TECH PLANTER(en)

Judges from 2020 Season coming soon. Below are the judges from 2019

• Dr. Yukihiro MaruFounder and Group CEO, Leave a Nest Group

  profile

  Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. is a leading knowledge based platform company in Japan. The company is comprised of Masters and Doctorate degree holders. Leave a Nest works on extensive projects relating to Science and Technology. Dr. Maru has great experience in supporting startups. One of the startups he was supporting called euglena Co., Ltd. was listed in the First section of Tokyo Stock exchange. Heʼs expert in advising young entrepreneur in business development and venture spirit.

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  Mr. Masahito YanoProject Manager of New Business Development Division, Mitsui Chemicals Singapore R&D Centre, Pte. Ltd.

  profile

  Mr. Yano had served as a project coordinator to Japanese S&T funding agency for 7 years in Singapore and joined Mitsui Chemicals in 2017. Currently he is working at Singapore’s R&D Centre to explore new business opportunities based on R&D in Asia Pacific Region. One of his current challenges is to transform the R&D centre to an innovation engine.

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  Mr. Sophian Abdul RahmanCo-Founder and CEO Delightex Pte Ltd.

  profile

  Mr. Sophian Abdul Rahman is the CEO and co-founder of Delightex Pte Ltd, a research and business development firm that seeks out innovative ways of capturing Delightful Moments. Before heading up Delightex, Sophian had served as the Director of Strategic Planning, Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions at SGX-listed Cordlife Group Limited, as well as the CEO of its Bursa Malaysia-listed subsidiary Stemlife Berhad. His other experiences include a myriad number of roles in Singapore’s CapitaLand Group and Singapore Government’s Ministry of Trade & Industry agencies. Sophian graduated with a Master of Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College, London.

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  Mr. Shojiro KobashiPresident & Chief Executive Officer, Kobashi Industries Co., Ltd.

  profile

  Appointed as president of Kobashi Industries Co., Ltd. In 2016. Since its establishment in 1910 as a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, the company has been working to solve agricultural issues and increase food production, promoting mechanization of agriculture. Based on knowledge and technology that has been cultivated for many years, the company aims to support Startups and innovations to solve global issues. Under the philosophy of "Update the Earth," company aims to help building a sustainable society by exploring the infinite possibilities of not only "Land"; but also "Skies" and "Seas".

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  Mr. Kazuhiro ObaraOfficial Columnist, Forbes Japan

  profile

  Kazuhiro Obara dotted emoji in 1st mobile platform, i-mode in Japan and pursue emotional internet platforms in Google, viber, McKinsey. Lives on Bali and works remotely for JP national AI research center and startups. His book on IT principles is the best-seller at Kindle. Kazuhiro also contributes to creative communities in Japan, being a speaker curation director in Slash Asia, partnership director in Unreasonable Japan, sr. advisor in Burning man Japan, Google-side director TED@Tokyo audition

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  Dr. Tatsuhiro NomaguchiResearcher & Global Business Department, Metabologenomics, Inc.

  profile

  Metabologenomics, Inc. is a science-based company in Japan focusing on gut microbiota and metabolites present in human gut. They are developing fundamental technology for evaluating gut environment, and its application to healthcare. Dr. Nomaguchi spent his high school days in the United Kingdom, and then obtained the Ph.D. in Science from Waseda University, Japan. Due to his experience, he is in charge for global business development as well as R&D in Metabologenomics, Inc.

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  Dr. Mohd. Nor Azmi Bin AliasSenior Vice President, Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science & Technology (CReST)

  profile

  CReST is a catalyst for collaboration between industry, academia and government in identifying industry needs and gaps, ideation of new concept, implementing solutions to the problems, and promote awareness on career in the E&E sector. Dr Nor Azmi obtained his BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, specializing in the field of corrosion science and technology. He has more than 15 years industrial electrochemical R&D experience applications, in semiconductor and telecommunication packaging, product electronic design chemicals, and components technology. He believes in identifying passionate, capable highly potential talent and nurture to be technology leaders in their chosen field.

