DNA in Singapore: A big step towards the vision

  • Exciting time to be in Singapore to cover its ecosystem
  • Challenges aplenty for DNA, hope readers support our journey

DNA in Singapore: A big step towards the visionIT was part of the playbook from the planning stages back in end-2011, to be a respected tech media outlet in South-East Asia. And that meant, after we had established ourselves in Malaysia, then Singapore – cost structure notwithstanding – had to be next.
 
We would have liked it to have happened in January, but we have finally expanded to Singapore with Gabey Goh more than ready to take up the challenge of establishing our presence in the mature tech ecosystem there as editor.
 
With the heavy presence of tech-based multinationals there, coupled with its own mature companies, and with the added spice of a bubbling startup scene with an international flavour, Singapore has arguably the most exciting tech ecosystem in Asia outside of Beijing and Seoul.
 
And let’s not even start on the Government which is extremely supportive … to the point that it may inadvertently become too supportive and dull the hunger and desire of the entrepreneur themselves, that all critical X-factor which separates the wheat from chaff. That’s an observation that is not unusual in Malaysia either.
 
But ask any entrepreneur which scenario they would prefer to be building their company under, and you know which answer you are going to get.
 
For Digital News Asia (DNA), we will soon know if we were right about Singapore too: That there are enough homegrown entrepreneur-led tech stories there to interest the market. There are more than enough enterprise stories for sure, but that is only part of the greater ecosystem we will eventually cover.
 
And I believe Singapore’s ambitious and bold Smart Nation vision will be the launchpad for even more startups and existing tech companies to prove their capabilities and go global. I am personally looking forward to visiting Jurong Lake District where 15 smart solutions will be trialled.
 
Raising funds the next challenge
 
Having got to Singapore under our own steam, the next challenge is to raise some funding from a strategic investor who believes in our vision of wanting to build DNA into the most credible tech media in South-East Asia.
 
That will help us be more aggressive in our plans. Hopefully, I will have some news on this front soon.
 
For my colleagues based in Malaysia, we will now have an editorial challenge of making sure our stories, where possible, start to have a regional feel to them as well.
 
So while it is exciting to be covering Singapore with dedicated resources, we also have many challenges to meet as we strive to achieve our vision giving the region the most credible tech news possible.
 
As we go about achieving this, and I am sure we will stumble along the way, I hope you, our readers and supporters, will continue to find DNA relevant in your lives and to the tech ecosystem.
 
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