Featuring Kopi Chat Da Bao with Ajay Bulusu, cofounder of NextBillion.AI

Contributed by Chen Yi Ting

Google Maps revolutionised the mapping landscape with the iPhone and became the gold standard for digital mapping more than a decade ago. Having been part of the Google Maps team and subsequently leading the intrapreneurship team at Grab across 9 different countries, Ajay was well-equipped with the relevant skill set when he made a mid-career venture into entrepreneurship and built NextBillion.AI, a B2B startup, which creates customised mapping ecosystems for companies.

On November 4, we invited Ajay Bulusu, cofounder of NextBillion.AI, whose role is in managing operations, sales and human resource, to give us insight into how AI can be applied in the mobility sector, and sharing on his wealth of experience as a seasoned intrapreneur and mid-career entrepreneur at the same time. …

Contributed by Kwon Know Young

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being applied in many industries including the marketing industry, which analyses thousands of datasets of CRM, UX, SEO, and Customer feedback. AI has big, inevitable potential impact on marketing despite it being not fully utilised today and being at a relatively early stage.

In our Kopi Chat Deep Dive panel on 23 September 2020, we discussed the topic in depth with our two specially invited panellists:

- Yiwen Chan, Co-founder and Head of Commercial, Hire Digital & Content.co

Yiwen has helped hundreds of organisations including fortune 500 enterprises, growth start-ups, and government agencies to fulfil their talents needs. Previously a journalist at The Business Times and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus in Media, Marketing & Advertising, Yiwen has been featured in various publications including Marketing Magazine, Forbes and The Straits Times. …

Featuring Kopi Chat Da Bao with Sridhar Ramaswamy, Senior Vice President of Category Management, Lazada Group

Contributed by Chen Yi Ting

From mobile shopping to online ticketing — eCommerce, which refers to online transactions, is experiencing rapid global growth. Brick-and-mortar restaurants and stores downsizing, closing down or enforcing strict regulations in-store due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a greater number of consumers turning to online purchases and an emphasis on omnichannel commerce, which aims to provide a seamless experience for customers through all online and offline platforms.

On September 2, we invited Sridhar Ramaswamy, Senior Vice President of Category Management, Lazada Group, to share his understanding of Lazada’s approach to eCommerce and advice as a CMO and serial entrepreneur. Lazada, one of the largest eCommerce platforms in Southeast Asia, is the regional flagship of Alibaba group. …

Contributed by Soh Hui Min

The Ocean of Opportunities (O3) Challenge 2020 concluded on a high note with seven finalist teams pitching at the Grand Finale for top honours, as well as an Audience’s Favourite choice on 26 August.

The winners

The grand prize was awarded to Team Mizzen x Maxamation, who provided a solution for ‘Dynamic pricing based on determinant factors’. Second place went to Team Virtual Control who competed using the challenge statement on ‘Efficient date exchange with non-system-integrated CFS’. …

Contributed by Chen Yi Ting

Through the use of complex algorithms and software which emulate human cognitive processes, artificial intelligence (AI) opens up a plethora of possibilities in the healthtech industry. After rounds of repeated testing, AI-powered programmes and machines are able to provide in-depth analyses and assist clinicians or nurses in areas such as disease diagnosis, patient monitoring and use of anesthetics.

In our Kopi Chat Deep Dive panel on 14 August, we discussed the topic in depth with our specially invited panellists and moderator, Mayank Gurnani, Associate Director of the NUS Industry Liaison Office.

Our panelists are:

● Aneesh Sathe, CEO & Co-founder of Qritive. Qritive’s product, Pantheon, is a digital platform which uses AI solutions to analyse microscopic images of tissues, leading to higher accuracy of cancer diagnosis, lowered costs and improved patient outcomes. …

The SIA AppChallenge has been an annual highlight in NUS Enterprise’s event calendar since 2015, when NUS Enterprise and SIA first organised the inaugural challenge. What began as a hackathon for local tertiary students has today grown into a global digital challenge that welcomes solutions from startups and students alike from across the world.

This year, while the startup track remains in its current format, the organisers decided to bring back the hackathon format for the local student category. Due to COVID-19, however, the hackathon would be held virtually, rather than a physical event in earlier years. …

Contributed by Chen Yi Ting

Along with growing support and an increasing number of innovation competitions for entrepreneurs, female-focused start-ups are experiencing growth in Singapore with several communities and initiatives like Weconnect, She1k and SoGal. On July 1, we invited Leanne Robers, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of She Loves Tech, the world’s largest start-up competition for women and technology, for our virtual Kopi Chat Da Bao session. Being a serial entrepreneur who wears many hats, Leanne is also a community builder, angel investor and practising psychologist. …

Contributed by Chen Yi Ting

Voice interfaces are gaining traction and becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives. They can be found in smartphones and are increasingly being integrated in home appliances such as washing machines etc. With the ability to simplify the experience as users are only required to speak verbal commands, it is expected that voice interfaces will continue to evolve and enhance our lives.

Our guest speaker for June’s Kopi Chat session is Jennifer Zhang, CEO and Co-founder of Wiz.ai, a Singapore company focused on AI-driven personalised conversational talkbots. Prior to the launch of Wiz.ai, she was in the VC for 7 years and managed two funds in Los Angeles and Beijing. …