Francis Choo (Ingram Micro)
V-Key, a software-based digital security offering used by banks, governments and payment gateways, has been honoured as the winner of the Singapore Comet Competition spearheaded by Ingram Micro.
The Singapore-based independent software vendor (ISV) - which will receive US$100,000 in go-to-market funding and a chance to win US$1 million in cash at the global finals next year - secures logins, payments and personal data, having first launched to the market in 2011.
“V-Key is doing an amazing job with their revolutionary solution that is already trusted by many leading banks and government institutions around the region and beyond,” said Francis Choo, vice president and country chief executive of ASEAN and Hong Kong at Ingram Micro. “We are looking forward to seeing and supporting their continued growth in the years to come.
“Thank you again to all the participants in the Comet Competition, congratulations to all the semi-finalists and winners. We look forward to continuing to help technology start-ups in ASEAN and Hong Kong to go-to-market and grow their businesses.”
The three runners-up - Arcstone, DataMesh and Taiger - will each receive US$50,000 in go-to-market funding.
Arcstone built a solution that helps to advance manufacturing in Industry 4.0 by providing the tracking and metrics needed to gain improved "visibility, control and optimisation" of operations.
Meanwhile, DataMesh is utilising the power of augmented reality (AR) to overhaul how skilled front-line workers are trained for complex roles, while Taiger is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to change the way data is processed, allowing businesses to reduce costs, optimise processing and drive growth.
“We were very excited to learn more about each of the solutions, it was amazing to see all the cutting edge technologies like AI, AR, blockchain, and more, being used to create applications that meet customer needs,” Choo added.
“While each of these companies were impressive in their own right, we had to go ahead with the tough call to determine the winners of the competition. I’d like to extend my complements to each of the runners up, all of these solutions are truly innovative, and each are meeting important needs. I have no doubt you all will be very successful.”
Launched in July, the awards program is designed to recruit leading ISVs and start-ups into the distributor’s channel ecosystem, with the aim of finding business-to-business software innovators whose products have “clear applications and potential implementations in the channel”.
Through simultaneous global competitions spanning five continents, the Comet Competition will award “significant funding” to 15 ISVs.
Specific to ASEAN and Hong Kong, 15 ISVs made the shortlist, including Arcstone; Babbobox; BlueMeg; Chainstack.com and DataMesh, in addition to Gluh; GridMarkets; Konigle; Matrix Centric Solutions and Peoplewave. Rounding off the list is Plattar; PowerArena; Taiger; V-Key and Willowmore.
The local finalists were selected from 129 applicants, spanning technologies such as data management, email, the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, mobile applications, cyber security, telecommunications and blockchain.
