KASIKORNBANK\u00a0(KBank)\u00a0is determined to promote Thai startups to realize their dreams and successfully reach their business goals.\u00a0In its collaborative effort with The Stanford Thailand Research Consortium which is entering its third year\u00a0to collaboratively support research at Stanford University on topics that have the potential to contribute to Thailand\u2019s future success and prosperity which included the\u00a0Technology and Innovative Entrepreneurship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bank has unveiled\u00a0the KATALYST STARTUP LAUNCHPAD 2022 program to equip participants with\u00a0a\u00a0\u2018recipe for success\u2019\u00a0for world-class startups during a nine-week intensive course, available free of charge.\u00a0After completing the course, participants will be awarded a diploma, allowing them to further forge alliances with partners both in Thailand and other countries.\u00a0They are also invited to pitch their ideas in a competition in order to win prize money plus solutions for accelerating their business growth\u00a0\u2013\u00a0three prizes with a combined value\u00a0of 800,000 Baht are up for grabs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interested persons are invited to apply for the program, which focuses on startups in FinTech, HealthTech, TravelTech, EdTech and GreenTech.<\/strong>\u00a0This program reinforces KBank\u2019s intention to develop Thai startups in order to advance the Thai economy while fostering sustainability in the society and the nation, alike.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kattiya Indaravijaya, KBank Chief Executive Officer<\/strong>, said,\u00a0\u201cKBank is always determined to develop Thai startups that will last with strong growth and a solid foundation to comprehensively meet the business sector\u2019s needs.\u00a0Our efforts aim to advance the Thai economy and foster sustainability for the society and the nation.\u00a0KBank has provided support to Thai startup companies across all dimensions, including funding support via Beacon Venture Capital and\u00a0provision of knowledge and effective tools to enable their business growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n To this end, the KATALYST program was initiated to arrange activities promoting the startup community on a continual basis, especially through knowledge-sharing sessions, business collaboration, advisory service and solutions to enhance startup capability and efficiency.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\u00a0KATALYST\u00a0STARTUP LAUNCHPAD 2022 program is one of the activities that KBank has offered to startups in collaboration with\u00a0Stanford University researchers, Professor Charles (Chuck) Eesley\u00a0\u00a0to help design the program as part of the research initiative under the topic of\u00a0Technology and Innovative Entrepreneurship, and also transfer its know-how for growing a successful business at an international level to startups in Thailand so that they can build their own business infrastructure and apply such knowledge in a concrete manner.\u00a0The program\u00a0\u2013\u00a0now entering its third year sponsored by KBank.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kattiya added,\u00a0\u201cFor its third year, the\u00a0KATALYST\u00a0STARTUP LAUNCHPAD 2022\u00a0<\/strong>program will be organized under the\u00a0\u2018Jumpstart your ideas through entrepreneurial mindset\u2019\u00a0concept, with the aim of steering startups and their business ideas towards sustainability via a nine-week intensive course.\u00a0Applications are open from now until July 31, 2022, and the program will run from August 23 to October 24, 2022.\u00a0Participants will receive knowledge directly from Stanford University.\u00a0Additionally, they will have an opportunity to learn with lecturers from Stanford University.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, KBank has joined with various partners in allowing program participants to seek advice from mentors in a diverse range of industries at home and abroad, such as the Digital Economy Promotion Agency\u00a0(DEPA)\u00a0and Microsoft Thailand Co., Ltd., as well as specialists from\u00a0KASIKORN Business-Technology Group\u00a0(KBTG), executives from Beacon VC and personnel from Stanford University\u2019s networks.\u00a0This aims to help Thai startups and their teams unleash their full potential.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\u00a0KATALYST\u00a0STARTUP LAUNCHPAD 2022 program will offer comprehensive knowledge that helps improve the potential of startups, ranging from ways to come up with great business ideas, to customer needs analysis, development of competitive potential, branding, product development, traits of successful entrepreneurs, marketing, financial management, business planning, and presentation skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, during the final week of the program, any startup teams with outstanding performance will be selected to present their work to a panel of judges.\u00a0The winning teams will receive prize money plus solutions for growing their business\u00a0\u2013\u00a0three prizes are up for grabs with a combined value\u00a0of\u00a0800,000\u00a0Baht\u00a0\u2013\u00a0as well as an opportunity for\u00a0business collaboration with KBank, including product development to meet consumer needs in the digital age.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The participants who meet all of the program criteria will receive a certificate from KATALYST by KBank and Stanford online.\u00a0This also\u00a0provides a great opportunity for business network expansion with several leading domestic and international companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kattiya\u00a0said in closing that KATALYST\u00a0STARTUP LAUNCHPAD 2022 is a program that KBank is proud of,\u00a0which supports Thai startups in applying their knowledge and skills to operate and expand their business to achieve success.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The participants will learn and practice all of the steps with hands-on support from specialized mentors in sharing knowledge and tactics including technology, design and business, so as to enhance their potential and ensure that\u00a0the participating\u00a0entrepreneurs can\u00a0make use of the\u00a0course effectively.\u00a0In the past two years, 52 teams of Thai startups have completed the course, and many of them have been able to practically apply the knowledge they gained in accelerating their business growth and success.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, KBank mainly aims to support\u00a0tech startups in FinTech, HealthTech, TravelTech, EdTech and GreenTech, in preparation for the comprehensive growth of these business sectors in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n