James Chan is the founder and CEO of Silicon Straits, which aims to build a startup ecosystem in Asia Pacific. Silicon Straits operates at the intersection of ideas, capital, and talent through its venture fund, incubator programs, coworking space in Singapore (CO.LAB), and software development team in Vietnam (SAIGON). While startup ecosystems take decades to develop, Silicon Straits hopes to help accelerate the process in emerging markets through initiatives that bring together entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, investors and advisors. The goal is to provide the necessary platforms, resources and connections for individuals and teams to develop their ideas and start new companies.

1. @SiliconStraits #intro #deck #SG #HCMC #APAC
An innovation tribe in Asia Pacific
James Chan / @m0t0chan
Founder & CEO, Silicon Straits
5 September 2013

2. USA is the undisputed leader of startup
ecosystems in the world.
Pro-talent, university excellence, vibrant community

3. It takes decades and generations of entrepreneurs who failed
more than succeed, to get Silicon Valley to where it is today.
Defense → Semiconductors → Web → Social/Cloud → ?
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/11/startup-ecosystems-take-time.html
“...new startup ecosystems developing in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
It can happen and it will happen. But it takes time. And you can’t
fast forward because we are talking about experience which can’t be
manufactured. You simply have to put in the time.”
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4. Sure, let’s give it time. BUT it doesn’t mean
the rest of the world (emerging ecosystems) can’t do
anything to leapfrog and play catch-up.
Turn on, boot up, jack in.
→ →
co-working spaces
fabrication labs
maker movement
angel investment networks
venture debt grassroots community movements
equity-matching initiatives
“bridge-building” de-regulation
talent attraction
education
pay it forward
evangelism
media
research funding
non-dilutive grants
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5. Silicon Straits is an innovation tribe in Asia Pacific.
Tech distribution, sales, product
marketing; US, Asia Pacific; SiS
Int’l market cap US$100M
F&B (Thai Express), e-
commerce, gaming;
Singapore, Southeast
Asia;
S$100M cash exit
E-commerce;
Japan, emerging
markets;
Netprice mkt cap
US$70M
IT services, angel
investment; India; 1 of 3 co-
founders that sold Kanbay
for US$1.25B to CapGemini
Hyper-connector, futurist; US, Japan,
Middle East; Director, MIT Media Lab
CO.LAB
co-working members, event
participants, tech community
SAIGON
24-strong web/mobile
development team in Ho Chi
Minh City
NETWORK
25 investments across North
America, Europe and Asia
Pacific
30+ investors from US, Japan,
Singapore, Middle East and
Europe
CTO COO
Like the internet, “small pieces loosely joined”,
a collection of like-minded individuals
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Investor
Investor
Investor
Investor
Investor

6. Accelerating startup ecosystems in emerging markets aren’t
that different from pitching tents.
All or most poles need to go up
at about the same time, but that’s hard...
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7. The right mix of “Patient” & “Impatient”
Capital is needed.
That’s hard to juggle well too.
V.S.
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8. The right mix of “Patient” & “Impatient”
Capital is needed.
That’s hard to juggle well too.
V.S.
Patient Capital Impatient Capital
+ Angels
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9. We can’t change the world, but
we can change the environment we’re in.
Embrace serendipity & neoteny.
Amplify positive deviance.
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10. Ideas
Capital Talent
Our own ideas
Other people/
companies’ ideas
Entrepreneurs
Designers
Engineers
Product
Managers
Advisors
Our own $
Other people’s $
Government $
Startup ecosystems are defined by ideas, capital & talent...
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11. SAIGON
Ideas
Capital Talent
CO.LAB
NETWORK
Our own ideas
Other people/
companies’ ideas
Entrepreneurs
Designers
Engineers
Product
Managers
Advisors
Our own $
Other people’s $
Government $
...and Silicon Straits operates at its intersection.
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12. Silicon Straits is building a better platform for designers,
engineers & entrepreneurs to get together, be
inspired, make things and start/grow companies.
venture capital,
incubation & advisory software foundry
co-working &
business services
Design + UI/UX
RoR, iOS, Android CO.LAB
2,000 sq ft
Blk 71@SingaporeSAIGON
invest in teams of entrepreneurs,
engineers & designers and value-add
for growth/scale
help entrepreneurs, engineers &
designers bring ideas into reality
location for entrepreneurs,
engineers & designers to work & play
US$5M seed fund;
24 investments from 2010
to 2012 in US & Asia Pacific
NRF TIS incubator; S$100K
investment matched with
S$500K for S$600K in total
NETWORK
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13. CO.LAB is a 2,000 sq ft hybrid work space that blends co-
working & personal fabrication in Singapore.
“Man is by nature a social animal.”
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14. UEN: 201005970E
Get Hacking Arduino workshop series :: 17 Jul 2013
Raspberry Pi Singapore meet-up #5 :: 5 Aug 2013

15. Hackidemia Singapore #2 :: 31 Aug 2013
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16. SAIGON is a software foundry that builds web and mobile
software for individuals & businesses.
24-strong team based in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam
Ruby-on-Rails, iOS & Android
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17. NETWORK manages a US$5M venture fund and is an
approved incubator under Singapore’s
National Research Foundation S$50M TIS program.
24 investments in US (11), HK (1), Singapore (11), UK (1) circa 2010
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Exits Still in Play
Deadpool
Acquired by Yelp in Jul
‘2013 for US$12.7M.
Acquired by Eventbrite in
Sep ‘2013, amt. undisc.
Acquired by Rakuten in
Sep ‘2013 for US$200M.

18. It’s a long and often lonely journey, but it’s most important
that we’re on that path and lovin’ it.
Join our tribe, drop us a note,
start your (journey) today.
Positive deviance
Cross-programming in real
estate development with
startup ecosystem spin
Embrace &
celebrate failure
Skew the opportunity costs Pay it forward
Socially engineering
a startup culture
Exited founders with
liquidity jump-starting
virtuous cycle by giving back
At the
convergence of design,
hardware & software
Building bridges across SEA region
Public private partnership (PPP)
At the intersection of
ideas, capital & talent
Serendipity
Positive deviance
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19. www.siliconstraits.com
@siliconstraits
james@siliconstraits.com
71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #06-11/12, Singapore 139951
147 Ton Dat Tien Street, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
@m0t0chan
Thank You!
www.facebook.com/siliconstraits
Level 25 North Tower, One Raffles Quay, Singapore 048583
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