In this episode, we speak to David Goh, GM for Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific for Daimler Mobility Services. 

1:00 An intro to Daimler Mobility Services

2:35 Daimler Mobility Services has a different target market than your traditional line of businesses - how have you had to adapt your go-to-market to reach this new customer base?

3:30 The role of collaboration - how DMS partners with its traditional competitors (e.g. BMW) to create their offering for the sharing economy

7:00 What role does DMS play in the Smart Cities space?

8:30 The State of Autonomous Vehicles - what is holding the industry back from reaching its potential?

10:00 Which Smart Cities in Asia are leading the way?

11:55 What would have to happen over the next 5 years for the Smart Cities and Urban Mobility markets to become more successful - and how is DMS helping the market reach that outcome?

13:00 So what could go wrong? What could hinder innovation and evolution of the Smart Cities and Urban Mobility markets?

14:20 How can we minimise the risk of a hacked Autonomous Vehicle?

15:40 How has what you have learned about innovation in other roles helped you in your current role with DMS?

16:50 Which cities in Asia do you see driving the most innovation?

19:00 Are there any new solutions you have seen recently that have mad you go “WOW” -  and what has failed to live up to expectations?

21:20 Tell us something about yourself we won’t have expected?

 

22:30 You have lived and worked all over the world - but let’s say you have to settle in one location for the rest of your work career - where would it be?

 

In today’s podcast, we discuss one of the technologies that underpins the Internet of Things -  Low Power Wide Area Network, or LPWANS for short. And more specifically, we are going to take a look at LoRa - one of the leading LPWAN technologies. 

I’m pleased to be joined by one of the global leaders in the space - Wienke Giezeman - the Co-Founder & CEO of The Things Industries - and the Initiator of The Things Network. 

01:20 What is The Things Network? 

05:25 What has led to your impressive growth - to the point where you are now in 151 countries, have a community of over 100k developers and have deployed 18k LoRaWAN gateways worldwide?

08:10 The Things Network has grown into a global LoRaWAN network - wouldn’t it have been easier to leverage existing mobile networks than trying to build your own? 

• The “Moving Forward, Looking Backward” paradigm

11:00 What are some of the top LoRa use cases that are driving adoption?

16:40 How creating a collaborative LoRaWAN network led to the creation of The Things Conference - the world’s largest LPWAN conference. 

• 1500 attendees, 61 countries
• Sponsors included AWS, Microsoft, Semtech & ST Micro
• All the videos from the event can be found here

20:00 What’s next? The Things ________?

25:00 IoT has not lived up to the hype. What has held the industry back from reaching its potential?

28:00 Narrowband IoT, or NB-IoT, has exploded in China, but had sluggish growth elsewhere. What has hindered it’s growth outside of China?

32:55 What’s the best IoT solution you have ever seen?

34:00 Final question - about What is FEBO - and do you still eat there? Spoiler alert - he’s a fan of “bamischijf”!

Find out more

Connect with Wienke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wienke/

The Things Network: www.thethingsnetwork.org 

The Things Industries: https://www.thethingsindustries.com 

The Things Conference: https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/conference/ 

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv85CXnZUXEKnlZpQapTAwQ

Hear the latest insights on the global accelerator and venture capital industries from one of Silicon Valley’s leading players, SparkLabs Group Partner & Co-Founder, Bernard Moon. 

01:15 Intro to the SparkLabs Group accelerators and VC funds - and how back in 2012 they came up with the concept to launch their first accelerator in Seoul

04:45 What locations are you planning for the launch of the next SparkLabs accelerators?

06:05 Overview of one of the latest SparkLabs initiatives - SparkLabs Frontier - which partners with universities to drive innovation

• The first program is with Arizona State University - the #1 ranked US university for innovation 

09:30 Many accelerators start in the US and go global. SparkLabs started out as a global accelerator. Did that make it harder or easier to raise funding and attract applicants?

10:30 The SparkLabs strategy is to grow slowly, but the model and culture works. Bernard cites how Edgar Chiu has turned SparkLabs Taipei into the leading accelerator in Taiwan in the first two years after launch.

