This April, the Fung Business Intelligence Centre’s Global Retail & Technology group (FBIC) hosted the first of its branded monthly Disruptors Breakfast series in Hong Kong, introducing four Hong Kong–based innovative startups with cutting-‐edge technology applications for the retail, sourcing and manufacturing worlds. Leaders from these “disruptors” to retail and related industries shared insights about their business solutions and the opportunities they see
for future tech applications.
The primary focus of the first breakfast was to introduce technology solutions that enhance the in-‐store experience through RFID applications, omnichannel opportunities and digitized store technologies.
FBIC teamed up with two Hong Kong startup incubators, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and blueprint. The group invited Elad Goz, Consul and Head of Economic & Trade Mission for the Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong, to be the keynote speaker. Goz shared the Israeli startup community’s vision: to continue to be on the cutting edge of high technology, connecting entrepreneurs and financiers so they can provide real-‐world solutions to global business challenges.
FBIC is actively involved in the startup communities in Silicon Valley and Hong Kong, and is building a strong network of startups throughout Asia and in New York. FBIC hosted its second global Disruptors Breakfast in New York City on May 14, 2015 in collaboration with the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator.
HKSTP is a group dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem that connects stakeholders, nurtures technology talents, facilitates collaboration and uses the ensuing capabilities to benefit the Hong Kong region. The HKSTP incubation programs foster startups for anywhere from 18 months to four years, providing working space, business consulting and a full range of supporting services. Since its founding in 2001, it has
produced 342 technology graduates, 268 of which are still in business and four of which have gone on to an IPO in Hong Kong. The program has raised over HK$935 million, and participants have obtained 772 intellectual property patents and won 291 technical awards.
blueprint, the latest manifestation of Swire Properties’ originality in concept and design, is a platform for tech collisions between startups and investors and influencers. Its vision is to align resources and promote entrepreneurship. blueprint provides a six-‐month accelerator program for 10 B2B tech startups. It offers these entrepreneurs a coworking space and multipurpose events venue within its Taikoo Place business hub. blueprint requires neither a fee nor equity from its startups in order for them to join its six-‐month program. As the
creator of a self-‐described “no-‐strings-‐attached accelerator,” Swire is banking on the fact that as B2B companies grow, they’ll need to rent space. And thanks to their proximity at Taikoo Place, Swire companies will
be more aware of the new technologies these startups are bringing to the industries around them.
actiMirror delivers data analytics and targeted media content for the retail, hospitality and real estate industries. It’s a smart mirror platform that uses RFID tagging, motion sensors and
facial recognition technology to tailor retail content to consumers based on their demographics. The actiMirror can also recognize objects using RFID tagging or barcode scanning. Retailers without an existing RFID logistics system in place can use actiMirror in totems placed throughout their stores to display personalized messages to shoppers for various purposes, such as promoting new collections.
Basic Information
Use Case Example
One use for the actiMirror smart mirror is the customized targeting of multiple consumers. For example, when walking into an elevator at a large corporation, employees can see videos with messages related to their particular demographic on the elevator’s actiMirror. When multiple employees of different ages, genders and ethnicities walk into the same elevator, actiMirror adjusts the message to be relevant to the most populous demographic.
Year Founded 2014
Key People Victor Ruiz (CEO)
Team Size 1–10
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors N/A
Client Base Retailers and Five-‐Star Hotels
Key Clients Alexander Mann
Applications Infotainment
Custom Content for Customers
Analyze Demographic Data
Monitor Customer Trends
Collect Information to Improve Supply Chain Planning and Management
Founded in 2014, Ta Solutions is a software design and platform-‐operating company that focuses on digitizing store
technologies and omnichannel solutions. The company’s mission is to provide flexible and easy-‐to-‐use omnichannel solutions for retail brands to integrate and enrich their existing channels and to create new channels for sales and marketing.
Ta Solutions offers a digital store solution that combines NFC and RFID hardware, and in-‐store self-‐service software applications. The company also provides an omnichannel SaaS integration cloud platform that enables retailers to integrate their multiple sales and marketing channels.
