05 September 2012, Singapore - Techventure 2012 is Asia’s summit event for the world’s most influential investors and iconic innovators. It is presented by NRF Singapore. The conference has enjoyed government and corporate sector support for the past 16 years and attracts over 600 successful entrepreneurs, corporate chiefs of info-communications, bio-technology and new materials corporations, wealthy high-tech founders, high net worth individuals from the technology, venture capital and private equity community. More information about Techventure 2012 is available at www.techventure.com.sg.
This year’s theme, ‘Asian. Innovation. Renaissance.’, celebrates the vibrant developments taking place in Asia that have helped Asian corporations take the lead and capitalize successfully in many areas of technology. The three-day conference also offers exciting partnering opportunities between Silicon Valley and Singapore. Well-known entrepreneurs and investors will make their way here to explore more technology businesses in Singapore and build subsidiaries locally to access proximate markets.
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Research Foundation Singapore, Mr Teo Chee Hean, will be the Guest-of-Honour to launch Techventure 2012. Other prominent innovators and founders speaking at the event include Tan Min-Liang, CEO and Chief Gamer, Razer, Olivia Lum, Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Hyflux Ltd and Joe Lonsdale, Forbes 30 under 30 list for technology.
Two new partners – TechInnovation 2012 and Failcon Singapore – will make their debut this year. TechInnovation 2012, organised by Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI) Singapore is an industry-technology matching event focusing on emerging and ready-to-market enabling technologies in info-communications, electronics, materials, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and environment, to enhance the innovation capacity of Singapore enterprises.
Failcon, an established Silicon Valley event for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers and designers to share how they have built upon their previous failures to succeed, will be held in Asia for the first time. Prominent personalities such as Ho Kwon Ping, Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, Gary Wang, Founder and CEO of Tudou, the leading video portal of China and Patrick Lee, co-founder of Alive Not Dead and Rotten Tomatoes, will provide their insights to technopreneurs during a one-day get-together.
Event organizer, Asiasons Group, will be honouring the most outstanding person and best projects in the field with the presentation of the Techventure Asiasons Innovation Awards.
Prof Low Teck Seng, Chief Executive Officer of the NRF Singapore, said: “The quality and numbers of technopreneurs attending Techventure conferences has been very inspiring. By partnering Techventure with Failcon Singapore and TechInnovation 2012, we are providing a more holistic picture of the innovation eco-system and bringing greater value for delegates. The start-up sector in Singapore is laying the foundation for a sophisticated high-tech SME industry that can compete on the world stage and power the next stage of economic growth for Singapore.”
Datuk Jared Lim, Managing Director, Asiasons Group and Organiser of Techventure 2012, said: “This year’s event is particularly significant as it signals the ascendancy of Asia as the wellspring of new ideas, innovation and the engine of global economic growth, and cements Singapore’s reputation as Asia’s innovation hub.”
Dr Lim Khiang Wee, Executive Director, IPI and Organiser of TechInnovation 2012, said: “IPI aims to help Singapore enterprises grow their business through the use of intellectual property. TechInnovation 2012 is our inaugural marketplace event and will be one of the platforms for us to work with Singapore enterprises to enhance their business through open innovation.”
Mr Philip Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Exploit Technologies said: “Singapore has many years of investment in R&D and we are seeing a step increase in adoption rate across different sectors in industry. Part of this can be attributed to the role of Technology Transfer Offices like the Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL) in identifying the right IPs to secure and nurturing the technology in collaboration with scientists, innnovators, users and industry. Developing technologies for commercial outcomes is team sport of the highest order, hence here lies the importance of Techventure.”
Organised by Asiasons Group, NRF’s Techventure 2012 is co-presented with the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA), in conjunction with Intellectual Property Intermediary Singapore (IPI).
Attached:
Annex A: About the Events
Annex B: About the Organisations Involved
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For media queries, please contact:
Ms Cheryl Loh
Head, Corporate Communications, National Research Foundation
Phone: 6684 2928; 9880 5507
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Mr. Farhan Hamid
Executive
H+K Strategies
Tel: 6390 3353
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For ticket sales, please contact:
Mr Derrick Tan
Techventure 2012
Organising Committee
Mobile: 9008 7808;
Tel :6226 3771
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Website: www.techventure.com.sg
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ANNEX A
ABOUT THE EVENTS
Techventure 2012
Organised by Asiasons Group and presented by the National Research Foundation Singapore and the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA), in conjunction with Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI) Singapore, Techventure is the premier platform for exchanges between technopreneurs and high-net worth individual investors, private equity investors, as well as venture capitalists. This will be executed through the highly popular “Up Close and Personal” session” in which attendees will have the opportunity to interact directly with conference speakers and learn about their secret to success, as well as the “Pitch to the Stars” session where budding entrepreneurs pitch to renowned investors and receive feedback on their business ideas.
