Tech innovators win chance to join international events in Silicon Valley
THAI TECH start-ups Freshket and Fastwork last week won top awards at a DTAC Accelerate event to join Blackbox Connect in Silicon Valley and the Web Summit in Portugal, two of the world’s most important events for start-ups.
According to Sompoat Chansomboon, head of business innovation at DTAC Accelerate, Freshket, a digital platform that connects fresh-food suppliers with restaurants and other outlets, is set to revolutionise the way Thai operators do business and has the potential to expand into neighbouring countries.
Instead of having to conduct their business during odd hours from after midnight to early morning using mobile phones, suppliers of fresh food such as seafood, fruits and vegetables will be able to turn to a reliable around-the-clock online marketplace that guarantees satisfaction for both buyers and sellers.
Sompoat said Freshket, whose founder has been in the business of supplying fresh food to restaurants for many years, had attracted more than 100 suppliers from around the country as well as more than 500 restaurant operators within the first 48 hours of launching the Web-based service.
Freshness, competitive pricing, and on-time delivery are among key factors driving the fresh-food supply business.
Freshket is also expected to boost the competitiveness of the Thai food sector, which plays a crucial role in the tourism industry.
The Freshket team will be sponsored to join Blackbox Connect in California’s Silicon Valley this year.
At the DTAC Accelerate event, Fastwork – another start-up – won the award to join the Web Summit in Portugal this year.
Fastwork is Thailand’s top digital marketplace for freelance professionals, and its earnings have increased by 11 times in the four months since the business was launched.
Fastwork aims to match Thai small and medium-sized enterprises and other entrepreneurs with the right professional areas of graphic design, software development, content writing, and online marketing, among others.
Sompoat said Thai graphic designers, for example, had a competitive advantage in the global online market for freelance work since their expertise and quality of work are world-class, but they charge a much lower rate than comparable professionals in the United States and Europe. As a result, Fastwork provides an efficient platform for Thai professionals to do work online for global customers.
Besides Fastwork and Freshket, the DTAC Accelerate event saw other promising tech start-ups presenting their business models and seeking seed as well as venture-capital funding.
Giztix, for instance, is an e-marketplace for worldwide logistic services including truck, freight and customs clearance, helping shippers get the best prices in seconds while transport-service providers get more sales.
Piggipo is an application that helps you manage your credit-card spending with programmes run by banks in Thailand and Malaysia.
Eventpass is a marketing and customer-relationship-management platform for event organisers and exhibitors that helps visitors discover more features and connect them with activities.
Health At Home is a digital platform that takes care of your loved ones at home using technology to drive an ecosystem for quality home care that matches the family with the right care-givers.
Febbrigrade is an application that delivers hand-picked and vetted beauty and wellness service professionals to your doorstep.
Finnomena is a digital platform that unlocks the investment potential of Thai people by providing extraordinary tools and unbiased knowledge needed for investing and personal financial planning.
