Connect with us

Technology

Empowering Entrepreneurs: FLAsia 2024 to Ignite Franchising & Licensing Opportunities Across Asia

Published

on

SINGAPORE, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The countdown has begun for Franchising and Licensing Asia (FLAsia) 2024 – one of the region’s most anticipated trade events for franchising and licensing. Organised by the Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore) and Constellar, FLAsia 2024 will take place at Sands Expo & Convention Centre from September 12 to 14. The trade event offers unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors to connect with leading brands looking to expand across the rapidly growing Asia Pacific consumer market.

Asia’s Gen Z Driving Future Consumption Demand and Retail Trends

As Asia continues to be a key driver of global economic growth, its increasingly affluent millennials, Gen Z consumers and the burgeoning middle class are shaping global consumption patterns and driving demand for quality services and products across various sectors. These include beauty and wellness, education, food and beverages, and technology – which are leading exhibitor profiles at FLAsia 2024.

Gen Zs will account for 23.2 percent of the global population and spending an estimated US$12 trillion by 2030, becoming the highest consumer spending class in many regions. Much of the total spending by this population will also be from non-Western countries[1]. This makes Asia one of the most lucrative regions with vast opportunities for homegrown and global brands to expand beyond their familiar markets and target Gen Zs through franchising & licensing, therefore increasing their potential as lucrative business models in Asia[2].

Franchising & Licensing Boosts Business Stability and Wealth Growth 

The United States of America is home to about 33.2 million small businesses, with only 2.4 percent (or over 806K) are franchises. While in Asia, China leads the Asian franchise market with over 4,000 franchise brands and 500,000 franchise outlets. Southeast Asia also hosts over 4,500 franchise systems with more than 160,000 franchisee firms. Coupled with a robust surge in franchising within India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, Asia now contributes to over 30 percent of all franchised businesses worldwide, establishing itself as a lucrative market for franchising undergirded by robust growth potential[3].

Against this backdrop, franchising & licensing is also becoming a viable and accessible option for financially-savvy younger generations seeking to monetise and grow their accumulated wealth as business owners[4]. An increasingly attractive alternative pathway to entrepreneurship, franchising & licensing significantly reduces risk and enhances the potential for a successful and rewarding career as a business owner.

Franchising & licensing offer more business stability and growth, while leveraging on the established master brand recognition, multiplier brand impact from wider marketing efforts, as well as training and comprehensive support offered across the business journey. Additionally, the benefits include enabling franchisees and licensees to be part of businesses and brands that resonate with their ambitions, aspirations and ethics.

“As the springboard to the vast Asian consumer market, Singapore is a strategic market and launchpad for master franchisors and aspiring entrepreneurs. The city’s pro-business environment and stability offer a favourable climate for regional growth. FLAsia 2024 aims to be the essential platform for knowledge exchange and business networking for franchisors and franchisees to explore exciting partnerships,” said Mr Dickson Low, President of the Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore).

FLAsia 2024 Highlights

FLAsia 2024 expects to feature over 300 franchise brands and licensable characters by 150 exhibitors, including international franchises from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America and Vietnam, enabling FLAsia 2024 as the most international franchising show in the region[5].

Extensive Best Practices and Franchise Journeys Sharing at FLAsia 2024 Conference, Workshop and Fresh! Brands Showcase: Focusing on strengthening resilience in the franchising business, this year’s conference and workshop delves into dynamic discussions, hands-on workshops and insightful case studies to empower franchisors and franchisees with strategies and solutions to address and overcome challenges. Emerging brands with innovative F&B concepts and cutting-edge tech solutions can also pitch their brands at the Fresh! Brands Showcase. These sessions include:Panel Discussion on the advantages of investing in franchises, and the benefits and rewards as a franchisee, with Anytime Fitness Singapore and Philippines, Fun Learners’ School, Ryan’s Grocery and 7-Eleven;Roundtable Discussions on the ins-and-outs of franchising in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, hosted by the Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore) and helmed by in-market experts at each roundtable; Workshops that empower aspiring and prospective franchisees at every stage of the franchising journey: From understanding investment profiles to identify suitable franchises for acquisitions, franchise recruitment and relationship management, as well as conflict management strategies and communication techniques for franchisees and franchisors.Unparalleled Insights and Opportunities for Character Licensing: Bandai Namco will be showcasing its licensable characters – Pac Man and Tamagotchi, for which the licenses can be acquired. Licensees can then design and create co-branded merchandise and products for retail sale. As an agent for character licensors, XM Studios seeks to connect licensors and licensees to explore partnership opportunities. To further empower and equip attendees for this unique adventure, XM Studios and FT Consulting will be helming a panel discussion at the FLA 2024 conference to explore innovative licensing models and strategic brand collaborations that will unlock growth potential for merchandise and product licensing[6].Direct Access to Franchisors Onsite: FLAsia 2024 provides direct access to new and established brands in key sectors experiencing higher consumer demand from Asia; namely beauty & wellness, education, food & beverage, health and retail. The franchise brands seeking potential franchisees beyond their home countries include Appzgate, Dian Xiao Er, EAT Pizza, Figaro Coffee, Grains & Co, Greendot, Hawker Chan, Lee Wee & Brothers, Moon Eat Mountain Shawarma, Shen Mo Education Group, The GearBox (by MK Group) and more.

