Agora x 5Y Capital, "Supersonic Program" 2022 Fall Cohort Now Open for Applications

Co-hosted by Agora and 5Y Capital, the Supersonic Program, an entrepreneurship camp focused on Real-Time Engagement (RTE), is now open for applications for its Fall 2022 cohort!

As a next-generation foundational capability, real-time engagement is gradually permeating every industry. As key drivers behind this trend, 5Y Capital and Agora have been working to advance and expand the RTE ecosystem. Discovering more innovative companies and making the industry more prosperous is our shared goal.

The curriculum portion of the Spring 2022 Supersonic Program has now concluded. Let's hear what this cohort's participants had to say:

Affected by the pandemic, all core curriculum modules of the Spring 2022 cohort were conducted online. Under these circumstances, what highlights of the Supersonic Program earned such positive feedback from participants?

Global Perspective, No-Nonsense Content Tailored to Founders' Needs

The Spring 2022 curriculum covered product go-to-market, industry practice, entrepreneurial growth, pitching, and team building — a full range of pain points for founders. Not only did frontline RTE experts share practical insights on product and technology direction, but overseas experts also joined for in-depth discussions on entrepreneurship environment and focus areas, broadening participants' global perspective.

Agora founder and CEO Tony Zhao delivered the opening session, looking ahead to the future of the metaverse with participants; Rokid founder Misa explored the development of WebXR; and David Riemer, professor at Berkeley Haas School of Business, renowned Silicon Valley startup mentor, and Amazon bestselling author, also visited the Supersonic Program to share the essence of how to tell a compelling startup story.

Berkeley Haas professor David Riemer's session on "How to Tell a Great Startup Story"

Notably, amid the recurring pandemic waves of 2022, the Supersonic Program specially invited Patrick Lee, co-founder and former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes — the world's most popular film review site — to focus on startup survival and growth. By examining how early-stage startups survive during crises and how founders manage through them, they explored how to survive the "danger" and seize the "opportunity" to grow, bringing participants the most current enterprise management experience from the front lines.

Rotten Tomatoes co-founder and former CEO Patrick Lee on how startups can break through and establish themselves in crisis

Supersonic S22 participants attending virtual class together, exploring new scenarios in the RTE space

Business Model Canvas workshop: participants broke into small groups in virtual classrooms, using interactive whiteboards to brainstorm and apply the canvas framework

Quality Over Quantity, Depth Over Breadth

Since the inaugural Supersonic Program co-hosted by Agora and 5Y Capital launched in 2021, we have remained focused on the RTE sector, selecting only around twenty startups each cohort. Whether curriculum or resource support, everything is customized and refined specifically for RTE. Our "Buddy" support team — drawn from frontline RTE experts — covers R&D, algorithms, architecture, product, VC, community, and branding. We always aim to give participants professional strength from RTE, not just a pile of resources.

Virtual classroom: using customer/user perception exercises to discover new scenarios

From jointly exploring innovative scenarios and tackling technical challenges, to fundraising coaching, pitch deck revisions, and even team recruiting — whatever participants need, the Supersonic Program's Doraemon pocket is always open.

According to incomplete statistics, during the Spring 2022 cohort, the Supersonic Program provided participants with 86 opportunities for fundraising coaching, one-on-one exchanges, and business connection matchmaking.

During the Spring 2022 program period, four participating companies completed funding rounds. Excellence attracts excellence — we believe that with the Supersonic Program and the entire ecosystem behind them, all Supersonic entrepreneurs can grow at supersonic speed on their journey and realize their real-time engagement dreams.

Startup for Startup

Peer Learning in Playing

Beyond participants' business ventures, the Supersonic Program also cares about the other side of founders' lives. The entrepreneurship podcast This Is Life has invited 16 founders to share their personal lives — chatting about their therapeutic cats, sharing movies and music that accompanied their entrepreneurial journeys. In these small moments, we see the slower, gentler side of founders on their arduous paths. As co-founders of the Supersonic Program, Agora and 5Y Capital remain the most steadfast and thoughtful companions on this lonely entrepreneurial road.

This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurship camp — packed with practical know-how, companionship, and encouragement — that is now open for Fall applications! We welcome all early-stage companies in the real-time engagement space to join the permanent Supersonic community and together explore and expand the boundaries of RTE!

How to Apply

After each cohort concludes, we iterate and refine based on participant feedback. The Supersonic Program continues to evolve with each new class. The Fall 2022 cohort is tentatively scheduled to begin in early August — stay tuned for details!

Fall Schedule

• Now through July 25: Application period
• Early August–October*: Program curriculum, activities, resource matchmaking, and internal pitch competition
• Late October: RTE Scenario Innovation Competition finals

*Schedule subject to change due to force majeure (such as pandemic-related factors); actual arrangements shall prevail.

Partners

Supersonic Program Participant Benefits

Resource Support

Millions of minutes of free real-time audio and video resources

50+ ecosystem product discounts

Capital Incubation

50+ VC partner connections

Government incubation and landing incentives

Community Support

Dedicated Q&A for technical partners

Joint scenario exploration with industry partners

Brand Promotion

Ten+ professional media partners

Top-tier RTE summit pitching opportunities

For questions, please contact Supersonic "Little Note"

5Y Capital seeks out, supports, and inspires lonely entrepreneurs, providing support from the spiritual to the operational. We believe that if the "crazy" you in others' eyes begins to be believed in, the world will become a different place.

BEIJING·SHANGHAI·SHENZHEN·HONGKONG

WWW.5YCAP.COM