SINGAPORE, 1 October 2017 – Startup Weekend Singapore (SWSG) Mega 2017, organised by Startup Weekend in partnership with GIC, concluded on 1 October. Over 54 hours, 250 participants came together at NUS University Town, delivered over 100 initial pitches, formed 36 teams around the top ideas and built their ideas with guidance from close to 40 mentors. On 1 October, the final day, the top 12 teams pitched to a panel of experienced judges. The teams were evaluated on their business model, execution and validation. A GIC Prize was also awarded to the idea with the greatest imagination, feasibility and disruptive potential.
A total of five winners were announced.
| Winning Team | Prizes (Per Team Member) | |
| 1st Prize | Kecap A localised travel chatbot |
|
| 2nd Prize | MediWhere A telemedicine solution for the elderly |
|
| 3rd Prize | Keep A self-storage solution that connects storage keeper and storage provider |
|
| GIC Prize | Kecap A localised travel chatbot |
|
| Most Creative Prize | Photonify An AI-powered photography assistant |
|
Member of Parliament Teo Ser Luck delivered opening remarks before judging. His advice to the participants – “Every single idea is a good idea. The key is how you cross that gap between having an idea and making it commercially viable.” He added, “At
the end of the day, the whole entrepreneurial journey is an asset on your balance sheet. You get stronger and learn from it. There are no liabilities.”
Abhilash Murthy, Team Leader of Kecap, said, “Winning both the 1st Prize and GIC Prize at SWSG Mega is the best form of validation for us. We believe we now have credibility to reach out to investors, develop contacts and grow our project.”
Lim Chow Kiat, Chief Executive Officer of GIC, delivered the closing address. He said, “As a Singapore institution, GIC is inspired by the spirit of courage and enterprise exhibited over the last 54 hours.”