Basic Information
Year Founded 2014
Key People Arthur So
Team Size N/A
Location N/A
Funding N/A
Investors N/A Client Base N/A Key Clients N/A Applications System
Integration Self-‐Service Checkouts Omnichannel Capabilities Customer Data Integration Across All Sales Channels
Use Case Example
The company’s “Grab and Go” solution integrates security systems, payment devices, RFID and inventory systems to allow self-‐service at checkout. The “My Store Anywhere” solution helps retailers build up their omnichannel capabilities. It allows customers to browse products online and place click-‐and-‐collect orders through a store’s network. The “VIP 360” offering develops a complete view of customers by integrating customer data from all sales channels.
Glam-‐it is an international beauty and fashion brand with products available in multiple countries via its online store, its Hong Kong flagship store and retailers such as Harvey Nichols. The brand’s
mission is to develop products to help every girl be glamorous at every occasion. Glam-‐it was named one of Hong Kong Business magazine’s Top 20 Hottest Startups in 2014.
The company’s product, GlamPact, is an all-‐in-‐one, customizable, portable makeup compact that’s small in size and can fit easily into a handbag. GlamPact is designed with different refillable makeup modules and everyday makeup essentials. The kit is customizable and has a mirror that’s encircled with rechargeable LEDs, making it much more convenient for women who own a GlamPact to do their makeup anywhere.
Basic Information
Year Founded 2013
Key People
Jennifer Cheng (Founder/CEO)
Diana Li (Managing Director)
Natalie Ying (Creative Director)
Team Size 1–10
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors N/A
Client Base Direct to Consumer
Key Clients N/A
Applications
Customization of Makeup Kit
Provides Convenience for Women to Do Makeup Anywhere
Rechargeable LED for Applying Makeup in Dark Environments
Use Case Example
GlamPact is a small, light, all-‐in-‐one makeup compact that’s easy to carry and easy to use in environments that lack sufficient lighting, thanks to its rechargeable-‐LED mirror.
QBS System Limited is a leading IT consulting firm headquartered in Hong Kong that focuses on helping clients achieve a competitive edge. The company’s location-‐based solution (QBS LBS) helps customers locate products within physical stores. QBS solutions also help retailers
track shopper activities, shopping preferences and buying behavior. Marketers can make use of these data to organize advertising campaigns targeting their shopper base or specific audiences.
Basic Information
Year Founded 2011
Key People Ronald Heung (CEO)
Team Size 11–50
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors N/A
Client Base N/A
Key Clients
Siemens Toll Maxim’s AVID T2 Hewlett-‐Packard
Applications
Location-‐Based Services Tracks Shopper Activities and Shopping Preferences
Predictive Analytics on Customer Shopping and Buying Behavior
Targeted Advertising Campaigns
Use Case Example
Traditional marketing approaches such as hanging banners and distributing leaflets advertise to the general public instead of to specific customers. QBS LBS is an indoor-‐location-‐tracking solution that helps marketers deliver personalized advertising messages to shoppers. For example, the QBS LBS technology can be used to drive a specifically targeted group of shoppers to the furniture zone of a shopping mall through delivery of a promotional message: “Go to the furniture zone in 5 minutes to enjoy a 40% discount on furniture!”
AdvanPro is a high-‐tech company developing soft smart sensing technologies. Its soft fabric sensors are made of fibrous materials and polymeric elastomers. The sensors are washable and bendable so they have many potential applications for wearables. They can measure and monitor data such as amount of pressure exerted and level of strain. AdvanPro holds over 20 worldwide patents, and the technology can be embedded into apparel, shoe insoles and airline seats.
The AdvanPro sensors can further transmit data such as respiratory rate and heart rate, which can then be displayed on an app for health monitoring. The startup is working with several brands to develop sports apparel and shoes.
Basic Information
Year Founded 2010
Key People Aaron Wang (Managing Director) Team Size 1 – 10 Location Hong Kong Funding N/A Investors N/A Client Base N/A Key Clients N/A
Applications
Games/ Entertainment Sports Training Gait Analysis Diabetic foot monitor Recovery training Rehabilitation
Use Case Example
Patients suffering from diabetics may need to consistently monitor their health condition. AdvanPro’s product, the Respiration Monitoring Belt, can be incorporated into specially designed garments to help monitor the breathing and heart rate of wearers. The technology in the belt can also generate and display the electrocardiograph of the wearers in real time. Patients’ health then can be easily monitored by doctors or care-‐takers in real time.
