Category: Automation

Close to half of Manufacturing & Supply Chain Professionals in Southeast Asia Perceive their Companies to be Lagging the Industry in Digital Transformation

Almost half of the respondents, around 46.6%, believed that their own companies fell behind the industry average when it comes to utilising digital tools as part of business processes, according to a survey conducted by AIBP and Oracle from March to April. The survey counted 193 professionals*, mainly from IT, innovation & business backgrounds in manufacturing and supply chain companies across the largest economies in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines & Vietnam.

The manufacturing industry plays a significant role in local economies of Southeast Asian countries, contributing more than 20% of Gross Domestic Products in markets like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Recent US-China trade tensions have also increased expectations of how manufacturing can contribute to markets like Indonesia and Vietnam. Concurrently, local governments are focused on uplifting local manufacturing capabilities by implementing policies to encourage and support initiatives towards Industry 4.0

The survey also found that 46.6% of respondents believed that the top priority of implementing digital solutions should be to drive operational efficiency in a bid to reduce costs, while 16.6% feel that it should be used to increase or create revenue opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen supply chain disruptions across industries – while some companies struggled to come to terms with unusual fluctuations in supply and demand, other companies were better prepared. Thossaporn Petporee, SVP and part of Charoen Pokphand Foods digital committee outlined how Charoen Pokphand Foods have been ahead of the curve when it comes to digital transformation because of their experiences navigating past disruptions like the African swine fever and Avian Influenza. “Each time a pandemic hit, we prepared ourselves better. In our farms, we have the highest level of biosecurity and AI to identify animals across the farm and sales areas. We do well because we keep up to date, keep challenging ourselves.” The recent pandemic has led them to develop innovative online solutions like Vet Online and chatbots which are made available to the farms across their network to allow for diagnosis of animal diseases remotely. Charoen Pokphand Foods saw a net profit increase of 41% in 2020.

Companies from the Manufacturing and Supply Chain industries continue to innovate. In 2020, 3 out of 10 winners of the annual ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Awards were from the Manufacturing and Supply Chain industries, including Kalbe Farma and Astra International. Both companies embarked on digital transformation projects which involved integration of their ERP across business units to allow for a more connected supply chains; enabling real time feedback from across the entire value chain.

“There is an urgent need to reorganize one’s supply chains in the wake of 2020 and the recent Suez Canal blockage, and manufacturers in the region are rightly realising that what they have in-house is not enough when creating robust and resilient logistics processes that keep the business moving efficiently,” said Michael Lim, GTM Leader, ERP & Digital Supply Chain, Oracle. “With new capabilities upgraded onto Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain Management each quarter, we are helping our customers streamline logistics to fulfil orders faster, cheaper and more sustainably to deliver the operational excellence they desire.”

*The survey was sent to professionals working in 1,600 publicly listed companies and/or subsidiaries of MNCs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam & Singapore. These companies represent the following sectors: Consumer Durables, Non-Durables, Electronic Technology, Process Industries & Producer Manufacturing.

About AIBP

AIBP serves as an avenue for public and private organisations in Southeast Asia to access and exchange information about growth and innovation within the B2B space. With a current network of over 30,000 stakeholders in Southeast Asia, AIBP continues to develop ecosystems by engaging in activities which create value-adding information for our stakeholders seeking to make transformative impacts within their organisations. AIBP is a business unit of Industry Platform, a growth consulting firm based in Singapore.

About Industry Platform Pte Ltd

We work with public and private organisations to develop value-adding partnerships within the industries and markets which we serve. Our consulting framework advocates pursuing an integrated approach in assisting our clients in their growth and development initiatives. This includes market research, and access through business development strategy formulation and execution.

MothersonSumi INfotech and Designs Ltd. (MIND) Announces the Opening of a New Office in Singapore, Expanding Global Operations

Mothersonsumi INfotech and Designs Ltd. (MIND) a technology and Industrial solutions division of Motherson Group, today announced the official opening of its new office in Singapore.

