Singapore’s JFDI Asia puts Southeast Asia accelerators on the map

Just quickly as I’m packing for a trip, but I had to share the newest stats from the new (one-year-old) [JFDI Asia](htt[://jfdi.asia) ‘Bootcamp’ – I’ve written a lot about them – which is now past $3 million in funding for its first batch.

Yet another of its originals – Tribhired – closed a seed round this week, and the impressive update below comes via JFDI Asia CEO Hugh Mason – I’m working on a more comprehensive piece for TNW:

Tl;dr: Seven of the 11 graduates have raised seed-stage funding, four are dead. Total investment stands at SG$3.9 million (US$3.1 million).

JFDI.Asia 2012 Startup Portfolio - status at 24 MAR 2013

Kark Mobile Education - B2C tablet game platform using collectible QR cards to make 4–12 year old children masters of a simulated world.
$15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $50k from Ideosource closed. Intends to raise further funding after full product launch.

FamilyKo - B2C multi-platform app that allows families separated by business to bond and grow together. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - trading and investment partnership agreed with an undisclosed major corporation

Fetch Fans - B2B web service that gives brand franchises with local businesses control and analytics as they use social media to maximise impact for all their franchisees. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $720k investment by Angel syndicate led by Lawrence Seah and Yeo Choon closed.

Flocations - B2C web travel service that visualizes nearby destinations on an interactive map, so leisure travellers can browse by budget and book their next getaway in minutes, not hours. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $700k investment led by TNF Ventures and supported by SingTel Innov8 / Ben Ball closed.

Remember - B2C mobile app is the family Time Capsule in your pocket that makes it simple to capture and relive memories on your smartphone.
$15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. DEADPOOL - Founders closed business due to insufficient market traction.

ShopSpot - B2C mobile app that makes buying and selling items as easy as sending a tweet. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $50k investment by Thai Angel syndicate closed. $779k investment led by Jungle Ventures and supported by SingTel
Innov8 closed

Stubb - B2B document sharing service for the masses that connects your printer to the cloud. Anything you can print, you can publish online.
$15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. DEADPOOL - Following inconclusive discussions with investors the business ceased trading.

Tradegecko - B2B web-based service providing supply chain management for independent brands and their retailers.
$15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $811k round led by Wavemaker Labs, supported by business angels, closed.

Trafflers - B2C web service that makes it fun to discover and plan vacations with friends, thereby increasing the frequency and size of group travel bookings online. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. DEADPOOL - Following inconclusive discussions with investors the business has refocused on activity in Europe.

TribeHired - Social recruitment platform for fast-growing start-ups that puts friends to work. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. ACTIVE - $696k round led by TNF Ventures and supported by angels Ben Chew and Ben Ball closed.

Wildby - B2C fun talking encyclopedia on your iPhone that 5 to 12 year olds can enjoy without needing any literacy skills. $15k investment by JFDI.2012 Pte Ltd closed. DEADPOOL - Founders pursuing other ideas.

Summarizing the situation:

To date, JFDI.Asia has taken 11 teams of entrepreneurs from idea to investment in 100 days, with greater than 60% success raising follow-on funding. This compares favourably with the 14% success rate reported for other Singapore programs. A further 9 are now in the pipeline, with 10-15 more expected to follow later in 2013.

Successful JFDI.Asia teams raise a median S$650,000 per team, exceeding that achieved by more established international peers.

Independent valuations prove that JFDI.Asia increases the value of startups passing through its program by 4-5X in 100 days [3]

CEOs of JFDI.Asia funded teams project that they will create at least 33 new jobs in Singapore by end 2013, ie an average 8 per funded team [4]

This is more proof of why Southeast Asia is attracting interest from the US, Japan and elsewhere.

[Now the regular disclaimer: Yes, there are a different set of challenges here and the startup ecosystem is still being built out, and at different levels in various markets across the region.]