SAP.iO Foundry Singapore and SAP Partner HCL Technologies introduced a new immersive startup program centered on the Intelligent Enterprise.
SAP recognizes that firms’ long-term success relies on their agility in the face of today’s complex market conditions. In order to stay competitive in a disruptive and fast-changing business environment, organizations need to reinvent their operations to develop highly automated business processes. This involves using cutting-edge technologies, such as those provided by SAP, to convert inflexible, siloed practices into dynamic, data-driven processes.
As the German tech giant’s strategic business unit, SAP.iO aims to accelerate and scale startup innovation, and foster employee initiatives to create new collaborations and solutions for the company. Innovators from across the globe as well as every functional area of business are convened at SAP.iO to establish a new paradigm for the intelligent enterprise. With SAP.iO’s support, more than 450 independent startups and internal projects have seen rapid development since 2017, and numerous SAP clients have gained access to innovation as a result.
Last year, SAP.iO Foundry Singapore and SAP SuccessFactors formed an accelerator program focused on HR technologies and innovative workplace solutions. Six software startups from all over the world were chosen to participate in a digital 13-week course by a panel of SAP specialists and SAP partners. Meanwhile, six business-to-business (B2B) firms were also part of SAP.iO Foundry Singapore’s Fall 2020 program cohort, backing SAP clients’ investments in SAP Concur solutions for travel and expense management.
Once again this year, SAP.iO Foundry Singapore has introduced a startup program in collaboration with SAP Partner HCL Technologies. Five international startups have been chosen by a panel of SAP and HCL Technologies experts to participate in a virtual startup program centered on the Intelligent Enterprise strategy. In the domains of Industry 4.0, the metaverse, and sustainability, the startups are developing ground-breaking solutions for organizations from a wide range of industries.
SAP Asia Pacific and Japan President Paul Marriott said that many of the world’s most progressive nations are located in Asia. He added that the region is a hub for startup innovation due to the presence of a large and rising young talent pool as well as the major investments SAP is witnessing pouring into the region.
Commenting on the recently announced partnership between SAP.iO Foundry Singapore and HCL Technologies, the SAP APJ President remarked:
“Through this collaboration with HCLTech, we are bringing together the right technology, support, and insight to further accelerate startup innovation and introduce game-changing solutions – especially in the areas most essential in building future-readiness – to more of our customers, more quickly.”
Partnering with HCL to Expedite the Intelligent Enterprise Vision
HCL Technologies has been SAP’s worldwide strategic partner for almost two decades. The Noida, India-based IT company engages with the German tech giant on innovative technologies like SAP Leonardo, Blockchain, and SAP S4/HANA as an SAP service and license resale partner. Furthermore, HCL Technologies’ goal is to aid businesses in a broad variety of sectors in their transition to intelligent enterprises by providing them with a team of consultants across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and APJ.
Together with HCL Technologies’ SAP Ecosystem Unit and eSTiPTM, its flagship open innovation platform and initiative, SAP.iO Foundry Singapore’s 13-week program provides companies with customized mentorship from SAP and HCLTech professionals. It also provides access to SAP’s APIs and technologies, as well as the opportunity to work with SAP and HCL Technologies’ global clientele.
The program now includes the following startups:
- Singapore-based H3 Dynamics provides drone services for business condition monitoring, security, and safety by combining machine learning (ML), remote telerobotics, and off-grid technologies.
- South Korean company DeepBrain AI is an industry leader in digital customer service and a crucial link between businesses and their clients.
- By empowering constant, real-time surveillance with artificial intelligence-powered video analytics, Singapore-headquartered Invigilo improves the culture of safety in the workplace.
- WeavAir, which has offices in Canada, Singapore, and South Korea, helps businesses track their carbon footprint by monitoring the energy used by their buildings and vehicles.
- Route optimization, electronic proof of delivery, quick alerts, and real-time work progress tracking are just some of the ways in which Versafleet automates 21st-century supply chains.
Kalyan Kumar, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Ecosystems at HCL Technologies, shared in a statement:
“HCLTech is a catalyst for change, and our commitment to innovation only strengthens with this program that we are driving in collaboration with SAP.iO. We jointly aspire for accelerated growth for our customers, leveraging niche and meaningful innovations. We are keen to establish our thought leadership in the areas of sustainability and Industry 4.0, and this collaboration is a step towards that.”