MIND’s Singapore office will serve as the headquarters for the entire Southeast Asia region and will be an essential pillar in its geographic expansion strategy. MIND’s Singapore business unit will offer a holistic gamut of IT service offerings, including digital transformation, Cloud Hosting and Migration, Next Gen IT Infrastructure, Smart Factory Automation and digital engineering services. With its Singapore base, MIND is looking to expand its best-in-class services to customers across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia and to other countries in Far East.

“The launching of the MIND Singapore office is aligned with our commitment to drive clients’ success in the region and worldwide. Given Singapore’s position as the hub for economic activities in the Southeast Asia, it’s a market we constantly evaluated and wanted to open an office to expand our presence in the market,” said Rajesh Thakur, Chief Executive Officer, MIND.

He further added, “Today MIND is well-positioned to deliver technology-led transformations to fuel digital growth across the Southeast Asia region. MIND offers a customer-centric and consulting-led approach with an integrated portfolio of industry-leading solutions that encompass the entire enterprise value chain. Our technology-driven products and services are built on two decades of innovation, a strong culture of invention and co-innovation, and a relentless focus on the value chain.”

About MothersonSumi INfotech & Designs Limited (MIND)

Founded in 2000, MothersonSumi INfotech & Designs Limited (MIND) is a joint venture between Motherson Group, India and Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd, Japan (SWS). We are a trusted technology partner to over 200+ clients globally across 41+ Global locations and have more than 20 years of experience in the areas of cloud, IoT, analytics, data science, smart ERP, infra managed services, and application development & maintenance services. We continue to deliver innovative and meaningful technology solutions to businesses enabling them to outpace the competition. Visit us at www.mind-infotech.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of MIND and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and MIND undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although MIND believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact
Sachin Saini
Sachin.Saini@mind-infotech.com

PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika, Beijing Guoshi Technology Winners of Software AG’s 2020 PartnerConnect Partner Award

Software AG, a leader in IoT, integration, API Management and Business Transformation software, formally recognized two of the company’s APAC partners, PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika (Indonesia) and Beijing Guoshi Technology (China), in its 2020 PartnerConnect Partner Awards. The annual awards program recognizes outstanding partners that demonstrate the innovative use of Software AG solutions, embody Software AG PartnerConnect values and excel in their ability to help customers succeed.

“Technology trends like integration, cloud, mobile and big data are continuing to change how partners connect with their customers,” said Jason Johns, General Manager, Global Alliances & Channels, Software AG. “Our annual Partner Awards recognize the Software AG partners that go above and beyond in their support of our mutual customers and that are committed to enabling continued transformation for their customers, as we all work to adapt to evolving trends. We’re proud to call these award winners our partners.”

PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika, the largest System Integration company in Indonesia, has been recognized as the APJ Partner of the Year for securing 6 new projects across Indonesia in 2020, putting the new age corporate customers front and centre. To date, PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika has around 150 webMethods developers, some of whom are certified developers.

“Software AG and PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika take pride in understanding different industry dynamics to deliver disruptive solutions that align with new-age Enterprise & Corporate requirements. Combining Software AG’s technology integration capabilities and our collective client experience expertise, we are opening the door to new innovations while also accelerating the pace and impact of digital transformation across industries. This recognition from Software AG is a testament to the continued relevance of these solutions for organizations in Indonesia, and we look forward to furthering collaboration in the year ahead,” said Sjafril Effendi, President Director, PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika.

Recognized as the APJ Fastest Growing Partner of the Year, Beijing Guoshi Technology has been instrumental in expanding Software AG’s partner network, providing organizations in specialized industries such as Aerospace and Military with Software AG ARIS solutions. The Software AG ARIS reseller played an instrumental role in bringing onboard a total of 18 new partners across China in 2020.

“Technology will serve as an enabler for business growth as economies in Asia Pacific accelerate recovery efforts in 2021. With digital disruption sweeping across the region, we are honored to partner with Software AG to deliver exceptional innovative solutions that support intelligent enterprises in the new normal. The award from Software AG will spur us on to greater heights in the coming year, reaffirming our continued commitment to the region’s digital-first organizations,” said Liu Xipeng, General Manager, Beijing Guoshi Technology.

