Harnessing collective insights and wisdom at inaugural DEMO Asia 2012

Over 30 experts converge at DEMO Asia to guide, speak and mentor participants over the 3-day event

Singapore, 27 February 2012 - A stellar line of over 30 speakers from the private and public sectors will make their presence felt at the forthcoming inaugural DEMO Asia 2012 from February 29th to March 2nd at Matrix@Biopolis in Singapore. More names are expected to be confirmed closer to the date of the event.

Hailing from diverse countries and industries such as consumer technology, social media, digital and mobile technologies and life and bio-sciences among others, speakers at DEMO Asia will include corporate leaders, start-up owners, venture capitalists, angel investors and past DEMO winners.

Some of the notable corporate attendees include Jeff Clavier, Founder of SoftTech VC; Adeo Ressi, Founding Member of TheFunded.com and CEO of Founder Institute; Marc Van Der Chijs, Founder of Tudou.com, Dr. Ni ZhengDong, Founder / CEO/ President and Managing Director of Zero2IPO; Michel Birnbaum, General Manager of iGlobe Partners; Dr Gopi Kurup, CEO of Telekom Malaysia Research & Development and Jerry Kuo, Co-Founder & CEO of Atlas Post.

They will be speaking as well as serving as panel experts to the DEMO Asia participants at DEMO’s signature Pitch Programmme, DEMO One-on-One sessions, and DEMOfocus events which target key emerging industries, among other platforms.

DEMO Asia offers the region’s brightest innovators and budding entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to debut, pitch and showcase breakthrough ideas and products to corporate acquirers, media, venture capitalists, angel investors and strategic partners.

Launched in 1991, DEMO is the global launchpad for emerging technologies and is held twice a year in the United States. It comprises conferences, pitches and networking sessions for a specially invited group of companies to launch their products for the first time to an audience made up of angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate developers and acquirers, government agencies, universities and research institutes.

Singapore is the second country in Asia to host a DEMO event after China. Sphere Exhibits is the organiser of DEMO Asia, along with DEMO's existing co-producers - IDG Enterprise and strategic partner VentureBeat, a portal that reports the latest news, trends and developments on innovation and technology. It is also co-organised by Singapore agencies such as Infocomm Development Authority, Media Development Authority, National Research Fund, and SPRING Singapore.

This event is supported and sponsored by companies such as Microsoft BizSpark, Global Brain, Kyosei Ventures, Amazon Web Services, Singtel Innov8, Google, Transpacific IP, TM Research & Development and Ernst & Young; as well as Singapore agencies such as Infocomm Development Authority, Media Development Authority, National Research Fund, and SPRING Singapore.

Mr Chua Wee Phong, Executive Director, Sphere Exhibits said: “The calibre of the speakers is a testament to the consistent track record of the DEMO brand name. DEMO Asia is not just Asia-centric; it has a global reach that will attract start-ups, investors, and MNCs alike that are keen to cultivate the potential in this exciting growth region. We look forward to discovering new and progressive innovations that will further contribute to the success of DEMO Asia in many years to come.”

Mr Neal Silverman, Senior Vice President said: “We are proud to be partnering with SPH establishing DEMO in Singapore. When looking for a partner in the region SPH was our number one choice. DEMO Asia is now well positioned to showcase innovative products from around the world in Southeast Asia.”