Eden Strategy Institute at the island state’s biggest business plan competition Singapore

Start-Up@Singapore (S@S) is a business plan competition that is organised by the NUS Entrepreneurship Society, and supported by the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre and NUS Business School Alumni Association. Now in its 13th year, S@S aims to be the beacon for start-ups on their road to success.

Eden Strategy Institute was recently invited to mentor some selected teams. Mentors contribute their experience, know-how and time to guide semi-finalist teams, as these aspiring entrepreneurs prepare for the subsequent judging rounds of the competition.

Eden Strategy Institute’s Partner Mr. Mark Lee was the mentor for two very innovative teams: BagoSphere and BambooBee.

BagoSphere is a training agency for its corporate partners, the call center companies in the Philippines. They use a unique model in which they engage the local NGOs and local government to handpick the youth in rural areas and train them to pass the test to be certified to work in call centers. Last year, they started a pilot in the Philippines and 80%of their selected trainees passed the exams and are currently working in call centers.

BamboBee manufactures bicycles with an environmental bent: The bicycle frames are made out of bamboo. Bamboobee’s green bamboo business ensures that social and environmental impacts are weaved into their framework by means of employment opportunities, skill development, reduced carbon emissions, and soil rehabilitation, simply by using bamboo. The company has already clocked sales, and moved production to China.

“Both teams were very committed to their start up initiative and presented very solid arguments and research backgrounds,” observed Mr Lee, who analyzed their business and market strategies and is providing on-going support to the teams.

“Despite penetrating an already saturated market, BagoSphere managed to find a niche segment and create a solution that may be more efficient and innovative. Likewise, BambooBee competes in a highly competitive, brand-dominated market, but with some a ready supply of bamboo underpinning its competitive advantage, they have the potential to bring their product to Asia, Europe, and the U.S,” he said.

For more information, please visit startup.org.sg.