11:40 Startups don’t come to SparkLabs for the money, they come to be part of the SparkLabs Ecosystem. 

• How does SparkLabs differentiate from the other leading accelerator programs, like Y Combinator, TechStars and Plug & Play?

13:30 What makes a good accelerator program?

• Are there too many accelerators? 
• • 60% of corporate accelerators fail within 2 years - CB Insights
  • 100+ accelerators and incubators in Singapore alone
• Is the industry set for a shake-up?

17:30 An overview of the SparkLabs venture capital funds

19:50 SparkLabs has invested in over 260 companies, what are some of the highlights?

• Andela
• Memebox

22:00 Silicon Valley has long been the home of venture capital - but many firms are now looking to Asia. Where does the Valley see the opportunities in Asia? 

• The next billion middle class in Asia

25:00 Overview of the recent launch of  SparkLabs Foundry - SparkLabs’ “Innovation as a Service” offering for the Fortune 500 - and it’s partnership with SRI International, one of the world’s leading research and innovation institutes.

27:25 Bernard just launched his 13th Annual Industry Predictions on VentureBeat - titled “2020: Our meatless, cashless, city-less future” - what are the highlights?

32:25  You live in Silicon Valley, but the other co-founders live in Korea, the UK and Singapore. How do you manage to keep everyone in contact - and on the same page - with regards to your investment strategy, expansion plans, etc.? 

34:00 Let’s say SparkLabs doesn’t exist - and you wanted to start an accelerator today. Where would you locate it  - and why? (spoiler alert: it’s not Silicon Valley)

35:15 What do you know today - that you wish you knew when you started SparkLabs?

36:50 Final question - tell us something about yourself that we don’t already know. 

Building a successful IoT business in Asia Pacific isn't easy, but Bosch Software Innovations has done just that. 

In this podcast, I speak with Thomas Jakob, Regional President for Asia Pacific, to find out how Bosch developed their impressive IoT solutions portfolio.

What I found most interesting is that while many tech vendors drive innovation by acquiring innovative companies, Bosch has built many of their own custom solutions – and partnered with start-ups to jointly develop others – to meet the diverse local requirements of the Asia Pacific market. 

We hear about the importance of the “localisation” of solutions – Bosch in Asia Pacific is the perfect example of how it should be delivered.

(Note: In January 2020, Bosch Software Innovations was renamed Bosch.IO)

Show notes:

1:40 Intro to Thomas

2:50 Tell us about Bosch Software Innovations 

4:20 Which industries does Bosch work with in Asia?

7:00 How Bosch is using technology to transform the agriculture industry

8:45 How Bosch sources innovation

10:00 Bosch's new lift/elevator management solution

13:50 How Bosch has leveraged Smart Building solutions to IoT-ise their business

16:35 An overview of Bosch in China

18:40 The importance of localised solutions that meet customer requirements

• Anti-counterfeit solutions in China
• Greenhouse farming solutions in Japan
• Oyster farming in Australia

25:00 What has kept the IoT industry from reaching its potential

29:25 What is the most interesting IoT market in Asia?

31:45 Name one solution over the past decade that has exceeded your expectations? And failed to live up to expectations?

35:20 The fun questions

• Electric or classic cars?
• German or Singaporean food?
• Christmas by the fire or the beach?

 

What do Apple Stores, Tokyo’s Nissan Crossing, a car dealership with no salespeople and the Notre Dame Cathedral have in common? Today’s guest on the TechBurst Asia podcast.

You may not know him by name, but you will undoubtedly know his work. Today I’m pleased to be joined by a design industry legend and visionary, Eight Inc.’s Founder & CEO, Tim Kobe. 

Show notes: 

01:30 What was it like when you first discussed the Apple Store concept with Apple’s Steve Jobs back in 1998?

04:40 When the first Apple store launched in 2001, it wasn’t a guaranteed success. We were in the middle of the dotcom bust - this was a new paradigm for retail - and Bloomberg went so far as to write an article titled “Sorry Steve, Here’s Why Apple Stores Won’t Work”. 

