Inspired by the tech start-up scene in Silicon Valley during their NUS Overseas College programme in 2006, two passionate students came together to spur the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Singapore.

This led to the formation of e27 in 2007 by co-founders Mohan Belani and Thaddeus Koh both from NUS Faculty of Engineering. The duo cut their teeth running entrepreneur-related activities at the NUS Enterprise Garag3 Incubator, and as the community grew, so did their business in tandem.

e27 is today a key player in Asia’s entrepreneurial scene, with a comprehensive platform for entrepreneurs to connect with a community of people – be it partners, investors, colleagues, mentors or customers – and build their business. The company focuses on providing start-ups with four crucial factors for success – information, talent, funding and customers. e27’s gamut of offerings range from its flagship series of Echelon events, to a digital marketplace including online services such as media, job opportunities, investor / company databases and business matching.

With 15 satellite events in Singapore and Asia, as well as a host of online channels, the challenge for e27 is to contextualise its offerings to suit the nuances of each local market, while at the same time continuing to seek innovative ways to reach a wider audience through digitisation.

“The entrepreneurial ecosystem is further nurtured when different players work together for its betterment. NUS Enterprise has been one such pivotal partner. In the same way, e27 will continue to focus on creating value for the community in Singapore and across Asia,” said e27 co-founder and CEO Mohan Belani.