SAP.iO, an innovation arm of the world-renowned enterprise software company, has created a global network of foundries. These foundries are diligently working to cultivate startups, providing them with indispensable resources, expertise, and mentorship. These are critical in transforming innovative concepts into market-ready solutions.

The SAP.iO initiative is a strategic cornerstone in SAP’s agenda to broaden its ecosystem by harnessing the potential of promising startups, stimulating innovation, and driving digital transformation across various sectors.

Charting a Course for Sustainable Energy at SAP.iO Foundry

At the precipice of an energy revolution, the world is making concerted efforts to battle climate change and lay the groundwork for a sustainable future. This environmental endeavor calls for a profound transition from our dependence on fossil fuels to embracing net-zero carbon sources.

Amid this landscape, SAP.iO Foundry’s recent program is a beacon of hope. Over the next five months, it will work intimately with selected startups to cultivate enduring partnerships. These collaborations will strive to explore unique use cases, delve into product integration possibilities, and unearth diverse business development opportunities. Moreover, SAP’s clients will have an integral role in this innovative journey, assessing and implementing potential proof-of-concept opportunities.

The Chosen Eight: A Closer Look

The SAP.iO Foundry Shanghai program welcomes an exciting array of startups:

Firstly, Blue Tax stands at the forefront of optimizing governmental and corporate collaborations. The startup is revolutionizing the relationship between government departments, such as the tax bureau, and corporate human resources. By simplifying corporate tax calculation and social security issues, Blue Tax aims to increase collaboration efficiency by an astounding 80 times.

Secondly, we have Carbongram, a startup setting the pace in carbon management. They are striving to create a reliable, auditable carbon accounting infrastructure. This pioneering venture aims to help customers control their own carbon emissions and manage those of their suppliers effectively.

Then there’s Fei Liu Tech, which is applying the prowess of AI to transform the fashion supply chain. The startup offers comprehensive digital solutions that encompass smart manufacturing, supply chain collaboration, and intelligent marketing, thus revolutionizing the fashion industry.

Focusing on new energy resources is Inkelink, a startup dedicated to catalyzing the digital evolution of the energy sector. They’re working tirelessly to develop a digital smart factory solution and the Inkelink Industrial Internet platform, promising a more efficient future.

Matterhorn is championing the cause of Industry 4.0. With a variety of innovative solutions like workshop-level cyber-physical systems, intelligent data collection, machine-vision-equipped robots, and smart assembly, they aim to revolutionize traditional industries.

Next in the cohort, MHP is creating a stir in the automotive and related manufacturing industries. The startup is developing a host of digital and innovative solutions, embracing technological advancements to drive growth and sustainability.

O-tech is transforming the face of trade compliance. As a one-stop destination for trade compliance and customs consultancy services, the company also offers foreign trade management system development and operation, ensuring a streamlined trade environment.

Last but not least, Skyco2.com is paving the way in carbon emission management. Providing monitoring, reporting, and verification services for carbon emission data and carbon asset operation management, they cater to a range of sectors, from industrial to transportation and construction.

As the global energy sector undergoes a transformative revolution, initiatives such as the SAP.iO Foundry Shanghai program mark a significant stride towards a sustainable future. Through nurturing startups aimed at driving this new era of sustainable energy, SAP continues to stand as a pioneer in tech-driven, eco-friendly innovation.

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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.”

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For years now, SAP has been leveraging the latest digital technologies and innovations to identify and measure the key drivers of the company’s carbon footprint. SAP’s data centers globally, such as the one that opened in Korea last April, practice energy efficiency and electricity procurement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, this year also the launch of the company’s Chasing Zero movement, which is centered on harnessing technology to build a world with “zero emissions, zero waste, and zero inequality.”

In support of these initiatives and to adapt to emerging sustainability requirements in the industry, SAP.iO — the German enterprise software giant’s strategic business unit — collaborates with startups around the world to realise its goal of assisting customers in better understanding their carbon footprints and material flows, as well as in promoting diversity and inclusion efforts. Reflecting on this objective, Alexa Gorman, Senior Vice President and Global Head of SAP.iO Foundries and SAP.iO Intrapreneurship at SAP, explained in a blog:

“In working with SAP customers and SAP.iO startups, we’ve seen that the desire to impact this matter coupled with the innovative technology needed to turn the tide, but it must be looked at as a journey instead of a destination. Industries and companies are at different stages of maturity, with requirements in other areas across teams. The challenge is how to make sustainability profitable.”

Moreover, six international tech companies have been selected to take part in SAP.iO’s latest sustainability startup program this month where they could utilise next-generation solutions to help organisations in APJ achieve their goals in different areas. These objectives include maintaining socially responsible supply chains, tackling climate action, and moving towards a circular economy.

Commenting on the new virtual program for startups in the region, SAP APJ President Paul Marriott shared:

“Achieving our sustainability goals will require all of us to work together at pace, as our planet’s time is running out. Initiatives such as this SAP.iO Foundry program are critical in identifying, enabling, and promoting innovative solutions that can change how our customers’ business is run, and ultimately the impact we have on the world.”

Advancing Startup Innovation with the Latest SAP Sustainability Program

The following startups will be able to benefit from exposure to SAP technology and application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as curated mentorship from SAP executives. In addition, they can also take advantage of opportunities to work closely with SAP customers in APJ over the next 13 weeks.

• Ambee. The Bengaluru-based environment intelligence firm uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to monitor air quality, soil, micro weather, pollen, and other factors to help people breathe clean air. Furthermore, its goal is to collect real-time data on hyperlocal air quality and make it available to developers, consumers, health researchers, and media organisations.
• CarbonClick. Established in Auckland, CarbonClick is a carbon offsetting organisation that has worked with over 760 businesses to date. It is an online marketplace for carbon credits that enables customers to buy accredited carbon offsets, as well as track and minimise their carbon impact.
• givvable. A data-driven technology platform that assists organisations in understanding, sourcing, and measuring the impact of sustainable and social expenditure. The Sydney-based startup maps suppliers’ sustainability credentials, attributes, and initiatives to widely-used international reporting frameworks, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Resync. The Singapore-headquartered company delivers intelligent energy management solutions leveraging artificial intelligence for smart buildings and systems that use a variety of renewable energy sources.
• UnaBiz. Founded in 2016, it specialises in sensor product design, manufacturing, and cloud platform services, including the Internet of Things (IoT). The company, which has offices in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan, uses low-bandwidth wireless network technologies to solve energy consumption and building management issues utilising smart IoT devices.
• WePower. Headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Tallinn, WePower is a green energy financing and trading platform based on blockchain. It links corporate energy buyers and retailers with green energy generators to help them buy green energy that is produced locally at competitive prices and with full transparency.

“This program not only helps start-ups accelerate their growth, but it is also one of the quickest ways to bring the latest innovation to thousands of our customers globally,” Marriott further emphasised.

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