6 Questions with Kai Neo, founder and CEO of Singapore-based Rocket Academy

It was our pleasure to catch up with Kai Neo, founder of Rocket Academy, an online coding school based in Singapore that trains software engineers and helps them get jobs at tech companies.

1. Can you give us an overview of your background and how you started Rocket Academy?

I am a Singaporean software engineer that studied Computer Science at Stanford and worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. I started Rocket Academy because I noticed a gap in supply and demand for software engineers, and I thought I could create a school to help bridge that gap.

I saw schools in the US building innovative, more scalable coding education models that I thought I could emulate for Southeast Asia. To start, I put up a website, asked friends and communities for referrals, enrolled initial students and started teaching.

2. What is your favorite thing about the Singapore startup ecosystem?

The Singapore startup ecosystem is the hub of the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, making it easier to meet investors and operators from the various markets in SEA. The downside of Singapore’s ecosystem is that for most industries, Singapore’s small size means it does not have a large market.

Luckily we are starting to see more experienced operators exit and give back to the Singapore ecosystem, helping newer companies flourish.

3. What tips can you give to entrepreneurs considering starting a business in Singapore?

How is this going to scale? Are you building for developed or developing markets? If the former, what are the next markets after Singapore? If the latter, is Singapore the right place to start building?

4. What's a great digital tool or hack you've discovered recently?

Rectangle window snapper for Mac, enabling us to snap windows to different sizes and parts of our screen with keyboard shortcuts. Free and makes computer work more productive!

5. What are some exciting new Singapore-based companies you recommend checking out?

Datature, HeHealth and InterOpera.

6. What can we expect to see coming out of Rocket Academy in the near future?

Lots of talented software engineering graduates! In January, IMDA approved Rocket for a 70-90% government subsidy on our course fees for Singaporean citizens and PRs, making us 1 of 3 government-approved coding bootcamps in Singapore.

Student demand has increased, and we expect this larger number of students to graduate in H2 2023. Meanwhile we are also enrolling students for initial batches in Hong Kong, where 8 students in our summer batches will receive a scholarship from Rocket. We are excited for our community to grow and mature!