To date, Software AG’s PartnerConnect partner program has allowed over 93 partners in Asia to spark innovative digital transformation initiatives and optimize their clients’ business operations through Software AG’s marketing-leading technology.

According to the Asian Development Bank, digital transformation can boost global output, trade and commerce, and employment. In Asia Pacific, the use of digital technologies can translate to the creation of 65 million new jobs on average yearly from 2021 to 2025. Digital technology adoption can also bring about an increase in regional trade by $1 trillion yearly over the next five years.

For more information about Software AG’s PartnerConnect partner program, please visit https://www.softwareag.com/en_corporate/resources/partners.html. To enroll in Software AG PartnerConnect, simply complete the application at softwareag.com/partners.

About Beijing Guoshi Technology

Established in Zhongguancun High Tech Park, Beijing Guoshi Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional enterprise project management solution provider in China, focusing on enterprise project management software product provision, management consulting and it system implementation and service. For more information, please visit http://www.ctsyun.com

About PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika

PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika (MII) was founded on 1 March 1996 as a subsidiary of the publicly listed PT Metrodata Electronics, Tbk (IDX: MTDL). Widely recognized for its consistency as Digital Solution Provider to both Enterprise and Corporate segments, MII’s service offerings range focus on Cloud Services; Business Application; Digital Business Platform; Big Data & Analytics; Security; Hybrid IT Infrastructure; Consulting & Advisory Services; and Managed Services. Based on industry best practices and ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified to give highest quality of service to customers, it has also built strategic alliances with a number of national, regional and global technology partners with Digital Transformation visions to strengthen its offerings. For more information, please visit www.mii.co.id

About Software AG

Software AG reimagines integration, sparks business transformation and enables fast innovation on the Internet of Things so you can pioneer differentiating business models. We give you the freedom to connect and integrate any technology – from app to edge. We help you free data from silos so it’s shareable, usable and powerful – enabling you to make the best decisions and unlock entirely new possibilities for growth. For more information, visit www.softwareag.com

Software AG Media Contact
Jane Chan
E: Jane.Chan@softwareag.com
T: +65-9150-3794

PRecious Communications for Software AG
E: softwareag@preciouscomms.com
T: +65-6303-0567

InfiRay Releases World’s 1st 8 Micron Thermal Camera Detector

InfiRay has developed the world’s 1st 8 micron uncooled thermal camera detector, with a large array (1920 x 1080) and core technologies including a low noise readout circuit, high uniformity VOx film, sub-wavelength optical absorption structure, and small pixel self-heating effect compensation.

A higher spatial resolution has been achieved and moving target capture capability improved, all marking important milestones in the technology and development of uncooled thermal camera detectors.

InfiRay 8 Micron Wafer over A Real-shot from InfiRay’s 8 Micro 1920 x 1080 Thermal Camera Module

Development History of InfiRay’s Infrared Technology
InfiRay specializes in the research and development of thermal imager technology. Main products include IRFPA thermal camera detectors, thermal camera modules and thermal imagers, well known for their high sensitivity. The products are applied in a wide variety of settings, such as epidemic prevention and control, industrial temperature measurement, security, outdoor night vision, and automotive night vision.

As a company focused on technological innovation, InfiRay has maintained half of its staff in R&D and has been awarded with 714 patents over the past 8 years, as well as achieving 8 important iterative thermal upgrades in pixel size, from 35 micron, 25 micron, 20 micron, 17 micron, 14 micron, 12 micron, 10 micron, to 8 micron today.

In early 2019, InfiRay released a 10 micron HD thermal camera detector with the world’s smallest pixel size, becoming the 2nd company in the world to possess an advanced 10 micron uncooled thermal imager technology. Today, InfiRay refreshes the record again by releasing an 8 micron thermal camera detector, filling the global development gap.

In 2020, InfiRay developed the ASIC image processing chip, replacing traditional FPGA thermal imagers with a setup characterized by less volume, lower power consumption and higher performance, able to meet the SWaP3 (Size, Weight, Power Consumption, Performance, and Price) application requirements of a new generation of thermal camera detector.

