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.
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.
