It all started with managing and attending a host of events during their NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) internship in Stockholm. Through running hackathons and taking part in business plan competitions around Europe, Faculty of Engineering graduates Tan Kuan Yan and Chinab Chugh, along with Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences alumnus Errol Lim, identified a key problem faced by many during events – the lack of organised networking.
Upon returning home, they wasted no time in establishing their start- up, Jublia, with the aim of providing effective networking software and solutions for conferences, exhibitions and other events. The three good friends also stayed at NOC’s entrepreneurial-themed residence ENterprise House (N-House) on campus, where regular interactions with the entrepreneurial community offered them valuable perspectives in honing their product.
Jublia was further boosted by incubation support from NUS Enterprise, which also included funding of $10,000 from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practicum Grant as well as $50,000 from the ACE Start-Ups Grant. After clinching a top prize at the IGNITE Business Plan Competition 2012 held in Brunei, the company launched its first product, Jublia MATCH, a platform that connects event delegates based on their networking needs and also schedules speed meetings effortlessly.
With its flagship product proving to be a success, Jublia’s networking platform is being used by multinational events companies such as Messe Dusseldorf Asia, Reed Exhibitions and UBM for various major events held around the world in cities like London, New York and Kuala Lumpur.
The team has also expanded its suite of services to include event analytics and ROI measurement. With their efforts bagging them the Silver Award at the recent SiTF Awards 2014, Jublia is poised to hit new heights as the company continues to build a dynamic networking ecosystem for the global market.