KAI Square – Securing A Future In Next-Gen Video Surveillance

KAI Square is a young Singapore-based technology company whose core business is providing solutions and services that revolves around mobile video surveillance and advanced video processing with analytics. Founded in 2006, it leverages on the new and relatively untapped potential of knowledge-based artificial intelligence (KAI) technologies for its products and services.

For example, its Juzz4Security is a full-fledged web-based surveillance solution that allows live footage, transmitted through 3G and WIMAX networks, and with the capacity to use cloud computing for state-of-the-art video analytics. KAI Square‘s other core product, Juzz4Logistics, is a turnkey solution that caters to real-time information needs of the logistics and transportation sector. It uses mobile Internet 3G and Wimax technology to help fleet operator better manage their fleet of vehicles, through features such as live surveillance video recording, recorded video playback, as well as tracking vehicle movement and locations. It officially launched both products at Global Security Asia in 2009.

KAI Square‘s technical team is headed by Neo Shi Yong and Victor Goh. Shi Yong is a Singapore Millennium Scholar who has written over 20 published research papers in the field of video processing, while Victor, a National University of Singapore (NUS) research scholar, has been working in startups since 2002. The other two core members in the team, Lee Kim Keong and Tan Ser Boon, are both veterans in CCTV product marketing with a combined experience of more than 40 years.

Educating and Penetrating The Market

The company’s overall strategy, says Shi Yong, will focus on market penetration and creating global awareness of “intelligent video surveillance”, and by positioning the company’s offerings as a value-added service to clients’ existing physical security measures. “It is an uphill struggle to convince the market of the viability of (our) novel system but the process is vital and necessary as it affects user acceptance and general adoption,” says Shi Yong, who adds that they are confident their Juzz4 products and services can gain significant traction given the increasing demand for video surveillance and complementary intelligent management platform. In particular, they are targeting the healthcare, education and security-related sectors, both locally and regionally.

In its initial phases, Shi Yong says, KAI Square intends to approach the market by white-labelling their technology for hardware suppliers. This way, he shares, the company would not have to hold on to too much inventory and hence minimize startup costs. Subsequently, KAI Square aims to approach target customers for partnership deals and procurement based turnkey projects, and at the same time approach manufacturers to produce specialized hardware such as IP cameras according to defined specifications.

Already, KAI Square has expanded beyond the Singapore market to penetrate into Asia. It’s also been winning various accolades from the industry, including an Emerging Enterprise 2010 award recently in May, as well as an SiTF award for Infocomm Local Enterprise and a Merlion Award during Safety and Security Asia in 2009.

KAI Square currently does not have any investors and, at present, employs about 20 staff spread across Singapore, China and Taiwan.

On Entrepreneurship

The founders of KAI Square have always wanted to prove that they have the potential to lead a company to grow and expand overseas, Shi Yong reveals.

His advice on entrepreneurship? “Always be on the lookout for opportunities. Do not stereotype the services you can offer. Be flexible in your directions so that you can always adjust to the market needs.”