| Danial Norjidi |
FIVE creative and eager youths are in planning stages of bringing a one-of-a-kind event to Brunei Darussalam in 2017 to bridge the gap between startups and investors.
The five are part of a company called The Creative Core BN, and are part of DARE’s (Darussalam Enterprise) Startup Bootcamp.
The group has a variety of experience and skillsets, and its members comprise Jason Tse Tow as the project leader, Charlotte Lim the creative and design lead, Amali bin Haji Roslin in charge of marketing and media, Haziqah binti Omar in finance and strategic planning and Afiq Mohammed as the operations and marketing liaison.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, they shared that the inspiration behind the event they plan to hold comes from a startup conference called Slush, which actually started in Helsinki.
Jason shared, “(Slush) began in its first year with 500 attendees, but over the years with help from investors and various backgrounds to help them with the event, they’ve actually grown from what started in Helsinki to become an international startup conference.”
Just last year alone they expanded to China, Japan and more recently in September to Singapore, he noted.
“So we’re hoping that we can actually bring that in to Brunei as well.”
As Charlotte explained, “We are trying to bring in that same concept of event, whether it’s Slush or something else. What we see is that there is a gap within our startup ecosystem where we have growing startups, but no sort of exposure or right knowledge to the right people or right networks. So what an event like this would bring is a focus on that connection between startup and investor.”
(From left to right) Amali bin Haji Roslin, Jason Tse Tow, Charlotte Lim and Haziqah binti Omar in a group photo – DANIAL NORJIDI
Asked on the progress they have made, Charlotte shared, “We have, from our team, contacted the head of global operations at Slush, as well as with the support and help of DARE we do have contact with Slush.”
She added, however, that they cannot yet share any details to do with confirmations.
“We can say that an event surrounded around the connection of startup and investor is definitely our goal.”
“Anyone interested in knowing more about the startup ecosystem in Brunei and Southeast Asia, anyone interested in looking for investors, this is an opportunity for them,” said Jason.
On the benefits the event can offer to not only Bruneians but also the region, he said, “Knowledge is important, you can’t get enough knowledge, so for them to come in and look at success stories is actually beneficial for these startups as well.”
On the themes they will focus on at the event, they said that it is still in the works, but that they will “definitely want to cater to the uniqueness of Brunei”.
Jason added, “There’s a specific programme called the fireside chat, which is actually a roundtable discussion with various experts in a certain industry to talk about a certain topic.
“We will definitely bring in topics on Halal industry and current issues in Southeast Asia, and so we would get various experts to come and talk about these topics in roundtable sessions.”
Asked when they are planning to hold the event, Jason said, “There is no specific time frame, but we are hoping that it will come in the fourth quarter of next year.”
The Creative Core BN is part of DARE’s Startup Bootcamp initiative. Asked on this, Charlotte said, “With the startup bootcamp, it is a step-by-step progress. It has been a big help.”
Jason shared, “One thing’s for sure, it has definitely kept us on track from where we start and where we want to go,” adding that it has helped having people push them.
“If you have a structured timeline to present to these people – your mentors and people you have to pitch to – it keeps you on track to where you want to go,” he said. “In terms of the mentors, they have been very helpful with their various inputs and advice. Mentors like these come from an international background, so they do know what is what, and what can be brought into Brunei as an event.”
Charlotte added, “That’s the whole idea of the Startup Bootcamp – validating your product and service now, rather than two or three years down the road. With its weekly check-in points, where you’re required to progress on a weekly basis, it pushes you forward.”
More information on The Creative Core BN and the event they are planning can be attained by contacting them via email at creativecorebn@gmail.com.
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