Bangkok--20 Dec--AIS
AIS BRINGS WORLD FAMOUS EVENT “STARTUP WEEKEND” TO THAILAND “THAI ENTREPRENEURS: CONQUER THE WORLD WITH YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS” INVITING DESIGNERS, DEVELOPERS AND MARKETEERS WITH COOL IDEASTO START WORLD-CLASS BUSINESS-PRODUCT FOR THAILAND,ASIA AND THE WORLD
AIS is honored to announce that it is Thailand's exclusive Official Sponsor of the world renowned event “Startup Weekend”. This international event, which has been held in the US, Europe and is being introduced into Asia, aims at creating new businessmen and unique innovations worldwide especially in the digital ICT industry. AIS is bringing the exciting event to Thailand for the first time and is inviting Thai designers, marketeers, and new generations with dreams, ideas and ambition to participate in this event, which will help them jumpstart their own business producing digital products and services. The forum presents a ready audience of potential investors, training and networking as well as ready access to a market of 32 million AIS customers, over 400 million customers in the SingTel Group and potentially to all available customers in the world.
"Startup Weekend" is a series of world-class events run by JFDI.Asia ("Joyful Frog Digital Incubator"), which is part of the prestigious global TechStars network. The events play a key role in materializing and accelerating ideas to new business startups in big cities around the world. By 2010, the event Startup Weekend had taken place in over 325 cities in 30 countries worldwide as well as connecting idea initiators to funding investors and, as a result, revealing new innovations and new entrepreneurs around the world, such as, the Dropbox, airbnb and heroku. JFDI.Asia has already held this event in Singapore, Manila, Melbourne, New Delhi, Jakarta and now it’s time for Startup Weekend in Bangkok.
Mr. Somchai Lertsuttiwong, Executive Vice President Marketing of Advanced Info Service (Public) Company Limited or AIS, disclosed that “AIS is introducing Startup Weekend to Thailand as an opportunity for Thai developers and business owners to move towards world-class digital business and gain experience through the participation in international programs, so as to unearth innovative ideas and new developers to create unprecedented products and services for AIS customers and customers in mobile phone markets throughout the Asian region.”
“What the participants will learn from the AIS Startup Weekend Bangkok 2011 also includes learning by doing with practitioner groups, networking with groups of people who will help you launch your products, learning new skills and unique things never known before and convening with real idea initiators for inspiration and motivation. To make the AIS Start Up Weekend more special than the Startup Weekends in other countries, AIS will takes care of all expenses for the participants in Thailand. All selected participants need not pay any expense. They just need to bring their ideas, their dreams, their ambition and their determination. ”
“The Startup Weekend begins on Friday 16 Dec 2011 evening, with 120 participants proposing each his or her best idea, to be voted as the most favorite ideas. Teams are then formed to work on those selected ideas. By 18 Dec 2011 Sunday evening, each of those teams will present its product or service prototype to a panel of judges who will then choose the Winner. The Winner from the Bangkok event wins the opportunity to join the JFDI-Innov8 2012 Boot Camp for 100 days in Singapore which will bring together winning teams from around Asia. Finally, after developing and validating their works over the 100 days bootcamp, the winning teams will present their products and services in front of international investors and convince them to provide funding and access to ready markets.”
The AIS Startup Weekend Bangkok 2011 winner award includes Certificate,Trophy,iPad2, S$ 15,000 fund, and round-trip air tickets to join the 100 days “BOOT CAMP” in Singapore in January 2012. The 2nd -5th winners will get runner up award including Certificate and THB 100,000 service development support fund. AIS will also sponsor and support chosen winners to develop innovative services for over 32 million customers of AIS and over 400 million customers in the SingTel Group.
“Startup Weekend is a weekend forum of accelerated real experience for aspiring business owners, designers, developers, marketeers, creative initiators and persons possessing great ideas and who are waiting for the opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas to prove the business feasibility of their ideas. Most participants have technical or marketing knowledge. However, there are also many participants who own ideas but may not have any technical or marketing know-how. At this event, successful ideas will find technical and marketing supporters to help develop their ideas to success.”
The Judging Committee of the AIS Startup Weekend Bangkok 2011 comprises of renowned Dr. Thanachart Numnonda , Director of Software Park ; John Ratanaveroj ,President Computer Association of Thailand ; Prof. Thunyawat Chaitrakul, Marketing experts ; Yvonne Kwek ,CEO Singtel Innov8 ; Hugh Mason , Co-founder and CEO of JFDI.Asia and Pratthana Leelapanang , Vice President Value Added Service Advanced Info Service PLC.
If you are a “Doer” rather than a “Talker,” the Startup Weekend may change your life because you will meet new friends who have the skills, experiences and perspectives to enhance your ideas as well as offer you the access to national, regional and global markets.” Somchai concluded.
AIS Startup Weekend Bangkok 2011 will take place on Friday 16 December until Sunday 18 December, 2011. The Winner and 2nd -5th winners will be announced on the last day of event.
Information for Editors
Advanced Info Service PLC (AIS) www.ais.co.th
Advanced Info Service (AIS) is the top Thailand mobile telecommunication company with 54% revenue market share. As of 3Q 2011, the Company registered 32.8 million mobile subscribers, representing 44% subscribers market share. With over 20 years of operation, AIS continues to deliver excellent service to Thai community through superior network covered more than 97% nationwide. In addition to the mobile operator business, AIS also have subsidiary companies which are determined to support the core business operation.
The Joyful Frog Digital Incubator http://jfdi.asia
JFDI is a Singapore-based business accelerator that will fund and mentor 10—15 digital startups. Co-founded by Hugh Mason and Wong MengWeng, two successful entrepreneurs and angel investors, JFDI was inspired by TechStars and Y Combinator, which have created over US$5BN of new business value in the last five years. JFDI is the first member of theTechStars Network in Southeast Asia. Its motto: spawning scalable startups, in Asia, for Asia.
SingTel Innov8 http://innov8.singtel.com
SingTel Innov8 (Innov8), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SingTel Group, is a corporate venture capital fund, with its own set of decision making, approval and funding processes. It has an initial fund size of S$200 million. Innov8 focuses its investments on technologies and solutions that lead to quantum changes in network capabilities, next generation devices, digital content services and enablers to enhance customer experience. It works closely with the ecosystem of leading innovators, developers, government agencies, R&D and capital providers to bring cutting-edge technologies and solutions to the various markets the SingTelGroup operates in.