For F & B brands, attendees can also get more familiar with the brand experience and actual product, enabling them to make better informed decisions when considering franchising intent.

For the latest information on FLAsia 2024, connect on Linkedin and Facebook. To register, visit the FLAsia website.

For media enquiries and interview requests, contact the Constellar Communications team at comms@constellar.co.

About Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore)

FLA (Singapore), one of the founding members of the World Franchise Council, was established in 1993 with the mission to nurture and develop Singapore’s franchising industry. An essential component of Singapore’s knowledge-based economy, FLA (Singapore) promotes and facilitates the use of franchising, licensing and branding as a growth strategy for Singapore enterprises, thus contributing to turning Singapore as a regional franchise and license hub. Through its partnership with Singapore government agencies and international franchise and license bodies, FLA (Singapore) also assists its members in their international development programmes. With an active growing membership of close to 150 companies, representing more than 250 strong brands, FLA (Singapore) is led and managed by a dedicated team of advisors, committee members and a full-time secretariat with the goal of supporting Singapore companies to expand internationally. https://www.flasingapore.org/

About Constellar

Constellar is Asia’s preferred partner for convening businesses, curating ideas and creating opportunities for sustainable business growth and global impact. Based in Singapore with a regional footprint in China and Malaysia, we curate and develop influential trade and consumer events for key industries, connecting global marketplaces in sectors such as fintech, industrial transformation and ESG. We also manage the Singapore EXPO, Singapore’s largest purpose-built venue for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). Our vision is to be a global leader made in Asia, activating impactful networks to enable cross-industry collaboration and innovation through our holistic portfolio of intellectual properties (IP) in the MICE industry. Visit Constellar.co for more information.

[1] These observations were made in a 2024 market research report by NielsonIQ and World Data Lab on the Gen Z population, which also noted that only 44 percent of Gen Z’s total spending will come from Western countries (North America and the EU).

[2] Among these observations include franchise tea chains Nayuki, Hey Tea and Mixue Bingcheng expanding into Southeast Asia; 40-year-old Thai fast-food chicken franchise Five Star‘s aim for 11,500 outlets across 10 countries by 2024; Australian doughnut chain Lukumades (with franchises in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and UAE) recently opening its first franchise outlet in Singapore; US bakery chain Sprinkles entering South Korea and expanding to Singapore and Malaysia; Kusto Group planning to expand restaurant chain Wendy’s presence in Central Asia, with 55 outlets across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan by 2030; and  Wyndham Hotels & Resorts identifying Singapore as a key strategic market and opening Wyndham Singapore (previously The Peninsula Excelsior Singapore) to introduce the Wyndham brand in Asia.

[3] Franchising.com reported that the franchising landscape in Asia has experienced a robust surge in recent years, establishing the Asia-Pacific region as the global leader in the franchise market. Some observations include India holding the position of the third-largest market after United States and China, with over 4,600 active franchisers and nearly 200,000 outlets operated by almost 1.7 lakh franchisees; Japan as a major player in the Asian franchising scene, boasting over 1,500 franchise brands and 240,000 franchise outlets; South Korea experiencing a remarkable 50% increase in franchise brands since 2010 and Taiwan witnessing a notable 20% growth in franchise brands since 2010. 

[4] Entrepreneur.com and Forbes in recent years observed that franchising is a feasible way for investors to diversify their investment portfolios and build generational wealth with the right strategies and when matched with the right franchise(s). Entrepreneur.com also further featured working couple Nadine and James Middleton becoming successful entrepreneurs and achieving generational wealth through franchising. 