07:30 How did you maintain your belief in the Apple Store concept - even when the industry doubted whether the stores could succeed?

09:00 How Apple Stores were built with sustainability in mind - “if” one ever closes, it can be broken down and recycled. “If”. 

11:00 How well are we doing with regards to sustainability in Asia?

16:20 Some of Tim’s other work…

Nissan Crossing in Ginza, Tokyo

 

Xioami’s flagship store in Shenzhen, China

 

Lincoln’s car dealerships in China - with no salespeople

 

25:30 The industry’s move away from "Return on Investment" and towards "Return on Experience"

27:00 What is the role of design and human experience with regards to technology products, like a smartphone, a wearable, or random widget?

30:00 Tim had shared a video with me from Lee Clow, the creative genius behind Apple’s iconic commercials, including the “1984” Super Bowl commercial. The video is titled “Disrupt Manifesto” - and its message is don’t do the right thing, but don’t do the wrong thing - do the BRAVE thing. Who does Tim think is doing the “brave thing” today?

 

32:30 What career advice would Tim give to young tech entrepreneurs? 

35:20 What is the most unique project you have been asked to work on?

36:45 Where does Tim go to find inspiration?

38:00 Tim and his team’s submission for the Notre Dame Cathedral design competition

 

 

40:30 Tim’s new book, Eight Inc.: Return on Experience, is about the importance of the design and business relationship - and why you need to design  your business around the human outcome. It is available for pre-order on Amazon now. 

 

See Tim presenting his work and approach at Property Guru’s Asia Real Estate Summit on 21 November 2019 in Bangkok.

We sit down with Tata Communication's Anthony Bartolo to discuss disruption in the telecoms industry, including the impact IoT, eSIMs, vSIMs, iSIMs, NB-IoT & 5G.    01:30 Intro to Tata Comms & Anthony Bartolo   03:00 What role does a fixed operator like Tata Comms play in the IoT space?   07:00 What is an embedded SIM (eSIM) and how will it transform the telecoms industry? And why have most telcos resisted it?   11:30 eSIM use cases (e.g. Device Manufacturers getting into the connectivity game, connected cars) and the new business cases that will emerge   19:15 How did lifts/elevators become the hot topic with eSIMs?   21:00 While Tata Comms, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom & Telstra have moved forward with eSIMs, why have the other Tier 1 mobile operators been resisting eSIMs   23:20 What's next? The shift to virtual SIMs (vSIMs) - and how this creates opps for brands like Amazon, Google & Facebook - and also the owners of SuperApps like Grab, Uber & GoJek.    29:00 What's the future? Integrated SIMs (iSIMs) - connectivity built into the chipset - and everything comes "Born Connected"   32:25 Why have the telcos struggled with IoT? And why has Light Reading coined it IoVFT (Internet of Very Few Things)?   35:00 Why has NB-IoT done so well in China - and not lived up to the hype in the rest of the world?   40:55 What's the current state of 5G - and what opportunities will it create for enterprises?   44:10 What advice would you give to a telco that is starting down the IoT solution path?   46:00 What's next for Tata Comms?    48:00 What technology will have the biggest impact on your life in the future?   49:45 Silicon Valley or Singapore - where's the best place for the next generation of entrepreneurs?

In this episode, we sat down with Asia's top device analyst, IDC's Bryan Ma, to discuss the smartphone market in 2019. Listen in to find out about...

• His view on the latest flagship launches from Google, Apple, Samsung & Huawei
• The impact the China v US trade war will have on Huawei
• Whether we actually need foldable phones
• How much is too much for a smartphone
• Punk music, skateboarding, karaoke and much more...

Show Notes & Timestamps:

02:30  How did a skatepunk foodie from California end out as Asia’s top device analyst?

05:00 Bryan’s take on the Google Pixel 4 launch (loves the AI camera)

07:10 ...the Apple iPhone 11 Pro (loves the 3 lenses)

09:00 ...Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10 (he's worried their mainstream products are becoming “rather plain”)

10:50 ....Huawei Mate Pro (likes the Leica lens & sensors) - and what will the impact of the China v US trade war have on Huawei's future?