ParkLU is a digital platform pioneering how brands can collaborate with China’s fashion and lifestyle influencers. The company’s platform automates the time-‐consuming, manual process of finding relevant digital influencers and collaborating with them to create meaningful social media content. Ranked #3 by Elle China in its list of new things to watch in fashion in China, ParkLU is dedicated to unlocking the potential of brands, bloggers and digital creatives through innovative web and mobile technology.
Basic Information
Year Founded N/A
Key People Kim Leitzes (CEO) Team Size 1 – 10 Location Hong Kong Funding N/A Investors N/A Client Base N/A Key Clients N/A
Applications Brand building Increase sales Distribute products
Use Case Example
Beauty bloggers have become an important channel for selling cosmetics and building brands. According to data software company Pixability, beauty-‐related videos have been viewed more than 14.9 billion times. And beauty-‐related content on YouTube gets more than 700 million views per month. Online influencers will continue to disrupt the traditional four P’s marketing model, and ParkLU will help brands adapt to such changes.
Sprooki’s system helps leading malls, retailers and brands engage and transact with shoppers in more effective, relevant and “mobile first” ways. The platform comprises a customizable smartphone application and software development kit, a cloud-‐based database and web-‐based campaign management tools. Malls and retailers are empowered to launch their own-‐branded smartphone applications and other digital channels quickly and cost-‐effectively, harnessing the latest in mobile retail technology, such as location-‐based marketing, m-‐commerce, vouchers, indoor positioning, CRM and other tools.
Basic information
Year founded 2011 Key people Michael Gethen (Co-‐Founder)
Claire Mula (MD/Co-‐Founder) Team size 1 – 10 Location Singapore Funding $480k / Seed
Oct 29, 2012 Investors Get2Volume
National Research Foundation Client base 70+ malls
4,000+ retail stores 1,000+ retail brands
Key clients AsiaMalls 313@Somerset Stores Specialists, Inc. Rustan’s Group of Companies Parkway Parade
Sending a discount coupon to a shopper who’s far away from the store can be irrelevant, as most shoppers won’t bother to go from one neighborhood to another just for a discount promotion. But sending one to a shopper who’s already nearby can often result in a sale.
Imagine you’re shopping downtown, and your mobile phone flashes you a message: “40% discount on Kelly bags! The store is just 100 meters away!” You might at least go there and have a look.
Omnistream offers a suite of products that bring personalized omnichannel marketing to retail, engaging consumers beyond the store. The company’s solutions empower front line staff to drive revenue by effectively communicating 1-‐to-‐1 with customers on mobile channels. technology allows customization of each push message, so that every customer feels more engaged. In addtition, Omnistream’s predictive engine helps retailers estimate customers’ next moves and personalize customer experiences across channels. Basic Information
Team size 11 – 50 Location Hong Kong Funding $28k / Seed Recent Investors Alchemist Accelerator
Client base N/A Key clients N/A
Applications Forecast consumer demand Enhance in-‐store and after-‐sale experience Social customer relationship management for brands
Use Case Example
Mismanaging inventory could be painful for retailers. Omnistream helps retailers work with their supply chain using big data to forecast sales for the upcoming year. It uses millions of transactions of gathered during the past three years to generate weekly sales forecasts. Retailers can use the forecast report to manage inventories more effectively, while mitigating the risk of running out of stock.
RetailNext is a leading company in retail analytics for physical retail. Its technology delivers comprehensive, real-‐time analytics that empower retailers, shopping centers, and manufacturers to collect, analyze, and visualize in-‐store data. The patented RetailNext technology instantly informs retailers about how shoppers engage with their stores, and the platform easily integrates with promotional calendars, staffing systems, and even weather services to calculate how internal and external factors impact customer shopping patterns. With the platform’s tools, retailers can identify opportunities for growth and implement strategies to increase store traffic and maximize profit per shopper.
