With upcie, Chen aims to simplify the mentor-mentee matching process via the proprietary matching algorithm that underpins upcie’s free platform.
“I observed that while start-up competition winners receive ample mentorship and resources, many other promising businesses are left to navigate challenges on their own. So, I hope to fill this gap with upcie,” tells Chen.
The name upcie (pronounced up-see) embodies the concept of mentors elevating their mentees; it is inspired by the phrase "upsy daisy", often used to give the young encouragement and support. As a self-funded pay-it-forward initiative, upcie is seeded by Chen’s parents with the cash equivalent of a scholarship award that she had received from school.
upcie currently boasts a roster of seven mentors, who have had experiences working in Singapore and around the globe, and will continue to onboard appropriate new mentors who sign up.
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Among the first mentors, there is Steven Kim, who serves as the CEO at NOTA America Inc, a leading-edge AI software startup and Thai entrepreneur Ann Kositchotitana.