InfiRay Masters Leading ‘Ultra Clear’ Thermal Imager Technology
At the heart of each InfiRay thermal imager is a thermal camera detector which is engraved ‘InfiRay(R)’, meaning the world’s most advanced thermal imager, independently developed by InfiRay. Thus the thermal imager is at work not only providing ‘Ultra Clear’ thermal images, but detecting farther hot targets.

InfiRay’s R&D comprises senior engineers experienced in various technological fields including integrated circuits, electronic materials, MEMS sensors, packaging & testing, and thermal imager algorithms. With ongoing research into the VOx materials used in MEMS sensors and thermal camera detectors, InfiRay masters the ‘Ultra-Clear’ technologies of high-performance thin films and the integrated processes of today’s thermal imager industry.

InfiRay’s ‘Matrix III’ Patented Image Processing Algorithm
Thermal camera detectors capture heat to convert into thermal images, but the absence of an imager lens may result in image unevenness. InfiRay developed Matrix III, an integrated algorithm to enhance original thermal images and improve the visibility and feasibility of object recognition. Matrix III compensates for blind pixels that appear in the imaging process, so final thermal imager can generate superior contrast and completeness, and realize detail and definition processing based on thermal imaging.

New Applications with the 8 Micron Thermal Camera Detector?
Thermal imagers are tending toward smaller, smarter, and easier to integrate. InfiRay’s 8 micron thermal camera detector will drive new demand for thermal imaging applications on mobile phone, AI, IoT (Internet of Things), autonomous driving, consumer electronics, outdoor night vision, smart home, and smart security.

InfiRay’s P2 Thermal Camera for Smartphone (2021), which can be directly connected to the mobile phone, is ultra-thin (only 9mm) and ultra-light (only 9g). With the new 8 micron era, the sizes of thermal camera detectors have been increasingly reduced. Thus high-definition thermal imagers can be perfectly integrated with mobile phones. Let’s look forward to the breakout applications that will follow in our lives.

Media Contact
Echo Sun, orders@infiray.com
W: www.infiray.com
T: +86 535 3410616

SOURCE: InfiRay Technologies Co., Ltd.

Software AG to Power Growth Across APJ with New Senior Executive Hires

Software AG (Frankfurt MDAX: SOW) today announced a number of senior executive appointments in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). This forms the cornerstone of the company’s plan to establish a leadership team that can better support its customer and partner bases in the region, underscoring the importance that Software AG is placing on the region. This also follows a robust 1Q21 global business performance, where digital business transformation emerged as a key growth driver for Software AG.

Software AG aims to help organizations become truly connected and turn business data into information that can be acted on. The new appointments collectively boost Software AG’s ability to respond to the evolving needs of organizations in APJ, especially in light of the rapid digitalization in this region.

Nicolas Betbeder-Matibet has been appointed Software AG’s new Senior Vice President of Sales for Asia Pacific and Japan and will lead the region, where he is responsible for driving all regional GTM efforts as well as cultivating a strong culture and purpose for the team in APJ. Nicolas joins the company from Tibco, where he led their Asia business and drove an aggressive regional growth strategy for the company. Nicolas has also held senior roles at MEGA International and CGI Consulting and is a well-known regional speaker.

Software AG veteran Michael Cross has taken on a new role as the Vice President of APJ Alliance and Channels. With renewed focus on alliances and channels to boost Software AG’s business growth in APJ, Cross’ responsibilities also include an important role to shape the company’s IoT Go-To-Market strategy for the region. Based in Australia, Cross’s 11-year tenure at Software AG spanned a number of leadership roles across its APJ operations, providing him with insight into the region’s unique business nuances.

Lorne Fetzek, appointed as Software AG’s Country Manager of Japan, brings with him more than 20 years of experience and a stellar track record in leading technology heavyweights. Lorne started his career with Dell Japan, and has held Japan country-level and APJ regional-level leadership positions at Verizon, Polycom, and Proofpoint. Prior to joining Software AG, Lorne was the Area Vice President, Japan for cybersecurity specialist, Imperva. Lorne is looking forward to utilizing his experience in the Japan market to strengthen Software AG’s growing Japan business.

