Mr Chua: Progeniq is targetting new compute-intensive industries.

Progeniq (www.progeniq.com) is a leader in reconfigurable computing applications for accelerators in hybrid computing, with its BioBoost line of products for the life sciences industry already adopted by institutes worldwide. Today, the company is leveraging the Boost Platform to introduce reconfigurable computing into new compute-intensive industries, increasing the efficiency of computing systems, boosting performance and slashing costs.

Earlier this year, Progeniq set up a presence in the United States, using the incubator facility at the Infocomm Development Authority's US office. Mr Chua Teck Hiong, Vice President of Business Development, talks about the company's expansion plans.

Why did you venture into the US market and how did you do it?
Singapore is a very small market for Progeniq, so we targeted global clients from Day 1. Our first venture into the US market was to exhibit our products in Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco in 2006. Subsequently, we had trial clients, clients, partners, and resellers working with us from the US.

We started working with IDA's US office on our trips in 2006 and 2007. IDA US understood the needs of Progeniq as an early stage company which needed to expand to US. In 2007 we started fundraising and IDA's incubator was our choice as a platform for expanding into the US market.

Tell us about your US operations.
We make use of the incubator facilities at IDA's office in Redwood City for sales, marketing and investor relations. Currently, we have a headcount of one at the US facility, and our vice president and chief executive officer shuttles regularly between Singapore and the US.

How different is the US from Singapore and other markets that you have ventured into?
There are many business development opportunities and interest generated in the US is of a bigger scale, compared to Singapore. The culture embraces technological changes and innovation which suits Progeniq, and that is something that is less apparent in Singapore.

What are some of the major achievements of your US office to date?
We have been there for about three months, and the US office has been helpful in supporting our thrust into a new acceleration market in partnership with a top technology company in the US.

What are some of the key learning points that you can share with other aspiring Singapore infocomm companies?
Think and go global from Day 1.