TECH PLANTER(en)

Below are the Judges from 2021 Season

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  Dr Kihoko TokueManaging Director, Leave a Nest Singapore Pte Ltd.

  profile

  Dr Tokue is the Managing Director of Leave a Nest Singapore and Founder of Leave a Nest Malaysia. She was born in Tokyo but raised in Southeast Asia, studied bachelor degree in America and then moved to Australia for Master and PhD degree carrying out field work. Currently she is creating platform in ASEAN to nurture the next generation innovators, startups involving business development partners from industry. Her dream is to one day bring changes to the world with advancement of science and technology with true understanding and appreciation for nature.

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  Mr. Yoshikazu UeharaManaging Director, Mitsui Chemicals Singapore R&D Centre, Pte. Ltd.

  profile

  Mitsui Chemicals Inc. is one of the diversified companies in Japan and providing wide variety of chemicals and polymers globally. It will help build a better future society across five business domains, Mobility, Health Care, Food & Packaging, Next Generation Businesses and Basic Materials. Mr Uehara is in charge of new business development from Asia Pacific. He is looking for new business opportunities making best use of open innovation in connection with Mitsui Chemicals' proprietary technologies.

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  Mr. Akitaka Wilhelm FujiiPresident, Real Tech Holdings, Inc.

  profile

  As President of Real Tech Holdings, Mr. Fujii drives the company’s mission to solve societal and environmental challenges through innovative deep-tech technologies. The company has four venture capital funds under management, with one specifically focusing on South East Asia. Prior to joining Real Tech Holdings, Mr Fujii worked for EIT Climate-KIC, EU’s largest organization fostering climate innovation. He was involved in setting up several business units, led a company-wide change management program focusing on people management and managed the company’s effort to assess its climate impact. Mr. Fujii holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Tokyo.

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  Mr. Yuji NiwaAssistant Manager at Business innovation & DX Strategy Div., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

  profile

  Joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 2011. He started his career in sales and marketing of energy management solutions in Japan. After that, he was engaged in the establishment of smart metering systems for utility companies in Southeast Asia and Europe and completed projects with strategic partners. He has been in the current position since April 2021 and leading open innovation at Mitsubishi Electric.

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  Mr. Norio AsaharaRegional Research & Development Director, Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.

  profile

  Glico manufactures not only confectionery and ice cream, but also a wide range of food categories such as beverages, dairy products, processed foods and baby milk powder. Mr. ASAHARA is the director of research and development in Glico Asia Pacific. He is looking for new research partners as well as technical support, investment and opportunities for various collaboration such as buying of new ingredients. He is responsible for new business in Asia Pacific.

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  Dr. Walissara Jirapongpairoj Senior Researcher, Central Research Institute, Maruha Nichiro Corporation

  profile

  Dr. Walissara Jirapongpairoj has experience in the field of marine life sciences for a decade. She was assigned as a senior researcher at the Central Research Institute Maruha Nichiro Corporation. Her current research focuses on sustainable management and development of fisheries resources including fish disease monitoring and countermeasures. The company’s business spans across fishing and fish farming, trading and distribution, meat products and food processing. Maruha Nichiro strongly supports startups having new technology and ideas so that they can implement its science and technology in society.

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  Dr Jirut WattoomStrategic and portfolio manager, Innovation and Technology, Chemicals Business, SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd.

  profile

  Dr Jirut is leading deep technology strategy development for an emerging business unit. His unit combines the expertise of strategy, technology scouting, and venture builder to create new business. Additionally, he is also a partner of Sprint Accelerator Thailand, which is an accelerator that specializes focus in science and engineering-based startups. Over the past four years, Sprint accelerator Thailand has supported more than 50 teams of early-stage startups.

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  Dr. Tortrakul WattanavorakijkulActing CEO Innospace (Thailand). Co., Ltd

  profile

  He is currently working as an acting CEO of InnoSpace (Thailand) which is a private company. The company works in a strong collaboration with government and academic partners to fulfil national aspirations to become a technology-driven country by supporting a startup that develops localised deep technologies to offer innovations and solutions. He has more than ten years of experience in energy technology and sustainable development from work and education.

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  Ms. Pitcharee KeeratithakulInnovation developer, National Innovation Agency

  profile

  Graduated from Stanford University with Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Engineering, Ms. Pitcharee Keeratithakul has been working as Innovation developer of National Innovation Agency (Public Organization) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Thailand for 5 years. She has been undertaking a facilitating role in international collaborative innovation projects including biochemical industries, alternative energy from agricultural waste, automation in manufacturing industries in Thailand and supporting the promotion of startup business in Thailand in collaboration with international agency and organization by building of startup ecosystem and support mechanism.

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  Ms. Tonghathai KuvanontManaging Partner and Co-founder, Aimspire Co., Ltd

  profile

  Khun Tonghathai is a Managing Partner and Co-founder of Aimspire, deep tech enthusiast venture building company. With 25 years of management experience in various industries at Fortune 500 companies – Healthcare, FMCG, Food, Retail, and Consumer Durable, Khun Tonghathai is passionate about her mission to be a “Catalyst for growth” for a game changing deep tech startups. Aimspire has been working with government agencies and big corporates on their growth journey to discover, collaborate, and invest in deep tech startups. The key sectors of interests are Agriculture, Food, Healthcare, and Clean Energy.

Below are the Finalists for 2021 Season

• More Foods Innotech

  Healthy plant based proteins without excessive sodium and fat

• ReNew

  Nanoparticles based tech that is easy to adapt in current factories & environmentally friendly

• GPJ Biotechnology

  Development of a drink that contains calcium extracted from the tuna bones that helps to prevent osteoporosis

• Benchaarokaya

  Thai traditional medications to help improve quality of life of the patients at a lower cost

• Rehab Happy walk

  Created a user friendly device to be placed above ankle to aid in walking using motion analysis, laser, iOT and AI.

• JustSigns

  A platform that can automatically generate sign language animations from the transcript in Thai language

• LUMOS

  A novel way to detect the pesticides using an easy-to-handle detection kit

• Algaeba

  Image recognition AI to allow monitoring of shrimp/fish growth as well as quantifying any aquaculture

• Artificial Anything

  Developed a hand held device that is able to detect the type of contaminants