Asia Startup Pulse

TechCrunch -the leading technology media platform, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups and reviewing new Internet and tech news. What better way than to pick the brains of Ned Desmond, COO of TechCrunch, who joined us Live! at Shanghai's TechCrunch 2016 Conference! Ned chats to us about the hottest cross-border startups, the $6billion USD which TechCrunch companies raised, and also looks back on the biggest challenges TechCrunch faced. We also discuss the cultural phenomenon of Silicon Valley, its representation in popular media, and the impact this image has had on global startups. It doesn't matter whether you're in Silicon Valley or Silicon Alley in Beijing, this episode has something for every curious entrepreneur, investor or listener!

Thank you again to Ned, everyone at TechCrunch and Tech Node for their support, and our team, Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, our sponsors Chinaccelerator and People Squared and most importantly you, our listener! If you would like to contact us please send an email to [email protected]

Start-ups aren't all tech nerds and T-shirts; some evolve into elegant and classy enterprises, paid to essentially throw glitzy parties from the rooftops of China's hottest cities. This weeks guest, Stephane de Montgros, shares how he uprooted from France, moved to China, and co-founded China’s leading luxury hospitality events management company, Riviera Events, and The Hotelier Awards!

Pivoting from a working revenue model which catered for Shanghai's party nightlife, Stephane talks about how he took the risky leap to specialise exclusively on high-end luxury brands, the struggles that came with staying true to an entrepreneur's vision, underlines the importance of building trust and guanxi, and talks about the key reasons for keeping goodwill.

Thanks to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Hindsight is 20/20. This week, Kevin Chen, tells us the hard lessons learned since ‘committing career suicide’; quitting his corporate life with Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, to building multiple start-ups before co-founding Italki, a leading language learning social network that connects students and teachers for language exchange and paid tutoring, which recently closed a US$3million round of funding.

“Stay true to your vision –the investor doesn’t run your company, you do.” Kevin shares his learnings on recognizing bad deals, filtering out advice, and 'zooming out' to understand the different perspectives and motives of investors, entrepreneurs and advisors.

Also, if you haven’t been to a Techyizhu event yet you're missing out on the hottest gatherings in Shanghai for the start-up community, including the bi-annual Barcamp and many more. Kevin is one of the founding fathers of Techyizu and touches on why they've been so successful with their non-profit and volunteer-only strategy and how you can get involved.

Thanks to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Disruptors within the manufacturing space are forcing a change to the old adage 'Made in China'. This week’s guest, Jacob Rothman, Founding Partner of Platform88, tells us exactly how technology has caused manufacturing in China to pivot. Platform88, a manufacturing network that brings ideas to life, is at the forefront of this movement.

From his young dreams of becoming a Rabbi, to experiencing a previous exit, to owning his own factory in China that directly supplies companies like Walmart and Canadian Tire, Jacob discusses the manufacturing obstacles that start-ups often face, the evolution of manufacturing, and how factories are more willing to accept MOQs (Minimal Order Quantities) and manufacture on demand, with good quality, rather than mass produce at low quality.

Thank you to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Blockchain isn’t entirely synonymous with bitcoin. Want to know how to differentiate Blockchain vs. Bitcoin in under 30 seconds? Then tune in with Remington Ong, Partner of Fenbushi, a $50million fund, that is headquartered in Shanghai and specifically invests in early-stage Blockchain technology startups.

From an MBA to Merrill Lynch, as well as a Chinaccelerator Alumni, Rem tells us what investors look for in pitches, discusses smart contracts, and how Blockchain is applicable in almost every vertical to the extent where we’ll all be using Blockchain without even knowing it within a decade!

Thank you to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Known for amazing bagels and craft lattes in Shanghai, David Seminsky tells us about his whirlwind China adventures including his early days at Apple and sharing an office with Steve Jobs, to accidental China jail time, to founding a string of successful brick-and-mortar businesses: Sumerian Coffee, Boom-Boom Bagel and everyone's favorite curbside pub Dogtown!

Podcasting alongside two of the cutest sidekick pups (no, not Todd and Ryan), David shares how he balances risks and opportunities in business, overcame the challenges of local competition, lawsuits, and employee management, yet still considers China the next frontier for business.

Thanks to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner TechNode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Ever wondered who operates the internet? This week, Tudou’s first foreigner CTO, Steve Mushero, tells us how he uprooted from the Valley, moved to China, and co-founded China’s 1st and leading cloud service, ChinaNet Cloud - essentially running the backend to the World’s largest internet user base!

Connecting giants such as Amazon and Alibaba to their online audiences, Steve shares how he makes cross border IT transactions faster, and the importance of adaptability to target the Chinese market. Successfully raising 9 million USD from local investors, Steve discusses the difference between negotiating local and foreign investment, sourcing trustworthy local leadership, and predicts how the QR code phenomenon might expand beyond Chinese borders.

Thanks to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu, and of course to you, our listeners – Thank You!

Building a startup is hard enough but going solo in China, without a Chinese co-founder, is exactly what Ronan Berder, CEO and Founder of Wiredcraft, did. This week we talk about how he bootstrapped his company from the ashes of a failed startup into a global DevOps company, with huge international clients such as the UN, CNN, Starbucks and the Worldbank.

Embracing the path less travelled, Ronan shares his struggles, the pivots, and staying lean as a start-up, and how he literally lived out of a dufflebag in AirBnBs for 3 years. He also takes us through how investment decisions effect your growth process and his latest success powering the recent election in Myanmar.

Thanks as always to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner TechNode. A huge thanks to our Producer Vivian Law and Production Editor David Xu

Failing in China’s harsh start-up climate is an all too common occurrence for those foreigners with the guts to chase middle kingdom success. If success is met however, one must then begin the arduous task of then just keeping the door open. Successfully exiting? Folklore. This week’s guest, TR Harrington shares with us the hard things he learned along the way: breaking up with business partners, optimising deal terms with stakeholders, raising money just before the financial crisis, and how he managed to complete his journey on a high by being acquired by iProspects!

Understanding the highs of serendipity in Shanghai, TR discusses how to pivot your business, the change in the marketing landscape and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right hidden or co-founders.

Thanks to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. Thanks to our Producers and Editor, Vivian and David, and finally our listeners –Thank You!

Entrepreneurs worldwide have a set of common values. Do work you love. Embrace change and risk. Build things that matter. Make a positive impact. This week’s guest, Lucio Pentagna Guimaraes Neto, tells us how he pivoted from his Brazillian legal, MBA and corporate CEO background, to sailing the world, end up in China, self-learn 3D modelling, and go onto founding Shanghai’s first collaborative maker space, XinFab.

Crazy about machines, Lucio discusses how he merges his passion for 3D printing with his farming heritage. Now building a “hack-vacation” in South Portugal, Lucio discusses his latest project –a getaway for do-ers; get your own work done, do sustainable farming and surf on the side –who needs mainstream Bali.

Thanks as always to our sponsors Chinaccelerator, People-Squared, and our syndication partner Technode. A huge thanks to our Producers and Editor, Vivian, Darren and David, and finally our listeners –Thank You!