BEAM Connect

BEAM is a Singapore-based technology company that runs services to connect people within the startup / business ecosystem in South East Asia and Japan. It was founded by serial entrepreneurs Kenneth Ho, Wallace Ho, and Benjamin Tan, who are Malaysian citizens.

The name 'BEAM' is an acronym for "Bridging Entrepreneurs And Movers", which was coined to signify the focus of the initiative, which was to empower more entrepreneurs. The company focuses on connecting people via their mobile chat application, online portal (website), and large scale regular events. A large population of the users are entrepreneurs, investors, journalists, developers, designers, and people within the startup ecosystem. Most of the users come from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Japan.

BEAM initially began as an event to connect entrepreneurs (startup founders) with each other to foster warm connections and business collaborations. The first ever event was conducted in December 2015 in Malaysia. As the events gained more popularity within the local startup communities, the founders then launched the BEAM Connect mobile chat application to create a more seamless communication medium for attendees after the event. The BEAM mobile application is a free service available on both iOS and Android.

The company has since raised a round of seed funding to scale and build a startup ecosystem throughout South East Asia, led by TinkBig Ventures, a Malaysian-based venture capital firm.