Through the collaborations spearheaded by the PlanetSpark Innovation Centre, the eventual market implementation of the startups' AIoT innovations will create new opportunities.

FREMONT, CA: PlanetSpark Pte, the entrepreneurial and strategic investment arm of SGX mainboard-listed Excelpoint Technology, launches PlanetSpark Innovation Centre, the first hardware-targeted accelerator for Artificial Intelligence of Things innovations, tailored to supporting Singapore tech startups accelerate market deployment.

Assisted by Enterprise Singapore and powered by Excelpoint, PlanetSpark will invest an initial S$5 million to widen the center's engineering potentials and develop technology platforms and has bagged a lineup of five startups for its upcoming pilot run of the accelerator program. The center, situated at Changi Business Park, is officially opened by Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing. The way for AIoT technology to reach market implementation has many hurdles and needs a long gestation period. A significant contributor to this phenomenon lies in the high complexity connected with AIoT solution development - from proof-of-concept to production and eventual commercialization.

PlanetSpark Innovation Centre sets out to address these hurdles by providing a one-stop ecosystem that brings together innovators, hardware and software providers, venture capitalists, small and medium enterprises, manufacturers, and customers. Startups can tap into Excelpoint's industry networks of semiconductor manufacturers, sales channel partners, and design engineering expertise – allowing the startups to expedite product design and optimize system-level integration for quick prototyping, thereby mitigating their time, cost, and risks in bringing their solutions to market.

PlanetSpark will be starting the 24-week accelerator program tailored to arm startups with tools and market-informed knowledge. Besides connecting the startups to industry mentors and supply chain partners, the center will be helping them jumpstart their AIoT technology by offering customized system integration solutions - one of the most vital links in deciding the scalability and interoperability of an AIoT solution.

Currently, the PlanetSpark-exclusive middleware is powered by the technology stacks of NASDAQ-listed global companies, Qualcomm Technologies and Xilinx, both Excelpoint's long-time partners. In time, PlanetSpark plans to add new industry partners to its ecosystem to drive additional value for the participating startups.