Basic Information
Year founded 2007 Key people Alexei Agratchev (CEO/Co-‐founder)
Arun Nair (Co-‐founder) Marlie Liu (Co-‐founder)
Team size 101 -‐ 250 Location United States Funding $184.4M / 5 rounds Recent Investors Activant Capital
Qualcomm Ventures Pereg Ventures American Express Ventures Commerce Ventures Nokia Growth Partners StarVest Partners August Capital
Client base 100+ global retailers Key clients American Apparel
RetailNext provides a solution for counting the number of people in a store through the integration of physical and digital data sources from existing infrastructures, such as IP cameras, analog and WLAN. This and other data are then combined and analyzed to generate insights regarding staff optimization, shopper activity, display and window effectiveness, and more.
Retailers can use in-‐store data to precisely measure the effectiveness of window displays and in-‐store merchandising. RetailNext’s technology can measure how many people stop at every window display and how many pass by. It also allows retailers to capture demographic data on their shopper base, such as shoppers’ ages and genders. All of this information can help retailers identify the most suitable products to be displayed at different window spaces.
Image recognition and social media analytics on photos and videos
Description
Brand Pit combines image recognition and social media analytics to help brands discover information about their end consumers. By analyzing tens of thousands of photos in social media, Brand Pit’s technology can gather detailed information on how and where a product is consumed. Basic Information
Year Founded 2013
Key People TT Chu (Founder) Mayuko Yamaura
Team Size 1–10 Location Japan Funding N/A Investors N/A Client Base N/A
Key Clients Unilever Marketing Institute of Japan Ogilvy
Applications
Discover hidden fans, competitors and opinion leaders Discover popular and trending product photos Find out who, when and where photos showing products of your brand were posted online Identify which products are gaining traction Find the age group & gender that love your products Discover geolocation Convert your offline fans into your social media fans. Engage your fans by running UGC (user generated content) campaigns.
Use Case Example
Brand Pit can analyze the photos on social media to identify products and consumer demographics. When analyzed in bulk, photo and video content can lead to actionable insights about trends This can help brands discover which markets and age ranges should they focus on, and see how their customer profiles compare with those of their competitors.
Description Nimbus Insight is a market research and consultancy agency providing qualitative and quantitative research services such as focus group discussions online surveying. It adopts mobile technology to help understand consumer behavior, collect feedback and generate insights through a proprietary mobile-‐optimized survey platform -‐ "inMoment".
Basic Information
Year Founded 2013
Key People Vincent Ha (Co-‐Founder) Richard Cheung (Co-‐Founder / Chief Developer)
Team Size 1 – 10 Location Hong Kong Funding N/A Investors N/A Client Base N/A
Key Clients
KOSE Jill Stuart The Vela Hotel Beacon Group DFM fusion noodle Choi Fook Wedding Banquet Group Anovia
Applications
Help brand building Obtain consumer feedback Offer targeted discounts Consumer Research/ Customized Market Research
Use Case Example
Retailers want to collect feedback from customers in an efficient way while customers are reluctant to fill in opinion forms without any receiving benefits. Nimbus Insight utilizes its mobile platform to help. When customers are at a store, they can use Nimbus’ platform to fill out questionnaires on their mobile devices, receiving redeemable coupons in return. Feedback data is already digitized and efficient for retailers to analyze and act upon.
Description Cenique develops cost-‐effective, low-‐power, solid-‐state digital sign appliances by leveraging the Android platform and incorporating a presence-‐detection technology. The company’s anonymous video analytics solution, called IntelliSense Audience Measurement, uses a discreet webcam connected to the Cenique Android digital signage appliance, so that shopper impressions are parsed into nine key metrics, including age, gender and time of day. Clients have the option to automatically trigger digital signage content that’s based on the gender and age of shoppers.
CIG digital signage solutions include Android-‐based media players, IntelliSense Audience Measurement and custom-‐engineered end-‐to-‐end solutions.
Basic Information
Year Founded 2012
Key People Shylesh Karuvath (CEO)
Team Size 10-‐19
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors N/A
Client Base N/A
Key Clients N/A
Applications
Data analytics
Appliances for retail points-‐of-‐sale
Image and video recognition
Use Case Example
IntelliSense Analytics is the offline equivalent to the online world of Google Analytics providing marketers and store owners the metrics they need to optimize and rationalize static and digital signage deployments & investments. IntelliSense Analytics ensures the retailer is delivering relevant shopper messaging that stimulates buying behaviour.