KyuHwan Lee, Country Manager of Software AG, South Korea, joins the company from Oracle Digital Prime. KyuHwan previously held the role of Sales Director, and was responsible for driving customer-oriented strategies, marketing and sales play with his direct reports and partners for Oracle. These strategies led to outstanding results, achieving remarkable growth for Oracle in FY20 for which he was honored with the “Outstanding FLM in FY20” recognition.

Scott Little, Senior Vice President of Global Sales said: “Our growth momentum over the past quarter has been driven in no small part by the rise of digital business, and bolstering our ranks with industry veterans will position us well to continue building on the strong momentum that we have established. The rapid digitalization of APJ presents new opportunities for Software AG to distinguish itself as a leading industry player by supporting the growth of the region’s digital-first businesses. Led by our newly minted team, we are thrilled to embark on a new chapter of our regional growth story and look forward to further entrenching Software AG’s presence in APJ.”

Moving ahead, Software AG’s approach to growth will be centered around the Helix transformation strategy. Built around the values of “Focus, Team and Execution”, it sets solid, material goals for the company, including targeted, sustainable and profitable growth, and a commitment to medium-term milestones, metrics and pathways.

Earlier in February 2021, Software AG announced a partnership with Singaporean telecommunications company StarHub that aims to help businesses consolidate varied IoT assets on a massive scale via the 5G IoT platform service. It is billed as a one-stop solution that provides IoT connectivity including StarHub’s 5G, device management, professional services to integrate existing or new systems, and managed services to run the entire IoT environment for any organization. This accelerates and adds scalability to IoT implementations, empowering organizations with productivity boosts, enhanced innovation capabilities, as well as overall cost-savings.

About Software AG

Software AG is the software pioneer of a truly connected world. Since 1969, it has helped 10,000+ organizations use software to connect people, departments, systems and devices. Software AG empowers truly connected enterprises using integration & APIs, IoT & analytics and business & IT transformation. Software AG’s products establish a fluid flow of data that allows everything and everyone to work together. The company has more than 4,700 employees across more than 70 countries and annual revenue of over EUR 800m, with the aim of exceeding EUR 1bn by 2023. For more information, visit www.softwareag.com. And follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Software AG Media Contact
Jane Chan
E: Jane.Chan@softwareag.com
T: +65-9150-3794

PRecious Communications for Software AG
E: softwareag@preciouscomms.com
T: +65-6303-0567

Amber Solutions Closes 2020 With Series B Funding Totaling More Than $8.5 Million

Amber Solutions, the young Silicon Valley company that is making the digital control of electricity in solid-state architecture a commercial reality, today announced that its 2020 series B funding round raised more than $8.5 million from new and existing investors, following a successful year of secured patents, partner discussions and multiple industry award wins.

According to Amber Founder and CEO Thar Casey, the company’s progress in 2020 is all the more remarkable given the challenges posed to the business by the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns that prevented most, if not all, in person product demonstrations.

“2020 presented a challenging business climate, but our commitment to revolutionize the world’s building electrical infrastructure helped Amber enter 2021 with increased investment, new patents, as well as multiple industry award wins and nominations,” Casey said. “Amber’s progress is a sign of the accelerating demand from major electrical product manufacturers for solid-state electrification technologies and its ability to completely disrupt and transform the enormous global market for electrical products and services.”

In addition to securing patents related to a digital AC/DC Enabler, an AC switch, a digital method to sense ground faults, and super-efficient LED light fixtures in 2020, Amber started 2021 as a BIG Innovations 2021 Award winner, a CES 2021 Innovations Award honoree, and is currently a 2021 Edison Award nominee.

Amber’s core innovation is a programmable solid-state power system that has a clear path to an even-smaller silicon chip version. Amber’s system controls the flow of electricity digitally, enabling unique integration of modern intelligence into building electrical products and infrastructure. The solution introduces the world to a much safer, more reliable and dramatically smarter alternative to the 1970’s era electro-mechanical components that are used in nearly all modern electrical infrastructure products.

