A home and a school for startups

Singapore

IF wannabe entrepreneurs ever want a place where they can find communion with their fellow adventurers, tips from people who have been where they dream of going, hard-headed advice from mentors or even some funding, they may find it at the Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) on the fifth floor of Block 71.

A cavernous space, with a coffee bar by the entrance, a warren of rooms that serve as offices and soft toys in the form of green and orange frogs placed randomly amid the furniture, JFDI is the closest thing Singapore has to a school for startups. It is what is called an "accelerator" - which offers a time-bound programme that includes mentoring, assessment and maybe some funding to help "accelerate" a startup's journey to becoming a successful business.