VENTURING TO ASIA- TEN STRATEGIES FOR CASHING IN ON THE ASIAN INNOVATON BOOM

Find out where the new innovation hot spots are, what the next consumer waves will be, and where to catch them


Asia's innovation hot spots are fast emerging as first-choice destinations for bright, young entrepreneurs. From Taiwan to Singapore, technology center hubs are forming to rival the original Silicon Valley. Startup Asia gives you a close-up view into the key growth trends shaping entrepreneurship in China and India, plus the new frontier market of Vietnam.


Showing how entrepreneurs and investors can start up in Asia and go global, the book provides a first-hand, on-the-ground tour of the new technology centers that are gaining momentum all over Asia. Interviews with the most successful venture capitalists and entrepreneurs reveal their winning strategies and show how a new generation of entrepreneurs in China and India are no longer looking to the West for their cues—but are instead crafting their own local business models and success strategies.

* Shows entrepreneurs and investors how they can pursue their dreams of launching successful start-ups in Asia
* Reveals that many of the same venture investors that first funded young businesses in Silicon Valley moved into China, then India, and are now finding their way to Vietnam
* Addresses the risks of doing business in Asia's developing markets, including lack of intellectual property protection, political and regulatory shifts, bribery, and corruption



From high-profile Forbes contributor Rebecca Fannin, Startup Asia is the essential guide for anyone looking to trek into this new frontier.

Rebecca A. Fannin is the author of Silicon Dragon (McGraw-Hill, 2008), a contributor to Forbes, and a consultant and public speaker. Her news and events group, Silicon Asia, www.siliconasiainvest.com, publishes e-newsletters and research, and develops conferences in tech hotspots. Since 1992, she has been reporting on innovation, technology and emerging economies. A former international editor at Red Herring, the Pulitzer-owned International Business, AdAge and the Asian Venture Capital Journal, Rebecca has also contributed to Inc., Worth, Fast Company, Chief Executive, The Deal, and Harvard Business Review and has appeared as a commentator on Fox Business News, Sky TV and CCTV. She has lectured at several universities, including Yale, Columbia and Harvard and her speaking engagements include the Asia Society, World Affairs Council, Overseas Press Club, the Foreign Correspondents Club, World Affairs Forum, the Northwest China Council, Vancouver Trade Club and Harvard Club. Rebecca has also consulted for KPMG, Econsultancy and Sony Ericsson among others and has testified as an expert witness on China’s Internet before a U.S.-China Trade Commission in Washington D.C. Originally from Lancaster, Ohio, Rebecca resides in New York City and San Francisco. She enjoys frequent reporting trips to China, India and other emerging markets.

Foreword by Kai-Fu Lee xv


Introduction 1


PART I ASIA'S HOTSPOTS OF INNOVATION 9


Chapter 1 China's Next Generation Tech Stars 11


Chapter 2 India Emerges to Narrow the Gap 47


Chapter 3 Vietnam: The Next Frontier 77


PART II ROAD MAP TO HOT SECTORS 101


Chapter 4 Catch the Mobile Boom 103


Chapter 5 Get In on the Cleantech Boom 115


Chapter 6 Ride the Consumer Wave 131


Chapter 7 Create a Niche in a Proven Sector: Outsourcing 143


PART III TOOLBOX FOR SUCCESS STRATEGIES 151


Chapter 8 Tap into Government Incubators 153


Chapter 9 Become the Next Twitter, LinkedIn, or Groupon for Asia 167


Chapter 10 Originate a Breakthrough Discovery 179


Chapter 11 Take Your Startup Public on the NYSE or NASDAQ 189


Chapter 12 Go Global from Asia 203


Afterword 213


Acknowledgments 215


Notes 219


About the Author 229


Index 231