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About Myself

Name: Lance Lim Ji Ren
SMU email: lance.Lim.2020@scis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanceljr/
Academic Year: Year 3 (2020)
Degree: BSc Information Systems (Digitalisation & Cloud Solutions), 2nd Major in Digital Business

Why TSM?

What motivates you to join TSM?

I am excited to join TSM as it provides an excellent opportunity to enhance my knowledge and experience in the field of entrepreneurship. I have always been fascinated by how businesses are able to capitalise on innovation and technology to create novel value and find meaningful problems to address. I actually had the opportunity to kickstart my entrepreneurial journey and started a company together with 2 of my peers. We founded Tee Ink Lab, an apparel company that provides an e-commerce platform for people to design and sell apparel without being involved in the hassle of manufacturing and distribution. In recognition of our efforts, I was awarded an entrepreneurial award by Singapore Polytechnic. My keen interest in the application of technology to businesses led me to pursue a degree in information Systems at SMU. During my undergraduate studies, I was able to work in various startups as a software engineer.During my recent internship at TryLah Labs, I was able to gain first hand experience working in a startup environment which further sparked my interest in technopreneurship.

I particularly excited to visit Japan as it is a unique and innovative country that has a rich culture of entrepreneurship and technology. It is home to some of the world's most successful and innovative companies, including Toyota, Sony, and Honda, among others. By joining the TSM program, I hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of the startup lifecycle, industry trends, and essential skills needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. In addition, TSM offers a unique chance to interact with like-minded individuals who are passionate about entrepreneurship, learn from their diverse perspectives and experiences, and broaden my network in this field.

Through this experience, I hope to develop my skills and knowledge to contribute to the growth and success of the vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial landscape in Singapore and beyond.

Where would you like to visit?

Rakuten: Rakuten is a Japanese electronic commerce and online retailing company. The company operates one of the largest e-commerce sites in Japan and provides a wide range of services, including Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel, and Rakuten Card. Rakuten has also made significant investments in fintech, such as Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities, and acquired a number of global companies such as Ebates, Viber, and OverDrive.
Nintendo: Nintendo is one of the world's largest video game companies by revenue and has produced some of the most iconic and recognizable games and consoles in the industry, such as Mario, Zelda, and the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has also been innovative in its business strategy, such as with the introduction of the Nintendo Switch, which expanded the market for gaming beyond traditional gamers.
SushiSwap: SushiSwap is a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. It is an automated market maker (AMM) that uses a system of liquidity pools instead of a traditional order book to facilitate trades. SushiSwap gained popularity due to its unique governance model and incentivization program that rewards liquidity providers with SUSHI tokens.
Holoeyes: Holoeyes is a virtual reality (VR) medical imaging software company that uses VR technology to help medical professionals to better understand and visualize medical images, such as CT and MRI scans. The company's platform allows for doctors and other medical professionals to view scans in 3D, which provides a more in-depth and detailed view of the scans, leading to more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. What makes Holoeyes unique is that they are using VR technology to solve a real-world problem in the medical industry, which has the potential to revolutionize the field.

Starting a Business

What types of business interest you?

There are two sectors that I find particularly exciting: Fintech and VR.
In the fintech space, there is tremendous potential for startups to disrupt traditional financial services and create more accessible and efficient solutions for consumers and businesses. With the rise of blockchain technology and decentralized finance (DeFi), we are seeing a new wave of innovation in areas such as payments, lending, and investing. I am interested in exploring how startups can leverage these technologies to create new business models and unlock value for users.
On the other hand, VR is a rapidly evolving industry that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us. From gaming and entertainment to education and training, there are countless applications for this technology. I am particularly interested in exploring how startups can leverage VR to create immersive experiences that enhance learning, creativity, and collaboration.

What plans do you have in starting a business?

While I have no immediate plans to start a business, I am deeply interested in the virtual reality (VR) industry. I believe that VR has enormous potential for innovation and creating new experiences for users, and I hope to be a part of that. Having take IS462: Virtual Reality for Business (SMU-X), I was able to gain first hand experience in ideating, developing and pitching a VR application to tackle a real business problem. I strongly believe that there are various untapped opportunities for startups to innovate in this space as VR solutions can offer more than just entertainment, and can be applied to a wide range of industries.

Past Experiences (optional)

Internships:

• Emtec Solutions - Role: Backend Support Years May '22 - Aug '22

CCA:

• SMU MLCC Rentak - Role: Head of Logistics Years Jan '21 - Jan '22

CSP:

• Project XingFu - Role: Head of Programmes Years April '21 - Jan '22