Agora x 5Y Capital | Taking Off at Supersonic Speed, Exploring More Possibilities

In April, the Spring 2023 Supersonic Program wrapped up its in-person modules, with stops across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Hangzhou. The curriculum spanned core topics from tech entrepreneurship and product innovation to business modeling, discovering new scenarios, and brand and company culture — covering many of the pain points early-stage startups face.

The Supersonic Program has always stuck to its ethos: Startup for Startup, Peer Learning in Playing. The April journey included not just coursework and exhibitions, but also visits to ecosystem partners and fellow Supersonic alumni. Here's a look back at a packed and eventful April.

Shanghai: The "Vitality" Elements of Entrepreneurship

Since the very first Supersonic cohort, Zhao Bin, founder and CEO of Agora, has shared his insights on RTE trends and Agora's entrepreneurial lessons, tailored to the industry's current trajectory. "With AIGC booming right now, take game development — which emphasizes real-time interaction, engagement, and experience. AIGC's cost optimization in content production is revolutionary," Zhao said during his session.

Innovation is the engine of entrepreneurship, but bridging the gap between product and user needs — or public understanding — is the chasm every innovation must cross to land. Eric, head of Agora's pan-entertainment products, shared methods for product innovation and achieving PMF, and exchanged ideas with participants on AGI's development and applications.

The business model canvas is already a well-known tool, but the traditional version doesn't quite fit internet companies' pain points. Dr. Yang Hui, head of Agora's ecosystem operations center, led a hands-on workshop. Starting from the theory of the business model canvas, she used a "one-question + metrics decomposition tool" approach, walking participants from a fictional startup idea through to a completed canvas.

From social and pan-entertainment to e-commerce, healthcare, finance, and the metaverse — the boundaries of real-time interaction keep expanding. Li Peijian, a solutions architect at Agora, shared how new scenarios move from exploration to real-world implementation, bringing fresh experiences and user value.

Shenzhen: Staying True to the Original Vision, Setting Sail

On April 8, the in-person module made its first stop in Shenzhen. Liu Kai, partner at 5Y Capital and co-initiator of the Supersonic Program, shared his journey from job-seeking to becoming an investor. Along with Austin, Agora's strategic investment manager, he discussed views on AI's current development and offered founders advice on innovation and growth from an investor's perspective.

Amid the going-global wave, how do you pick your first market? How do you navigate local policies, culture, and operations? Niu Lei, VP at XNode, had answers. Using Singapore as an example, he introduced the local tech innovation ecosystem, offering a practical guide for participants with overseas expansion plans.

Early-stage companies often overlook equity structure and incentive plans. Scott, founder and CEO of Liangu (ChainStock), approached this from the startup perspective, using case studies to explain design principles and allocation strategies for startup equity — leveraging ownership to help companies ride the waves.

In going global, security and compliance are non-negotiable. Jason, chief compliance officer at Amazon, drew on years of experience and on-the-ground cases to share observations and practices on overseas compliance. He explained the essence of security compliance and the core considerations, giving companies a more solid foundation for international expansion.

Hong Kong: Innovation Through an International Lens

For innovation and entrepreneurship, having an international perspective and understanding global tech trends is crucial. The Supersonic Program partnered with ecosystem collaborator B4B Challenge to bring Supersonic alumni to Hong Kong's InnoEX International Innovation Expo, showcasing real-time interaction innovations to a global audience.

During the expo, Supersonic visited the Hong Kong office of ecosystem partner Oracle. Tony, director of Oracle's alliance and channel division, and Li Zhenye, founder and director of B4B Challenge, introduced Hong Kong's industry environment and landing policies.

Shanghai: Building the Ecosystem

Working backwards is a signature innovation mechanism in Amazon's culture. Back in Shanghai, Supersonic participants broke into groups for a workshop led by Amazon digital innovation expert Xu Tao, experiencing and learning this method hands-on.

Short-video platforms like Douyin dominate many people's leisure time. How should companies build their own brands? Is a corporate self-media matrix mandatory? Jacob, founder of Leap, kicked off with a few short videos and delivered a relaxed session on branding for startups.

Hangzhou: Practice Is the Best Teacher

The last week of April took the Supersonic Program to Hangzhou.

Old friends Rokid, headquartered in Hangzhou's Dream Town, welcomed the group. Under the guidance of Gary, Rokid's ecosystem lead, participants got hands-on with Rokid's glasses products and solutions. Founder Misa drew on Rokid's own growth story to discuss the questions early-stage founders care about most.

The final stop of April's in-person programming was the Hangzhou headquarters of Mindverse, a Spring 2023 Supersonic Program participant. The Mindverse team demonstrated MindOS, their latest product for rapid virtual-mind learning and development, through two case studies.

The Strongest RTE Startup Ecosystem Is Open for You

The Spring 2023 Supersonic Program is nearing its close. The June internal demo day will determine the spring cohort's winning team, who will go on to compete in October against the Fall 2023 winner and outstanding overseas RTE entrepreneurs for the top three spots in the annual RTE Innovation Competition!

The Supersonic Program accepts applications on a rolling basis year-round. Entrepreneurs interested in joining this fall's cohort and competing in the RTE Innovation Competition can apply now!

This fall's program will place greater emphasis on AIGC innovations and explorations in RTE (real-time interaction) scenarios, social and pan-entertainment, IoT smart hardware, and novel approaches or overseas expansion in existing scenarios — though the above aren't exhaustive. All real-time interaction entrepreneurs are welcome to join the Supersonic family!

5Y Capital seeks out, supports, and inspires lonely entrepreneurs, providing support from the spiritual to the operational. We believe that if the world starts believing in the crazy you that others see, things will get interesting.

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