Blk71

Block 71, commonly known as "Blk71", is a factory building located in Singapore's Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate located at 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent or one-north. The Economist referred to Blk71 as the heart of Singapore's technology start-up ecosystem^[1] and the world's most tightly packed entrepreneurial ecosystem.^[2] Blk71 has built up a strong innovation and entrepreneurship community, where entrepreneurs, investors, developers and mentors within the interactive digital media space are within close proximity to each other. Blk71 is home to more than 100 start-ups, venture capital firms and tech incubators.^[3] It is also located near other technology hubs within Singapore, including the Fusionopolis, Biopolis and National University of Singapore (NUS).

History

The Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate was built in the 1970s^[4] by the Jurong Town Corporation, as a series of flatted factories for manufacturing-based activities. A few blocks within this industrial estate, including Blk71, were initially planned for demolition.^[5] However, in 2011, NUS Enterprise, the Media Development Authority and SingTel Innov8 collaborated to turn Blk71 into a start-up hub, by setting up a strategic incubation programme at Blk71, known as Plug-In@Blk71. The intention was to pull together the interactive digital media/ info-communications start-up cluster, which was previously dispersed around Singapore, to one common location, for increased synergy and economies of scale. With this development, Blk71 rapidly transformed from an old, deserted industrial estate into a thriving start-up hub.^[6]

Early 2015, Infocomm Investment, the investment arm of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore inaugurated the extension of Blk71 to neighboring Blk79^[7] (dubbed BASH for Build Amazing Startups Here), which is also a refurbished industrial estate. A third and last unit, Blk73, designed for smaller startups, is being built up and should open in 2015.

Plug-In@Blk71

Plug-In@Blk71 is an incubation programme that provides start-ups in the interactive digital media space access to resources needed to effectively develop and market their solutions. It is set up by NUS Enterprise, the Media Development Authority and SingTel Innov8.

Managed by NUS Enterprise, Plug-In@Blk71 provides a common platform for entrepreneurs and stakeholders to meet, connect and accelerate the growth of ideas and start-ups. Since 2011, a strong start-up community has been established at Plug-In@Blk71, where people regularly share contacts, ideas and success stories, which has allowed the start-up scene to grow rapidly. Start-ups are given 24-hour access to Plug-In@Blk71.

Located on level 2 of Blk71, Plug-In@Blk71 provides hot-desking space for entrepreneurs to work on their ideas. There are some 30^[8] entrepreneurs/ start-ups/ business ideas located at the hot-desking space each month, which typically stay there for several weeks up to a few months. Plug-In@Blk71 has shared resources, including meeting rooms, a large seminar room, free internet access, pantry supplies and office equipment.

Regular entrepreneurial events are organised at Plug-In@Blk71 for the entrepreneurial community. There are approximately 3-5 events organised each week,^[9] including mentoring sessions, business clinics, VC pitching sessions, industrial sharing seminars and networking events.

Start-ups

The companies based at Blk71 are typically technology start-ups. The majority of them are within the interactive digital media space, including Stream Media, which develops a mobile in-app payment platform, travelmob, which provides an online market place for vacation rentals across Asia, Daylight Studios, a mobile game developer and Appknox, a mobile security company. However, there are also a few hardware tech companies, such as Zimplistic, which is developing the world’s first automatic roti-maker and T.Ware, which is developing a wearable technology that provides deep pressure to calm autistic children.

Incubators, Accelerators and Investors

There are approximately 30 organisations located at Blk71 that provide a range of funding and in-kind support, including angel investment, seed funding, series A, B and beyond. These include NUS Enterprise (which manages Plug-In@Blk71 as well as has additional incubation space on levels 1 and 3), and JFDI.Asia.

References

1. Chng, Grace (January 7, 2014). "Heart of Singapore’s start-up ecosystem". Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. The Straits Times. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
2. "All together now What entrepreneurial ecosystems need to flourish". The Economist. January 18, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
3. Chng, Grace (January 7, 2014). "Heart of Singapore’s start-up ecosystem". The Straits Times (Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co.). Retrieved January 7, 2014.
4. "More JTC flatted factories" (microfilm reel). The Straits Times (Lee Kong Chian Reference Library - On shelf: Singapore Press Holdings). 29 March 1975. p. 6.
5. Fang, Shihan (November 12, 2012). "A tale of two buildings: The rise of Block 71 and the decline of block 67". Tech In Asia. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
6. Hardy, Quentin (November 4, 2013). "Bits - Business, Innovation, Technology, Society SEARCH In Singapore, Building Businesses for the Next Billion". The New York Times (New York edition with the headline: From Singapore, Technology for All.). p. B7. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
7. "IIPL Opens Singapore’s Biggest All-in-one Startup Facility BASH To Build Amazing Startups Here".
8. "Blk71-Apply for Hotdesk".
9. "Plug-In@Blk71 Events".

Coordinates: 1°17′48.36″N 103°47′12.24″E / 1.2967667°N 103.7867333°E