(June 9): Former Groupon founder Brad Keywell, who went on to build software company Uptake Technologies, has been named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019.
He was chosen from among 761 programme participants that included the 57 country winners from 47 countries and territories vying for the overall global title.
Keywell becomes the third EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winner from the United States. The two previous two US winners are Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, who won the award in 2013, and Wayne Huizenga of Huizenga Holdings, in 2005.
Brad, 49, founded Uptake Technologies, a predictive analytics software provider, in 2014. He had previously founded six other companies, including Groupon.
Uptake Technologies has quickly grown from has grown from 50 people to 750 and become the fastest start-up to reach a US$2 billion valuation.
Uptake now works with dozens of industrial businesses to help them determine when a piece of equipment is not performing well or about to break down.
It analyses data from sensors on industrial machinery and equipment and then uses data-science models to predict problems before they occur. The software can save companies millions of dollars by enabling them to look after their machinery better.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about being a mould-breaker — it’s also about being a mould-maker and finding a more intuitive and direct path to where you want to be,” says Keywell.
He calls this field of predictive analytics software an “emerging and inevitable” space. “The revolution in data collection and predictive insight to disrupt global industries is only just beginning,” he adds.
Singapore was represented by Jeffrey Tiong, CEO of PatSnap.
