Start-up finalists set to blaze a new trail
DTAC accelerate named 12 start-up finalists of its batch 5 programme, as each of them was seen as having the quality, the product, and passionate team members who want to bring innovation and technology to disrupt the business world, especially in agriculture, education, human resources, food, travel and finance technologies.
The 12 finalists are: Cookly, Creden, Drivemate, Globish, Indie Dish, Ricult, ScoutOut, Seekster, Senseino, Shiftspace, Tixget, and Tourkrub.
All the finalists will receive seed funding ranging from Bt500,000 to Bt1.5 million per team, and commercialisation support from DTAC worth over Bt100 million. The intensive boot camp runs from May to August. The final pitch and the announcement of the winner will be made on Demo Day in August.
Andrew Kvalseth, chief digital officer of Total Access Communication, said that DTAC is determined to groom start-ups who will become a part of the dtac Accelerate family by providing knowledge, resources, and commercialisation support to help them grow in local and international markets. They will also get access to investment sources through a network of world-class venture capitalists.
The boot camp, to be held at Hangar Coworking Space, includes training from world-class start-up gurus and one-on-one mentoring by renowned start-up entrepreneurs and start-up padawans. Sompoat Chansomboon, director of business innovation and dtac Accelerate, said that the standard of Thai start-ups has constantly risen over the past year, in terms of products that meet market demands, solid business models, growth potential, and market expansion opportunities. All the finalists have a team that possess strong business expertise and have developed technology-oriented ideas based on their problems or pain points.
For example, Tourkrub has generated over Bt100 million revenue on its online tour-selling platform within the first few months. Seekster, with a strong background in hotel management, has created a mobile application and website that allows corporate and individual customers to seek services like home cleaning and air-conditioner cleaning at one fingertip. Globish and Senseino are educational tech start-ups who offer English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language courses.
The 12 finalists will attend an intensive world-class boot camp and receive coaching from world-class mentors such as Ash Maurya, the world's expert in Lean Start-up Canvas Model, and Nir Eyal, the creator of Hooked Model that is behind the success of the world's top start-ups, including Facebook and Instagram.
Dtac Accelerate has also teamed up with Ho Ren Hua, chief executive officer of Thai Wah Group, and Sara Lamsam, chief executive officer of Muang Thai Life Insurance, Thailand's number one and a leading insurance company in the region, to provide funding and co-marketing support. All 12 finalists are determined to disrupt the mobile Internet ecosystem through the use of innovation and technology, such as a new breed of applications that stimulate excitement and enhance customer lifestyle as well as improve the standard of living of Thai people.