“Amber’s patents and innovations are rapidly driving demand for the development of intelligent solid-state based products including two-wire dimmer switches, ultra-efficient commercial LED light fixtures, smart light switches, smart outlets, smart circuit breakers, and more,” Casey added. “Based on heightened industry interest, growing investments and ever-increasing energy efficiency goals around the globe, we believe 2021 will be the year solid-state electrification moves from validation to commercialization and mainstream productization.”

About Amber Solutions

Amber Solutions is a leading developer of patented, innovative solid-state technologies for the digital control of electricity. The company’s disruptive breakthroughs change the electrical landscape forever for buildings and appliances world-wide. These technologies upgrade power management from 1950’s era electro-mechanical to safer, more reliable solid-state architecture with embedded intelligence. Based in Dublin, California, the company is leveraging the expertise of Silicon Valley professionals to deliver a disruptive enhancement to the value and functionality of the world’s electrical endpoints and infrastructure. For more information visit www.ambersi.com.

PlanetSpark Innovation Centre, First Hardware-targeted Accelerator for AIoT Innovations Led by Singapore Company, is Launched to Enable Tech Startups Achieve Market Deployment

PlanetSpark Pte. Ltd., the entrepreneurial and strategic investment arm of SGX mainboard-listed Excelpoint Technology Ltd(1) (“Excelpoint”), today announced the launch of PlanetSpark Innovation Centre, the first hardware-targeted accelerator for Artificial Intelligence of Things (“AIoT”) innovations, dedicated to supporting Singapore tech startups speed up market deployment.

Supported by Enterprise Singapore and backed by Excelpoint, PlanetSpark will invest an initial S$5 million to expand the centre’s engineering capabilities and develop technology platforms, and has secured a lineup of five startups for its upcoming pilot run of accelerator programme. The new centre, situated at Changi Business Park, is officially opened today by Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.

The path for an AIoT technology to reach market deployment has many hurdles and requires a long gestation period. A major contributor of this phenomenon lies in the high complexity associated with AIoT solution development – from proof-of-concept to production, and eventual commercialisation.

PlanetSpark Innovation Centre sets out to address these challenges by offering a one-stop ecosystem that brings together innovators, hardware and software providers, venture capitalists, small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”), manufacturers and potential customers. Startups can tap into Excelpoint’s vast industry networks of semiconductor manufacturers, sales channel partners and design engineering expertise – enabling the startups to expedite product design and optimise system-level integration for rapid prototyping, thereby reducing their time, cost and risks in bringing their solutions to market.

Mr Satvinder Singh, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Singapore, said, “The PlanetSpark Innovation Centre is a welcome addition to Singapore’s vibrant technology and innovation ecosystem. It brings ideas, people and networks together to scale innovative AIoT solutions to market and provides enterprises with the necessary resources to build capabilities and drive the development of innovative AIoT solutions. This is important as demand for such solutions is expected to grow in tandem with the region’s emergence of smart homes, cities and industries.”

PlanetSpark will be kicking off the 24-week accelerator programme designed to equip startups with tools and market-informed knowledge. Besides connecting the startups to industry mentors and supply chain partners, the centre will also be helping them jumpstart their AIoT technology by providing customised system integration solution (or “middleware”) – one of the most critical link in determining the scalability and interoperability of an AIoT solution.

The pilot group of startups are developing market-deployable solutions integrating the middleware to solve real-world challenges in thermal sensing, facial recognition, satellite tracking and edge AI analytics.

Currently, the PlanetSpark-exclusive middleware is powered by the technology stacks of NASDAQ-listed global companies, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (“Qualcomm”) and Xilinx, Inc. (“Xilinx”), both Excelpoint’s long-time partners. Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind 5G and related IoT technologies and chipsets, whereas Xilinx is a world leading manufacturer of programmable logic devices for edge AI computation. In time, PlanetSpark plans to add new industry partners to its ecosystem network to drive additional value for the participating startups.

Mr. Albert Phuay Yong Hen, Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Excelpoint, added, “In the fast-evolving electronics industry, speed to market is key and Excelpoint is uniquely positioned at the intersection of electronics technology and supply chain management.

