| Hakim Hayat |
BRUNEI has high potential to be a hub for innovative business ideas, given its huge Internet and social media penetration, combined with a mainly English-speaking population and its central location in South-east Asia, said Soon Loo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), yesterday at the conclusion of DARe’s pilot Startup Bootcamp Programme.
Nineteen aspiring young entrepreneurs were given the chance to pitch business ideas and product development before a panel of top investors on the ‘Demo Day’, following the 100-day accelerator programme that examined a wide range of ideas in different industries such as aquaculture, agriculture, human resource management, education, fashion and retail.
Some of the presenters are already established in the local market, with a keen desire to expand beyond Brunei’s borders, aside from receiving adequate funding to start-up their business ideas.
At the DARe Demo Day yesterday, six investors from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore were part of the panel assessing the four-minute pitch allowed to each team, in a bid to attract regional angel investors or venture capitalists to invest in their respective products and company equity.
The DARe Startup BootCamp Demo Day in progress. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
Soon Loo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DARe delivering his opening briefing.
Vanessa Teo from Zeneco Solutions and Haji Mohammad Loqman Al-Hakim bin Haji Hamdan from Al-Huffaz Management during the pitching session of the DARe (Darussalam Enteprise) Startup BootCamp Demo Day.
A section of the panellists during the event.
The first presenter, Haji Mohammad Loqman Al-Hakim bin Haji Hamdan from Al-Huffaz Management, pitched an exciting platform that allows people to easily find accredited Al-Quran teachers, based on their location.
With its ever-growing customer base in Brunei and abroad, the company has set its sights on becoming the world’s largest Al-Quran after-school learning service provider.
Local entrepreneur Vanessa Teo from Zeneco Solutions, who has created an application to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of farm systems through data analytics, was also among those delivering their ideas yesterday.
DARe said that the Startup Bootcamp will run three times a year, and will be restarting this month. Those interested in joining the next cycle are welcome to ask DARe for more information.
The post Brunei a potential hub for new biz ideas appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.