TechBurst Talks

In this podcast, we take a look at the role Venture Capital and Accelerator programs play in the tech ecosystem. While some countries, like Singapore, are inundated with them, why have other markets, like Taiwan, not seen the same level of interest?

Podcast Overview with time stamps

01:30 Intro to Edgar Chiu, Managing Partner of SparkLabs Taipei and founder of JumpStart Global, a talent acceleration program that focuses on matching top talent from large corporates with exciting startups.

03:00 The evolution of SparkLabs Taipei since its founding less than two years ago

06:00 Overview of SparkLabs Taipei Demo Day 2

• Over 800 attendees, including 150 investors from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Silicon Valley, etc.
• 6 startup presentations
• Panel with 4 leading players from the Silicon Valley VC scene
• How high labour costs are forcing Silicon Valley startups to look farther afield for talent – and why Taiwan is well suited to reap the benefits.

11:30 Overview of the fireside chat with best-selling author Steven Johnson where he discusses his book Where Good Ideas Come From: A Natural History of Innovation

12:40 How has the Taiwan start-up scene has evolved over the past 8 years

• Used to be well known for manufacturing products (e.g. iPhones)
• Companies (e.g. Google) are now coming to Taiwan to leverage its strong Software Engineering skills to drive their R&D
• The transformation from a manufacturing power to a digital power

14:45 Singapore has been invested heavily by both Venture Capital firms and Accelerator programs in recent years, is Taiwan going to be Asia's next "hot spot" for startups and innovation?

17:00 The importance of startups in Taiwan having a "global" mentality due to the limited size of the local market

18:35 What types of companies presented at Demo Day?

23:40 What advice would Edgar give to Taiwan and international startups or entrepreneurs?

25:20 What advice would you give to the Silicon Valley Venture Capital players about tapping into Taiwan market opportunity?

26:30 What advice would you give the Taiwanese government to help drive entrepreneurship and innovation while attracting foreign investment?

27:30 Which emerging technologies do you think will create the next wave of opportunities for startups?

29:30 And which emerging technologies will have the greatest impact on society?

31:55 How do you think the Taiwanese startup scene – and SparkLabs Taipei – will evolve in the coming years?

33:00 What do you think will happen in Taiwan's 2020 Presidential election – and how do you think that will/could impact the country's startup ecosystem

36:15 Tell us something about yourself or your background that will surprise us

• Note: if you want to know why Edgar started JumpStart and SparkLabs Taipei, his answer to this question will make it clear.

39:30 What is the best food for visitors to Taiwan to try

• Try the fruit!
• Edgar's wife's CookInn Taiwan cooking school - which teaches foreign visitors how to make local dishes like beef noodle, xiao long bao, and bubble tea.

41:25 How can the listeners get more information about SparkLabs Taipei?

SparkLabs Taipei

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparklabstaipei/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparklabs-taipei/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparklabs_taipei/

JumpStart Global:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jumpstart.do/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jumpstart-global/about/

Follow the TechBurst Asia podcast via:

www: www.TechBurst.Asia

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/techburst-asia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TechBurstAsia/

Twitter: @TechBurstAsia

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/techburstasia

Libsyn: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/techburstasia

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/techburst-asia-podcast-with-charles-reed-anderson

In this first TechBurst Asia podcast, we interview Bernard Leong, Vice President of Airbus Aerial and founder and host of the Analyse Asia podcast, to discuss the future of drones.

What are the roles of drones in society? More importantly, just because it is technically feasible to deliver a package or person via drone, does that mean we should? Will drones take over the skies and transform our lives? Or will the potential security risks hold the industry back and hinder innovation and progress?

Show notes and timestamps:

01:30 Bernard's background - university and early career

04:10 The move from academia to the start-up world

05:45 Leaving the start-up world for the corporate life

09:56 The rationale behind starting the Analyse Asia podcast

11:05 Tell us something about yourself that we won't know

13:15 Ok, time to discuss drones. Tell us about your role in delivering the world's first drone postal deliver for SingPost (Sept 2015).

20:29 How has the drone industry evolved since 2015? And what is the impact of the recent drone security scares (e.g. Gatwick airport)

21:34 The economics behind drone parcel delivery (e.g. Uber drone deliveries of McDonalds in San Diego). Are the financial and business models really viable?, including cost per delivery in western markets versus China. And how China leads the low cost delivery race despite having a lower cost labour base than the more developed markets like the US and Australia.

26:37 Will B2C drone deliveries create new security risks? What is the role of government regulation to ensure the safety of drones. And tell us about China's drone regulatory environment compares to the rest of the world.

31:10 Air Taxis - are we ready for for it?

34:55 The enterprise use cases for drones - including real estate, emergency services, mining, etc.

37:45 Which markets excite you for the future of drones (besides China)?

38:42 What challenges to governments need to overcome to help drive drones in the future

40:30 Bernard's view of the best case scenario for drones in the coming 3 - 5 years - and the worst case.

41:50 The main question - will drones move beyond the hype in the coming years and deliver true value and use cases - or will drones become an overhyped toy?

43:20 How can the audience find out more about you and the Analyse Asia podcast?

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

Twitter: @BernardLeong

Analyse Asia podcast: www.analyseasia.com

Bernard's Blog: www.bernardleong.com

Note: This interview was recorded at the end of June 2019. Bernard has since left Airbus Aerial to pursue other career opportunities.