Excelpoint is honoured to have the strong support from Enterprise Singapore to groom the next generation of technopreneurs at PlanetSpark Innovation Centre. This innovation centre is an investment we made to nurture our Singapore-grown talents and bring our Singapore pride to the globe.

Through Excelpoint, we are thankful for the partnership with leaders in semiconductor technology, such as Xilinx and Qualcomm who have jointly worked with us for the first batch of platforms. Together, we wish to bring in our expertise and market knowledge, and open doors to opportunities in the region.”

Ms Phuay Li Ying, Managing Director of PlanetSpark, said, “Through my work at Excelpoint, I see many Singapore hardware startups face challenges in accessing technologies from industry leaders, gaining market knowledge and finding channels to enter the regional market.

This is a gap that PlanetSpark Innovation Centre aims to bridge by leveraging on the strengths of Excelpoint and working closely with company founders to develop and integrate their AIoT technology and innovations in a way that is customer-centric and scalable, therefore creating new sources of revenue for these startups. Only then, we can build a robust foundation for them to co-pollinate with other players in the ecosystem.

Our role as a technology validator will also provide an indication of the potential of the startups for venture capital firms, which plays a key role in the success of a startup. Our ultimate objective is to have a collaborative hardware ecosystem where such start-ups can accelerate their growth and commercialisation plans, attract venture capital funding and create new possibilities for local technology innovations and economic growth.”

The global IoT market is predicted to reach a scale of USD$1102.6 billion in 2026(2). Through the initiatives and collaborations spearheaded by the PlanetSpark Innovation Centre, the eventual market deployment of the startups’ AIoT innovations is expected to create new opportunities in Singapore’s semiconductor supply chain and accelerate Singapore’s Smart Nation and Industrial 4.0 transformation.

(1) Excelpoint Technology Ltd is a leading regional B2B business platform providing quality electronic components with integrated R&D capabilities. Excelpoint has been an integral part of the global electronics technology value chain for more than 30 years.
(2) https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ (https://bit.ly/3sbELxB) (Accessed 18 Dec 2020)

About PlanetSpark Pte Ltd

PlanetSpark Pte Ltd (“PlanetSpark”) is the entrepreneurial and investment arm of Excelpoint Technology Ltd. (“Excelpoint”), investing in, supporting and collaborating with promising early- to mid-stage start-ups which have commercially viable technologies and products in Singapore and Asia that are related to the Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and Internet of Things (“IoT”) ecosystem. PlanetSpark seeks to enable new market opportunities in hardware innovation and technology within the ecosystem with our investments and resources.

PlanetSpark Innovation Centre is a go-to-market hardware accelerator in Asia for technopreneurs specialising in the AI and IoT arena to accelerate their technology innovations and enable them to make a fluid transition from proof-of-concept to production and commercialisation through our hardware platforms.

Tapping on Excelpoint’s extensive business networks and market knowledge across Asia Pacific, we strive to forge collaborative and innovative partnerships within our field.

For more information about PlanetSpark, please visit https://www.planetspark.io

About Excelpoint Technology Ltd.

Excelpoint Technology Ltd. and its subsidiaries are a leading regional business-to-business platform providing quality electronic components, engineering design services and supply chain management to original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), original design manufacturers (“ODMs”) and electronics manufacturing services (“EMS”) in the Asia Pacific region. EBN, a premier online community for global supply chain professionals, recognised Excelpoint Technology Ltd. as one of its Top 25 Global Electronics Distributors in 2017.

Excelpoint works closely with its principals to create innovative solutions to complement its customers’ products and solutions. Aimed at improving its customers’ operational efficiency and cost competitiveness, the Group has set up research and development centres in Singapore and China that are helmed by its dedicated team of professional engineers.

Established in 1987 and headquartered in Singapore, Excelpoint’s business presence spans more than 10 countries across Asia Pacific with a workforce of more than 650 people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

For more information about Excelpoint, please visit www.excelpoint.com

For any media enquiries, please contact:
Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com