Techventure Asiasons Innovation Awards
The event will also see Techventure Asiasons Innovation Awards given out to honour the highest in calibre amongst peers in the field and to outstanding projects. These are:
•Rising Star Innovator – For the entrepreneur who demonstrates strategic vision, foresight, and the most potential
•Most Disruptive Innovation – For the most game-changing, and unique business idea or technology
•Best of Show – For the start-up whose booth best captures the interest of visitors and effectively informs visitors of its business idea or technology
•Most Eco-friendly Start-up – For the start-up who employs sustainable policies and practices at work, or whose products and services contribute to a greener environment
•Coolest Innovation – The start-up whose business idea or technology fulfils a market need by employing a unique concept
For more information on Techventure 2012, please visit our website at www.techventure.com.sg
TechInnovation 2012
Partnering Techventure for the first time will be TechInnovation 2012, organised by Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI) Singapore. TechInnovation 2012 is a technology marketplace for suppliers and buyers of technology based intellectual property. It will offer innovative and market ready technology in info-communications, electronics, materials, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and environment and much more from international and Singapore technology providers as well as presentations on the technology needs of organisations practicing open innovation. TechInnovation 2012 will be graced by Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry as Guest-of-Honour.
Failcon Singapore 2012
Singapore is the first Asian venue for Failcon, the popular Silicon Valley conference for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers and designers to study their own and others’ failures in order to prepare for success. Failcon recognizes the efforts of entrepreneurs aren’t always of continues success. Most events put successful entrepreneurs on stage to talk about how they made their company great, yet never about what they learned from mistakes along the way. The Failcon conference has taken place in four continents around the globe, and while failure is still a taboo topic all over the world, Failcon aims to change that one city at a time. For more information, please visit: www.failcon.sg
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ANNEX B
ABOUT THE ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
National Research Foundation
The National Research Foundation (NRF), set up on 1 January 2006, is a department within the Prime Minister’s Office. The NRF sets the national direction for research and development (R&D) by developing policies, plans and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise. It also funds strategic initiatives and builds up R&D capabilities and capacities by nurturing local talents and attracting foreign ones. The NRF aims to transform Singapore into a vibrant R&D hub that contributes towards a knowledge-intensive, innovative and entrepreneurial economy; and make Singapore a talent magnet for scientific and innovation excellence. For more information, please visit www.nrf.gov.sg.
Asiasons Capital Limited
Asiasons Capital Limited (“Asiasons”) is an Alternative Asset Investment and Management Group focused on opportunities in Emerging East Asia. The Group is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore and has a market capitalization of about US$500m as at August 2012. The investment strategy of Asiasons is geographically focused in Emerging East Asia, mainly South East Asia and Greater China while the sector focus is in Consumer and Resources. This strategy has been formulated based on the demographics trends in Emerging East Asia namely increased consumer spending and urban migration in one of the most populous and youngest populations in the world.
Asiasons has a unique hands-on value creation proposition combining traditional Brick and Mortar strategies with Design and New Economy strategies via its in-house multi award winning Creative team. These value added competencies together with the group’s regional footprint allows Asiasons to successfully expand its portfolio companies throughout the Asian region. Asiasons’ investment activities are further complemented by its financial advisory and capital markets arm led by its associated company, Asiasons WFG Financial Ltd, a listed financial advisory house licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore which has been consistently ranked as one of the top boutique IPO managers in the region. Further information is available at http://www.asiasons.com. Subscribe to Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/asiasons
Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association
Established in 1992, the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA) is a not-for-profit organisation formed to foster the growth of venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) in Singapore and around the region. From a humble start of 2, our membership now exceeds 100 and continues to grow with the industry’s development. Since its inception, SVCA has championed various efforts to promote the local VC/PE industry through talks, workshops, seminars, conferences and networking events. The thrusts of SVCA continue to be:
•Fostering a greater understanding of the importance of venture capital and private equity to the Singapore economy in support of entrepreneurship and innovation;
•Representing the local VC/PE industry within and outside of Singapore;
•Nurturing an environment conducive for advancing VC/PE investment and profession; and
•Providing a platform to match fund-seeking businesses with our members and the investment community.
For more information about SVCA, please visit: www.svca.org.sg.
IPI Intermediary Singapore
IP Intermediary (“IPI”) Singapore was launched in April 2011 as a non-profit company to help Singapore-based enterprises source, assess and acquire enabling technology & know-how to catalyse their innovation capacity. IPI:
Engages enterprises to translate innovation objectives into specific Intellectual Property and technology requirements that will optimize their business processes, products and services;
Search for available technology, know-how and expertise from IPI’s network of local and global technology partners;
For more information on IPI, please visit www.ipi-singapore.org.
Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL)
ETPL is the technology transfer arm of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. Its mission is to support A*STAR in transforming the economy through commercializing R&D. ETPL enhances the research output of A*STAR scientists by translating their inventions into marketable products or processes.
Through licensing deals and spin-offs with industry partners, ETPL is a key driver of technology transfer in Singapore. It actively engages industry leaders and players to commercialise A*STAR’s technologies and capabilities, bridging the gap from Mind to Market. ETPL’s charter is to identify, protect and exploit promising intellectual property (IP) created by A*STAR’s research institutes.
