Why Startup88? Why an Asian Focus?

Does the world need another startup news site? I think so, it seems to me the startup news world is focused on Silicon Valley and in my opinion many companies there are solving the problems of 20 something silicon valley hipsters (true worlds of a Fullbright scholar I spoke to recently who spent a year there). Many of the problems being solved are non problems or 1st world problems.

My view is that the Asian startup scene is happening at a rate that the US cannot comprehend. Sadly a lot of the businesses are not really that interesting in the context of solving real world problems.

Picture this.

China 1.3 billion people – 25% of whom according to the world bank have entrepreneurial intentions.

560 million people on social networks

GNP and GNI are growing at 3-4x USA

India ~1 billion

Then there is Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and that doesnt even get us into the continent or the smaller Asian Countries.

And yet the most popular blogs in this space are Techcrunch and Mashable.

By launching Startup88.com I aim to include Entrepreneurs, Startups, Scientists and generally cool technology related products.

Its a bit selfish but I am in fact doing this for myself, for many years my favorite hardcopy mags were Wired, Fastcompany and Inc and online mags Techcrunch, Mashable, Red Herring, Startup88 aims to be a mix of these with lots of personal stories, experiences and how they did it.

I would really appreciate your support, stories, questions and ideas and feedback.

Thanks
Mike Nicholls