How South-East Asia startups fare on the global stage?
Some people often compare South-East Asia to Europe, in the way it’s an easy regional shortcut which embraces in reality countries with very different languages, cultures, habits and levels of development. And, just as in Europe, startup ecosystems wonder first what’s the strength of the local regional ecosystem, and then how it fares at a […]
The Philippines startup ecosystem: the tipping point of the "island frontier"
This first day of Geeks on a Beach 2 provided a lot of insights on the state of the Philippines startup ecosystem. Several panels addressed the topic of the country itself, and its position in the broader ASEAN region. Overall, speakers and discussions in the audience agree that it’s the right place and the right […]
Corporate innovation series #3: MEST incubator in Ghana
During the Mobile West Africa conference in Lagos, we’ve met with Neal Hansch, the managing director of the MEST incubator in Ghana. The program is a 24-month incubation for African startups, and its history is quite interesting as we explore the different forms of corporate innovation. MEST Incubator: training West Africa’s entrepreneurs on the long-run […]
Corporate Innovation series #2: the Coca-Cola Accelerator Network
A common joke when you talk about emerging markets is that even in the most remote and dire places, you will find a bottle of Coke. The logistic empire built by the Coca-Cola company around a single product (Coca-Cola or Coke products still account for 78% of their sales) is amazingly efficient, as it controls […]
Corporate innovation series #1: GE Garage in Lagos, Nigeria
What General Electric is doing in Nigeria with its GE Garage is not your typical corporate accelerator or even makerspace. It’s not an incubator, in the sense that there is no funding for younger entrepreneurs or a stake from GE in a startup’s equity. It’s more like an open Fablab, with GE employees around to […]
Malaysian Entrepreneurship: Market Analysis
[et_pb_section admin_label= »section »][et_pb_row admin_label= »row »][et_pb_column type= »4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label= »Text »] Facts: GDP – USD$303.5 billion (2012) GDP growth – 5.6% (2012) GDP breakdown – Services: 48.3% / Industry: 40.2% (2012) Inflation rate – 1.7% (2012) Pros: Proactive supportive government/ Highly successful startup history/ Able to take advantage of Singapore’s networks/ Cheap, well-connected regional hub Cons: Lack of global expansion/ Resource-based economy/ Singapore as a competitor/ […]
Why you should attend Geeks on a Beach in the Philippines
We’ve been preparing carefully the year #2 of our world tour of startups in the emerging markets, and are enthusiastic that it will begin by Geeks on a Beach, the Philippines main tech event. As you know, we’re fond of digging into each visited country’s demographic and economic stats and why they are amazing […]
A guided tour of CC Hub Nigeria in Lagos
As we explored the startup scene of Nigeria in Lagos, we could not miss the prominent role of the Co-Creation Hub, also known as CC Hub Nigeria. Most people we had met the days before at the Mobile West Africa conference referred to it as the central piece of this nascent ecosystem. So after the […]
HungryGoWhere, a Singapore startup success story told from the inside, with Wong Hoong An
I’ve long been a subscriber of NUS Enterprise’s newsletter, as this part of the National University of Singapore plays a key role in the local tech ecosystem. For my first time attending their Kopi Chat series, I’ve listened to the story of Wong Hoong An, one of the three co-founders of HungryGowhere. This startup, then […]
Nigeria startup scene: Can "Africa's India" make it?
What can the Nigeria startup scene look like? With this candid question, and a few recommendations and contacts from friends, we decided to explore Africa’s biggest country and economy entrepreneur & tech ecosystem. What triggered our trip was also the reputation of Mobile West Africa, West Africa’s most prominent tech event, where it’s easier to […]