Description Launchpilots is a university-‐campus-‐marketing platform that helps brands activate students by sponsoring influential student leaders and societies. Retailers can use Launchpilots to expand their sales channel and marketing reach to targeted campus customers aged 18 to 22. Since 2014, Launchpilots has built a database of over 10,000 student leaders on 300 campuses across Greater China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. It has launched more than 50 campaigns with the hottest brands, from adidas to Red Bull to Tencent to Airbnb, and has delivered over HK$1 million worth of sponsorships to student leaders and their societies. Basic Information
Year Founded
2012
Key People Hamilton Le (Managing Director)
Team Size 1-‐10
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors
Fresco Capital
SOSventures
Client Base N/A
Key Clients
350.org Nike China
MaD
Applications
Brand ambassadorship
Campus marketing
Use Case Example
Launchpilots organizes events such as thematical meetups for students and young professionals, for example, the company ran the entrepreneur meetup in Hong Kong for MaD engaging 400 students. Launchpolots also has the capability to run national campaigns in China. In organized 300 youth-‐led events in 20 provinces for 350.org.
Description Holumino specializes in interactive installation for retail display, interior design, architecture and entertainment exhibition. Its patented technology, Interactive Perspective, offers a natural, glasses-‐free 3-‐D experience. Sensors can keep track of a person’s position, and adjust the views of a screen to provide a 3-‐D experience. This could be widely used in gaming to provide a more authentic experience. Basic Information
Year Founded 2014
Key People
Nicole Or Tim Lo
Tom Tong
Team Size 1-‐10
Location Hong Kong
Funding N/A
Investors N/A
Client Base N/A
Key Clients N/A
Applications
Retail display Interior design Architecture Entertainment exhibition
Use Case Example
In real estate, Holumino will allow buyers to preview apartments remotely without having to visit the site of the property. The technology creates a virtual environment, in which the user can adjust settings such as light (day-‐vs-‐night), texture, color, and 3D dimensions. This will allow potential buyers to spend less time and effort doing on-‐site visit. It will also boost ther property owner’s ability to showcase real estate to a wider audience.
App Mocha is a creative web development and app design company. Services include website or mobile app redesign, graphic design, and video production, including 3D animation and micro-‐films. This company launches breakthroughs with creativity and quality to existing websites redesign, graphic designs, apps or videos making (3D animation, shooting, micro-‐films).
Basic Information
Year Founded N/A
Key People Knuckles (CTO) Evan (Project Manager)
Team Size 1-‐10 Location Hong Kong Funding N/A Investors N/A Client Base N/A Key Clients Wangyue
Applications
Build online stores for omnichannel selling Redesign websites Create graphic designs Build apps Make videos with 3D animation, shooting and micro-‐films
Use Case Example AppMocha would work with brands and businesses to build web and mobile solutions. The company has a track record of developing e-‐commerce websites (Wangyue, Golden Farm Development) and m-‐commerce tools (App Mocha E-‐store).
Bindo offers an intuitive cloud-‐based iPad point-‐of-‐sale (POS) system that integrates brick-‐and-‐mortar stores with their online sales channels and eCommerce presence. Bindo POS is built to support omnichannel commerce through connecting inventory, payment and customer relationship management (CRM) into one system. Bindo POS works with retailers of all sizes ranging from small mom-‐and-‐pop stores to enterprise businesses. Bindo is also developing Bindo Marketplace, a consumer-‐facing mobile app where users can shop from any online and offline store using Bindo POS. The startup has offices in New York and Hong Kong with over 1,000 merchants in the U.S. and over 100 merchants in Hong Kong.
Basic information
Year founded 2013 Key people Jason Ngan (Co-‐founder)
JoMing Au (Co-‐founder) Brad Lauster (Co-‐founder)
Team size 11 – 50 Location Hong Kong Funding $1.8M / Seed Investors Vayner/RSE
Metamorphic Ventures East Ventures Gary Vaynerchuk
Client base 1,000+ Merchants in US 100+ Merchants in HK
Bindo worked with Gramercy Wine Cellars (GWC) to transition the company from a PC-‐based POS to Bindo, which improved the reliability and speed of payment process. GWC mainly benefited from Bindo’s Simple Scan technology and seamless checkout. In addition, Bindo offered the company the ability to integrate with external systems such as Quickbooks, which improved the efficiency of its operation.
