the ecosystem and our customer’s businesses.

People — Our biggest asset 

Sure, it may seem cliché, but the exceptional people we’ve worked with each day have truly made this decade-long journey remarkable. Through these years, we’ve nurtured a diverse, relationship-centric community that fills us with immense pride. With nine offices throughout the APAC region, we value and leverage a diverse range of viewpoints to fulfil client needs, resolve challenges, and drive innovation. Our company culture and creed are deeply rooted in respect for diversity in all forms, equity for all demographics, and respect of the individual. 

Also Read: How AppsFlyer helps brands navigate a rapidly evolving market

Looking forward

The recent landscape in marketing has been defined by ever-shifting user privacy considerations, and this is not going to change. We see this as an ‘invariable’ here at AppsFlyer, a dynamic that is here to stay. And rightly so as the ecosystem and regulators learn how to balance tightening privacy requirements with the need to provide a relevant and personalised digital user experience. 

And if privacy has been the defining reality of the last decade, Artificial Intelligence has already staked its claim to dominate the foreseeable future. Again, opportunities and challenges for marketers.

AI has already proven its ability to deliver significant efficiencies automating, improving, and accelerating numerous activities for marketers across advertising, creative production, analytics, personalisation, optimisation, and engagement. The impact of AI and the way it will shape the future of marketing are yet to become clear, but there’s no doubt that marketing as a discipline has changed for good.

Today’s mobile marketing environment is kinetic, brimming with opportunities. Yet, at the same time, substantial challenges exist; data overload, integration complexities, quality control issues, and the necessity to iterate fast, and make quick decisions, while all the time ensuring compliance with privacy and other evolving platform and regulatory policies is very real.

Our role here at AppsFlyer is to help marketers navigate these opportunities and challenges. We have embraced this mission here in APAC for ten years now, and we continue to thrive in our unwavering commitment to the region. We’re excited by the opportunity that the booming app market in APAC presents and we’re busy making the next generation of AI-infused tools to help marketers win!

As we celebrate our tenth anniversary in the APAC region, we are proud of what we have achieved. But here’s the thing (and you knew this was coming) – we’re only one per cent done! The future holds boundless opportunities as the mobile app revolution continues to unfold. We’re ready to tackle the challenges and embrace the dominance of AI. In the infamous words of Peter Drucker, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Together, we will make the coming years even more remarkable than the past decade.

Lets go! 

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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e27 has been nurturing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs since its inception. Our Contributor Programme offers a platform for sharing unique insights.

As part of our ‘Contributor Spotlight’ series, we shine a spotlight on an outstanding contributor and dive into the vastness of their knowledge and expertise.

In this episode, we feature Camellia Chan, Co-Founder and CEO of Flexxon, who oversees the company’s growth, R&D, partnerships, and global expansion. Since founding Flexxon in 2007, she has grown it into an international business with a presence in over 50 cities. Holding over 40 patents, Chan has earned multiple accolades, including being named one of Singapore’s Top 100 Women in Tech in 2023 and winning two projects under the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore’s Call for Innovation awards.

Thoughts, goals, and journey

Chan spent several years working in electronics MNCs across Asia, acquiring valuable skills, but always felt a desire to pursue a dream with real impact and to take control of his own path. In 2007, she decided to co-found Flexxon with her business partner and good friend, May Chng, who now serves as the company’s COO.

Their vision was straightforward: to leverage their combined expertise to develop products that genuinely addressed customers’ needs, while fostering a company culture of innovation, openness, and fairness, with zero tolerance for office politics. More than 15 years later, Flexxon has expanded its global operations, grown its headcount over 20-fold, and entered the critical field of cybersecurity.

Chan draws from her expertise in hardware-based cybersecurity, with a particular focus on developing next-generation security technologies designed to address critical vulnerabilities in the digital landscape.

“This is highly uncommon because most conversations centre on software solutions,” she remarked. “The most noteworthy development that is paving the way for the new era of cybersecurity is the shift towards integrating hardware-based security solutions to achieve holistic and proactive security. That is what we are doing here at Flexxon, leveraging on the memory medium and patented AI technologies to deliver secure by design hardware that strengthens security by protecting data at the core.”

The driving force

Chan joined the e27 Contributor Programme last year and regularly shares her expertise with the community, focusing primarily on cybersecurity with the latest industry trends.

“Cybersecurity is absolutely essential and we need to keep this conversation going strong, simple and straight to the point,” she said. “I wanted to use my voice to support efforts to educate individuals beyond our industry, ignite a mindset shift and push innovation forwards.”

Also Read: Pierrick Bouffaron: Navigating the frontier of deep tech and entrepreneurship

Advice for budding thought leaders

Chan encourages aspiring thought leaders to build credibility and make an impact by focusing on three core principles:

• Be authentic: Be true to yourself and your values. If you’re not authentic, people can sense that and you lose the opportunity to connect.
• Use clear logic: Structure your thoughts clearly and present them logically. Especially with a complex topic like cybersecurity and hardware engineering, we need to be able to break these down to more digestible concepts.
• Show empathy: Understand your audience’s perspectives and needs. The whole purpose is to connect, educate and help, so it must come from a place of understanding and empathy.

Juggling too many things?

Chan believes that work-life balance varies for everyone, as it is shaped by individual definitions and personal goals.

She said, “For me, my current stage feels balanced because it aligns with my dreams and targets. I start my days early at 5:30 a.m. and am often in discussions with my teams from different parts of the world until 11 p.m. I’m very aware that others might see it as a recipe for burnout, but pursuing my goals is a fulfilling part of my life. Strategies for growth include continuously doing, learning, adjusting, and being open to transformation.”

Also Read: Felicia Theodorus: Staying ahead in the ever-evolving fintech landscape

Staying in the loop

To stay informed and ahead of industry developments, Chan follows a set of practices that help her stay in the loop:

• Engage with customers to understand their challenges.
• Participate in discussions with stakeholders for new ideas.
• Conduct market research to identify trends and solutions.
• Stay updated with news and industry publications.
• Attend webinars, conferences, and industry events to learn and network.

Chan remarked, ” Within cybersecurity, I would say to just keep updated with the general news. There are incidents everyday, and you will see it reported on BBC, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, Channel News Asia and so many more. This is the best way to be updated on the landscape.YouTube is also a great resource. But of course, you should read with discretion especially if it’s on social media. Not everyone has the right agenda, or knows what they are talking about.” 

In terms of leadership, Chan highly recommends the book ‘It’s Not the How or the What but the Who’ by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz. She believes the book emphasises the importance of focusing on the right input factors, especially when it comes to people.

“Success is about having the right people and building a strong ecosystem. By surrounding yourself with the right individuals, you create an environment that naturally drives growth and the continuous flow of information,”she concluded. “Never stop learning, don’t restrict yourself, dream big.”

Take a look at her articles here for more information and perspectives on her expertise.

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Are you ready to join a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and industry experts? Do you have insights, experiences, and knowledge to share?

Join the e27 Contributor Programme and become a valuable voice in our ecosystem.

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