Your quintessential guide to Singapore’s tech scene

As of today, we’re less than a week to Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 – the countdown has officially begun!

Whether you’re flying in for the conference happening next week on April 12-13, or are new to the tech scene in Singapore, we’ve collated and pulled together a handy guide to Singapore’s tech scene. If you want to up your involvement within the local tech community, or view Singapore as a gateway to meet the rest of the regional tech ecosystem, here’s some pointers to keep on hand.

1. Who to meet

Here’s a roundup of prominent individuals who have helped to shape the entrepreneurial community here in Asia, and are in a great position to help you make the right connections:

• Grace Sai is the CEO and co-founder of Impact Hub, Singapore’s largest co-working community of entrepreneurs, creative and techies. Grace is regarded as the node of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship in Asia, and speaks widely on the topic.
• Gwendolyn Regina is currently spearheading Mashable’s global expansion into Asia. She is a frequent speaker, judge, and mentor at startup bootcamps, competitions, and events. She has also given talks across Asia, Europe, and the US.
• Steven Goh is the CEO and co-founder of migme Limited (ASX: MIG). He has extensive experience in developing and commercialising compelling internet services for consumers and fundraising.
• Christopher Quek is the managing partner of Tri5 Ventures and an evangelist in the Singapore startup community. He writes about the Singapore tech ecosystem at Tech in Asia.
• Vinnie Lauria is a founding partner at Golden Gate Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund for startups in Southeast Asia with strong ties to Silicon Valley.
• Saemin Ahn is managing partner at Rakuten Ventures, and responsible for leading and evaluation investments, conducting due diligence, and analyzing deal structure.
• Akio Tanaka is a co-founder and managing partner at Infinity Venture Partners, an early stage VC fund focused on internet companies in China and Japan and a treasure trove of experience especially in these two markets.
• Willis Wee is CEO and founder of Tech in Asia, the online community for Asia’s startup ecosystem.

Pro-tip: these people will be at Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 – if you want to meet them, you know where to be on April 12 and 13!

To set up your meetings at the conference, make full use of the Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 mobile app, launching (very) soon on both iOS and Android platforms.

2. Places to check out

Co-working spaces
If you only have enough time to visit one place during your trip, head on over to JTC LaunchPad @ One North. More affectionately known as Block 71 by its tenants, it is widely regarded as Singapore’s Silicon Valley and the world’s most tightly packed entrepreneurial ecosystem. By 2017, the cluster will house over 750 accelerators, incubators, government institutes, venture capital firms, and co-working spaces in Singapore.

For more central options, head down to The Hub Singapore (it opens its doors twice a week), The Co, and Working Capitol.

Find a consolidated map of co-working spaces for tech startups in Singapore here.

Top accelerator programs in Singapore

• Joyful Frog Digital Incubator – JFDI is the first accelerator in Singapore and has the largest cohort of trained entrepreneurs
• muru-D -a Telstra-backed accelerator from Australia
• SPH Plug and Play – a joint programme between Singapore Press Holding, Silicon Valley’s Plug & Play and Infocomm Investments
• Startupbootcamp Fintech Singapore – the fintech program covers Singapore, London, and New York City

Check out a comprehensive list of accelerator programs in Singapore.

3. Background reading

Need to get yourself up to speed on Singapore’s tech ecosystem? Arnaud Bonzom from 500 Startups has condensed all you need to know about the local scene into a presentation deck.

And lastly, one chart to make sense of it all:

If you want to explore Singapore’s tech scene and connect with the regional ecosystem while you’re at it, get your passes to Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 (April 12-13) today!

Grab, the official transport partner for Tech in Asia Singapore 2016, is making it easier to travel to and fro from conference venue grounds. They are offering SGD$3 off all GrabCar Economy rides when you key in Suntec Convention Centre as either pick up or drop off point and use the code tiasg16!