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  Mr. Imran Ariff Bin IbrahimVice President, CEO's Office, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC)

  profile

  MTDC, subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, was established in 1992 to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies and promote innovation-based economic growth. MTDC is primarily focused on implementation, specifically the creation, evolution, and operation of funds and services designed to encourage and support high-tech entrepreneurship within Malaysia. While implementation is its primary focus, MTDC also works with Malaysian Ministries and other government agencies to help create policies and programs to support innovation and entrepreneurship within Malaysia.

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  Mr. Noor Azmi Mat SaidChief Executive Officer, SME Corporation Malaysia

  profile

  Azmi Said is the Chief Executive Officer of SME Corporation Malaysia. He had initiated several business start-ups and involved with multiple scale of Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in Product Development, Business Scale-Up, Manufacturing Set-Up, Operation Model, Business Model, Financial Model, Business Turnaround, Fund Structuring/Raising and Venture Capital operation. With over 25 years of experiences, Azmi had dealt with various size of organizations and undertaken various challenging tasks from strategic policy making to implementation plan and following execution dynamic especially in innovation ecosystem, regional development, project aggregation and business turnaround/growth.

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  Dr. Harcharan SinghSenior Vice President, Business Division, Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation

  profile

  Dr. Harcharan Singh currently holds the position as the Senior Vice President (SVP) for the Business Division. His main responsibility is to provide business support for the development of biotechnology businesses in Malaysia. Dr. Harcharan joined the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. in 2009 and has experience in local/foreign investments involved in using biotechnology for the production of bio-based products and facilitating the growth of agriculture and industrial biotech companies. He even managed the commercialisation of 4 core bio-based platform technologies acquired by the former Biotech Corp.

Finalists from 2019 Season

• Abmanan Biomedical Sdn. Bhd.

  Exploiting the medicinal value of Haruan Channa striatus, a fresh water indigenous fish to Malaysia. Cream containing Haruan Manan serves as an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is specific to treating chronic-inflammation eczema.

• Polynus@INBIOSIS

  Isolation of a new compound from tropical herb plant with promising properties as anti-cancer and anti-HIV.

• INSHA

  The existing enzymes in market are doubtful in terms of the material (halal) used in the production and the technology is quite costly. This team produced Microbial Halal Enzymes (amylase) from agri-waste (banana peel) for various industries application.

• A&M Food

  Noodle made from all natural ingredients: carrot, rice, amaranth, and pitaya. Using all natural ingredients, no preservatives, high in fibre, gluten free and has stable shelf life.

• Eco-Tech

  Extraction of low-density eco-SiC (silicon carbide) from waste rice husks for the development of eco-SiC-Aluminium matrix composite material. These material is eco-friendly with lighter properties for the production of motorbike disc brake.

• DRV Team

  Low cost materials (PDMS, Sylgard, Ethanol) and simple synthesis process that can be applied on large glass scale and cure at room temperature. It has high transparency strong hydrophobic coating, effective self-cleaning as well as anti-fog properties.

• EMaS

  An electrochemical DNA biosensor based on immobilized ZnO Nanowires for the rapid detection of sequence specific for the Breast Cancer 1 (BRCA1) gene.

• Synbion Sdn. Bhd

  Using A.I case-based reasoning for chemical profiling and development of library of smell. This device is able to mimicking the function of human nose and measure the authenticity of a perfumery source like an Agarwood.

• Paverlog

  Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)-Paver block from the combination of LDPE plastic bag and oil palm refinery residue that has promising strength, low water absorption and capable to reduce the heavy metal released to the environment.

• Life Origin

  Sustainably production of black soldier fly larvae insect protein with 100% indoor controlled and contained farming system. Vertical farming with modular set-up and equipped with system using IoT.

• Eco-Friendly Glove

  Development a new biodegradable Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) that has the ability to maintain its mechanical, thermal and swelling properties with the introduction of green and highly crystalline nanocellulose.

• ThinKers

  PhotoAct thin film is made of hydrophilic polymer which enhances the adsorption of pollutants on photocatalyst for effective degradation. PhotoAct thin films can be transformed in unsupported fibers to increase the contact between water and catalyst.