Following the success of Tech in Asia conferences in Singapore, Tokyo, and then Jakarta in 2014 ¬the most recent of which saw a record¬ breaking 2,202 participants,¬ Tech in Asia announced the 9th edition of its signature event in Singapore.
To be held on May 6 and 7 this year, Tech in Asia Singapore 2015 promises to be bigger, better, and crazier than ever, with more than 2,500 international attendees, popular initiatives like Speed Dating, Arena, and new ones like Investor Lounge and Night Crawl.
The conference’s numbers have grown significantly since the first Tech in Asia conference in 2012 attended by 870 delegates. Last year, it hosted 1,498 delegates and showcased over 100 product-ready startups from 70 in 2012.
Tech in Asia Singapore 2015 will be held at the award¬-winning Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, with several new initiatives launched.
First up is the newly revamped Bootstrap Alley,¬ a fan favorite of startups and investors. Startups can now exhibit with a booth for free ¬ but only for one day. Each exhibiting startup at the Bootstrap Alley is curated from a list of applicants from all over Asia. Tech in Asia expects to showcase over 250 exciting startups this time, more than twice the number that exhibited at Jakarta.
The Bootstrap Alley will also feature 10 startup winners from the brand new month-¬long Tech in Asia Tour that was held in March, with pit stops in Jakarta, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangalore. The startup winner from each tour leg has won free flights, accommodation, startup passes, and an exhibiting booth at Bootstrap Alley.
There is also a brand¬ new Night Crawl segment ¬which will feature a mix of open and closed¬-door parties ¬that will provide attendees the opportunity to network with other attendees over drinks from 6 p.m. till 12 midnight, on both nights of the conference. To complement that, private networking app Jublia will be brought in again to help attendees maximize their time and connect with the right people at the conference.
A new space called the Investor Lounge will be set up for investors to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the conference, or to conduct private conversations with the next Alibaba or Tokopedia.
The highlight of the Tech in Asia conferences, the Arena, where startups battle it out for bragging rights, now has an increased cash prize of US$15,000.
There will also be the usual mainstays of the conference: ¬fantastic content from world ¬renowned speakers at the Main Stage and Kickstart Stage, face¬-to-¬face meetings with investors and top tech firms at the Startup Investor Speed Dating and Office Hours, and opportunities to meet international media for coverage at Meet The Media.
Currently, the list of confirmed speakers includes Kevin Hale (Y Combinator), Ray Chan (9GAG), Anthony Tan (GrabTaxi), Khailee Ng (500 Startups), and Steven Leonard (IDA, Singapore).
“Given the last record¬-breaking turnout at our Jakarta edition of Tech in Asia, and the line¬up of new initiatives, I fully expect Tech in Asia Singapore 2015 to smash more records,” says Andrew Wang, Tech in Asia’s head of business development and events.