14:55 What camera functionality will drive future smartphone sales - the lens (e.g. Huawei w/ Leica) or the AI?

16:20 Why the hell would anyone want a foldable phone?

19:50 What is going to drive the next wave of differentiation in smartphones? (today it’s the camera, but the future is all about display technology)

27:50 How much is too much for a smartphone?

30:00 What’s the best phone to buy if I want…

• The best phone
• Best battery life

33:30 Which manufacturer has the best opportunity to gain market share in the next 24 months? His answer may surprise you! 

39:15 Wearables - i had made a prediction that said early adopters would be the only adopters for smartwatches - was I correct? Has the market taken off?

• We need use cases - e.g. Healthcare (Omate’s Elderly Care) or Vault Intelligence for Lone Worker protection

 43:30  Let’s go old school - what was your favourite smartphone pre-iOS and Android?

46:15 What mistakes did the old industry leaders (e.g.Blackberry, Nokia, Palm) make when they were on top of the market that led to their downfall?

Enough of the serious questions, let’s have some fun! 

50:00 What’s your most embarrassing moment you have had on TV?

51:45 You get to live you life all over again - what would you want to be next time?

• Device analyst
• Punk singer
• Karaoke singer
• Skateboarder
• Professional eater

53:00 What is Bryan’s favourite...

• Punk band
• Karaoke song (seriously, he said "Earth Wind & Fire")
• City for karaoke
• Drink while doing karaoke (Baijo - it’s rocket fuel)
• Post-karaoke food

 

I’m sure many of you are wearing an Apple Watch, Samsung Gear or other gadget on their wrist right now. This market started to gain attention when the first Apple Watch launched in 2016 - and the market has advanced in terms of technology & sales since then - but the question is, what does the future hold for the smartwatch? Is it the one size fits all model of the large vendors? Or is it better to customise the smartwatches to target specific users or use cases?

In this podcast, we’ll talk to Omate’s Laurent Le Pen, a smartwatch industry pioneer, to find out how he views this evolving market. 

Show notes:

01:30 Introduction to Omate

02:20 How did someone from France end out starting a device manufacturer in Shenzhen?

03:50 The market segments and challenges Omate targets - Elderly Care, Children, Lone Workers

07:00 Deep dive into the Omate’s Elderly Care solution

10:50 How Omate brought together the supply and demand sides of the market, including SafeMotion, Credit Mutual Arkea and Medical Guardian, to launch their Elderly Care management solution in France and the US

12:45 Omate’s innovative Wearables-as-a-Service (WaaS) business model 

15:15 The challenges in launched a wearables service in the healthcare industry

17:20 Omate’s Nanoblock children’s watch - and the importance of end-to-end security

21:10 The latest device and solution launches from Omate

24:00 What has prevented wearables from living up to the hype?

30:50 The fun round of questions, including Laurent’s side project, the Oclean smart toothbrush

Laurent’s details 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentlepen/

Twitter: @llepen @omateofficial

www.omate.com 

Follow the TechBurst Asia podcast via:

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BpaO2GWyQqalpeWX2q82c

 

In this TechBurst Asia podcast, I speak with Gerhard Loots, Telstra’s Global IoT Solutions Executive at the end of the Telstra Vantage event, to discuss the role of the service provider, or Telco, in the Internet of Things.

While most service providers see IoT as a lucrative new revenue stream, few have been able to capitalise on that market opportunity. Telstra, on the other hand, has expanded its IoT solutions and services portfolio to make sure it doesn’t miss the opp. 

Show Notes:

01:48 How did a guy from South Africa’s winelands end out running the IoT business for Australia’s leading service provider?

02:30 Telstra has been in the IoT business for many years, how has the IoT solution portfolio and business evolved over the years?

05:48 What are the latest developments with Telstra’s IoT solutions and products?

07:33 How has Telstra moved across the IoT solution stack, branching out from connectivity to hardware, software and services?

09:50 What advice would you give to a service provider that is just starting out in IoT?

