Mr Carlos Garcia: More opportunities to trial and use startup technologies will definitely be a key factor in attracting innovative startups to set up a presence here. |
Computer industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Carlos Garcia has set up a number of international ventures focused on wireless data communications, advertising, entertainment and security. In 2007, he founded Human Network Labs, which provides technology innovations to integrate digital information within the physical space.
Mr Garcia currently serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company, whose patent-pending PixieEngine platform uses Radio Frequency technology to interact with other such devices to enable the precise positioning of surrounding objects and people.
Human Network Labs has an office in Singapore which was set up with a local partner Ms Goh Yiping. In an email interview with iN.SG, Mr Garcia shares his perspectives on innovation in Singapore as well as technologies that excite him.
What led to the founding of Human Network Labs (HNL)?
Human Network Labs (HNL) seeks to fill an information gap which exists in our everyday life. Each of us has associated ourselves with pertinent information via social networks, all of which are searchable online. Yet, when we meet people in the real world, we experience a complete information blackout about them. HNL sets out to build a technology which can integrate information within our physical space.
How do you differentiate yourself in the market?
HNL provides a patent-pending technology that is able to localise people and objects around them, each layered with information. Through the platform PixieEngine, users can locate and communicate with other people and access social information. For example, they can “click” on an artifact or painting right in front of them in a museum, or watch movie trailers from a poster - without utilising their mobile phone internet service. The important difference compared to current methods is that the technology works indoors, with a high level of accuracy, and without infrastructure or the need for a service provider.
What were the key factors that attracted you to set up an office in Singapore?
Singapore is an ideal location as a core technical centre for innovative technologies. Unique to Singapore is the ability to provide a city/state ecosystem within a stable and well-educated society. This allows for technical and market assumptions to be tested and piloted before achieving mass market deployments. In addition, Singapore's blend of Western and Asian cultures allows innovations to be expanded into other parts of Asia Pacific and towards the global market.
In recent years, the Singapore Government’s belief in creating a more startup-friendly environment and release of R&D funding avenues have also been important pull factors as there are now more opportunities for startups to get project funding and participate in joint public and private projects. More opportunities to trial and use startup technologies will definitely be a key factor in attracting innovative startups to set up a presence here.
What were some of the challenges encountered in the process of setting up the company in Singapore and how did you address them?
The process of establishing new offices internationally is usually always met with the challenges of finding the right team; cross country, cross cultural communications; and justification for setting up in that particular country.
The key experience to share is that in order to set up a company overseas, find the right team or that one key person first. After all, it’s always about the people.
HNL’s Singapore office was set up with co-founder, Ms Goh Yiping , whom I have worked with since 2003. She has also been actively involved with HNL since the beginning. Because of our mutual familiarity with the US, Singapore and Asian cultural landscape, there wasn’t an issue related to cross-cultural understanding and communications. This allowed us to move fast and stay focused.
During the early part of 2008, when we first started talking to the market, it was clear to us that there is a huge market need as companies and governments alike were willing to commit to projects with us. In fact, there was such a strong demand in Asia for our technology that setting up a core technical centre and commercialisation office in Singapore was a natural decision.
What keeps you going as a “serial entrepreneur”?
Entrepreneurship gives us the ability to bring new innovations to the market and make a difference to other people’s lives. Sometimes these innovations provide substantially better solutions to existing products while others so influential with ecosystem effect, create new markets which allow many to establish their own solutions and in turn create more companies. The area which I personally enjoy the most is the ability to develop tools which empower people to achieve their own success.
What technology excites you the most right now?
Technology is moving at an amazing speed. We will witness the increasing magnitude of convergence of technologies brought into our daily lives. My interest lies in technologies which allow us to seamlessly access information in our physical world and do so in simple and intuitive ways.