Starting Up Chiang Mai
On February 29, 2020, Draper Startup House (DSH) launched its very first event in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The event was an invite-only Ecosystem Builder’s Luncheon for individuals, connecting the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem builders of the city.
DSH hosted a casual networking lunch for attendees, with the goal of enabling stakeholders to connect and share information on current and upcoming initiatives aimed at strengthening the local ecosystem. Attendees were also invited to share their 2020 vision and goals.
The Chiang Mai Startup Ecosystem Players
Representing the public sector at the event was the Digital Economic Promotion Agency (DEPA), National Innovation Agency (NIA), and Chiangmai&co. Companies in attendance included Punspace, Artisan Digital, and Iglu. Chiang Mai University was represented by individuals from the College of Arts, Media and Technology (CAMT), the Faculty of Engineering, and the Science and Technology Park (STeP).
Key themes which emerged from the discussion were:
- The difficulty of integrating the Thai and international founder and developer communities
- The need to collect data and share responsibilities in maintaining databases and directories related to startups, and
- The lack of venture funding that is widely recognized as the main reason local startups choose to leave the city and incorporate somewhere else.
A Vision for DSH in Chiang Mai
Sharing her vision for Draper Startup House’s role in the Chiang Mai startup ecosystem, Thailand Country Manager, Lily Bruns, discussed the three initiatives she is developing:
- Opening a Draper Startup House in Chiang Mai by the end of Q2
- Bringing venture funding to Chiang Mai
- Designing and piloting the SMART Startup Bootcamp in cooperation with depa, NIA, and STeP.
Draper Startup House will launch our first Thailand location in 2020, providing hospitality, mentorship, funding and more for entrepreneurs and creatives. We will also be sharing more information about upcoming opportunities and how you can be a part of it.
This was the first of many such luncheons to come. A growing number of influential parties are working for the betterment of Chiang Mai’s future and it is our hope that DSH can play a major role in bringing these stakeholders from the different industries together to share resources, support through work, and advance common agendas.