11:20 Telstra offers similar solutions that can run across many network types, including Bluetooth, NB-IoT, LTE, etc., and at many different price points. Where is the current market demand coming from?

13:15 Overview of Telstra’s Enterprise eSIM offering - and why it is attractive to manufacturers. 

18:30 Why I think Telstra is now Asia Pacific’s “benchmark” for IoT solutions for a service provider

• Choice (networks and price points)
• New Revenue opportunities - moving across the IoT solution stack 
• The services opp with Telstra Purple
• The eSIM offering

20:00 What’s next for Telstra’s IoT portfolio and solution offering

23:00 What has held the IoT industry back from reaching its potential? 

• Amara's Law: We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.

26:28 What are the unique challenges and opportunities for Australia’s IoT market?

27:50 Which emerging technology enabler (e.g. 5G, blockchain, AI) is Gerhard most excited about?

29:40 The REALLY important things, Gerhard’s view on...

• Surfing in Australia versus South Africa
• Who makes better wine, Australia or South Africa?
• What’s better, shrimp on the barbie or boerwors on the braai?
• How well will Australia and South Africa do in the Rugby World Cup - who will Gerhard support -  and who will win

Links:

Telstra’s IoT offering: https://www.telstra.com.au/business-enterprise/solutions/internet-of-things

Gerhard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerhard-loots-298bb93/

 

Follow the TechBurst Asia podcast via:

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Ever wondered how the world bank leverages the technology and innovation to disrupt the agriculture industry in developing markets? In this podcast, we speak with the World Bank’s Parmesh Shah to find out how they engage developed countries like Korea to drive disruption and innovation in developing markets like Vietnam, Kenya & Nigeria.

Show Notes:

01:10   Background on the World Bank’s Parmesh Shah - Global lead for a global solutions group that looks to find innovative and creative solutions for rural entrepreneurship and innovation

• How the combination of being an agricultural engineer with an MBA and a doctorate in development studies led him to his role at the world bank

04:00 What is the World Bank’s “Disruptive Agriculture Technology Roadshow” - and what do you mean by “Disruptive Agriculture”?  

• How does the World Bank work with the Korean government to help you reach your objectives?

08:15 Overview of the some of the Smart Agriculture solutions behind deployed across Africa

• Hello Tractor - an Uber-like solution helping rural tractor owners get the most value out of their assets - and how this benefits farmers that cannot afford their own tractors. The new buzz word, Tractors-as-a-Service! 
• Tulaa - provides smallholder farmers with quality agricultural inputs on credit and brokers the sale of their crop at harvest time. 
• AgriWallet - a mobile business account allowing farmers to save, borrow and pay for income generating activities to increase food security and fight poverty

14:30 How the World Bank is leveraging IoT sensors to help rice farmers in Vietnam better manage their crops. 

17:00 What challenges to you encounter when trying to deliver Disruptive Agriculture in developing markets?

20:50 The World Bank’s three “labs” to experiment and drive innovation: BlockChain Lab - Big Data Lab - Disruptive Technology Lab. 

22:15 Overview of some of the Korean Smart Agriculture startups

• Telofarm - sensors that you can stick into the plant's stem - The Internet of Plants 
• N.thing - indoor and container farming

27:40 What role does Korea play in the World Bank’s plan?

30:30 How to find the best #SmartAg innovators? Run a Challenge! More info at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2019/04/05/disruptive-agricultural-technology-challenge-and-conference#3

34:40 what will the World Bank do to keep the Disruptive Agriculture momentum going?

36:20 Let’s say it’s a perfect world and I can grant you one wish to help you drive Disruptive Agriculture in developing markets, what would you wish for?

38:15 How can our audience get more information about you and the World Bank’s Disruptive Agriculture initiatives?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parmesh-shah-1b8b4933/

Twitter: @ShahParmesh

World Bank Disruptive Technologies: https://olc.worldbank.org/content/disruptive-technology-overview

Disruptive Agriculture Initiatives: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2019/04/05/disruptive-agricultural-technology-challenge-and-conference#3

 

Follow the TechBurst Asia podcast via:

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