Dentsu Aegis Network is pleased to announce the launch of its regional female-founded startup Demo Day, a first-of-its-kind in the industry, hosted by programme partner – Google, on 14 December in Singapore.
As part of its Female Foundry Accelerator Programme – an initiative to mentor, develop and help fund female start-ups in South and Southeast Asia, the event spotlighted eight female founders from across the region whose businesses spanned across a diverse range of industries from health and fashion to social and marketing.
These tech-focused startups were given the opportunity to present their work, connect with and secure a possible second round of funding from a panel of five venture capitalists: Dentsu Ventures, Monk’s Hill Ventures, NSI Ventures, Seed Plus and TNF Ventures.
Pedro Ao, Senior Manager of Dentsu Ventures, said, “From Thailand, India to Singapore, this is the first time we’ve seen a demo day that has brought together female-founded startups from all across the region, which saw many intelligent, creative and tech-savvy women coming forward to pursue their dreams. Not only did they bring functional and innovative ideas, the energy and drive that they have displayed is truly inspiring.”
The Demo Day rounded off a two month long programme which started in October, consisting of a bootcamp where the eight selected female founders learnt about digital, marketing, finance and operations from Dentsu Aegis Network’s senior management. In addition, they were paired with experienced industry mentors where weekly consultation sessions were arranged.
Tracy Wong, Founder of Infini Videos, said “This opportunity is a huge stepping stone for us as a female-founded business. There aren’t many initiatives catered to women with tech-focused startups but as the world becomes more digitalized, there is an importance in the convergence of technology and businesses. Dentsu Aegis recognizes this trend and brought women from across the region to learn from each other which was both a motivating and humbling experience.”
Ruth Stubbs, Global President iProspect and Chair of Female Foundry, said: “Our ambition with Female Foundry was to provide a platform for passionate female-founded start-ups to access funding. Our accelerator program was established to provide structured connections to networks and mentors, with the full backing and support of Dentsu Aegis Network.
“As more and more women in Asia are using smart technology solutions to start their own businesses, we hope our industry will provide more platforms to help support and empower. Female Foundry and our commitment will continue into 2017 and we will also be extending our program into Latin America and Africa to raise the voice of women from emerging markets, who are dominant players in the growth of ecommerce. Ultimately, we hope to reshape and fuel this emerging ecosystem,” added Ruth.