[5] Franchising & Licensing Asia 2023 showcased franchises and licensable characters from over 105 exhibitors and 5 country pavilions, as well as offered first-hand insights into the business from 46 experts at the FLA Conference, Workshop and Fresh! Brands Showcase. The event attracted over 6,500 attendees and facilitated over 300 business meetings and hosted tours.

[6] FT Consulting provides franchising, branding and Intellectual Property strategies and services to Southeast Asian enterprises; while XM Studios is an award-winning producer of hand-painted luxury art collectibles of characters by DC Comics, Marvel, Transformers, and more.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/empowering-entrepreneurs-flasia-2024-to-ignite-franchising–licensing-opportunities-across-asia-302216364.html

SOURCE Constellar

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

ATTACK SHARK Unveils RS6 ULTRA, a Flagship Esports Mouse Featuring Its Proprietary Magnetic Hot-Swappable Battery Technology

Published

on

By

NEW YORK , July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gaming peripheral brand ATTACK SHARK has announced the upcoming launch of the RS6 ULTRA, its most advanced wireless gaming mouse to date. Designed for competitive FPS players and the premium esports peripheral market, the new model combines a lightweight carbon fiber structure, flagship sensing technology, low-latency wireless performance, and a magnetic hot-swappable battery system.

The RS6 ULTRA’s magnetic hot-swappable battery system is designed to eliminate the compromises associated with conventional wireless gaming mice. Unlike integrated lithium battery designs that require wired charging and eventually suffer from battery aging, or conventional removable battery systems that depend on battery doors and latch mechanisms, the RS6 ULTRA features a proprietary magnetic alignment design with gold-plated contacts, enabling fast, tool-free battery replacement without disrupting wireless operation. Its dual-battery system further ensures uninterrupted gameplay by allowing one battery to power the mouse while the included 8K receiver simultaneously charges the spare, providing continuous wireless performance and a longer product lifecycle through easily replaceable batteries.

Another key feature is ATTACK SHARK’s patented adjustable sensor positioning system. Five mechanical adjustment positions allow players to customize sensor placement to suit hand size, grip style, and aiming preference. This personalized alignment is designed to support more consistent aiming and reduce tracking deviation during rapid movements.

The RS6 ULTRA is powered by a customized PixArt PAW3955MAX sensor and the latest Nordic nRF54L15 wireless MCU, delivering the performance demanded by today’s competitive FPS players. The sensor natively supports polling rates of up to 8,000Hz (8K), as well as 1-DPI incremental adjustment for precise sensitivity control. With up to 52,000 DPI, 850 IPS tracking speed, 75G acceleration, and five adjustable lift-off distance settings, it ensures exceptional tracking accuracy and responsiveness during rapid flick shots, precise target acquisition, and high-speed movement in fast-paced titles such as VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, and Apex Legends.

Built on the Nordic nRF54L15 platform, the RS6 ULTRA delivers enhanced scanning performance, wireless stability, and power efficiency. At a 1,000Hz polling rate, it provides up to 800 hours of battery life, reducing charging interruptions during extended training and competition. The combination of stable wireless connectivity and long endurance allows players to stay focused on performance rather than power management.

Complementing the hardware, ATTACK SHARK’s proprietary wireless transmission technology delivers button latency of less than 0.168 milliseconds in 8K mode, helping ensure that every click is transmitted with exceptional speed and consistency. The shark fin-inspired 8K receiver features an extended antenna for improved signal strength, along with LED indicators for connection status, polling rate, and battery level. Together, these technologies make the RS6 ULTRA a wireless flagship solution for fast-paced competitive shooters, providing the responsiveness and reliability demanded by players of VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, and Apex Legends.

The RS6 ULTRA features a carbon fiber hybrid injection-molded chassis with a ventilated hollow-shell design that balances low weight, structural strength, comfort, and heat dissipation during extended gaming sessions. A glass-like cooling surface treatment helps reduce discomfort caused by perspiration, while a CNC-machined metal scroll wheel and anodized components improve durability and wear resistance.

Built for serious FPS competitors and enthusiasts, the RS6 ULTRA delivers precision, responsiveness, customization, and endurance expected from a flagship esports mouse.

For more information, visit https://attackshark.com/ or connect with the brand on social media and Discord.

To place an order, visit ATTACK SHARK Amazon Store for the US, UK, Europe, AU, MX, SA and Japan.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/attack-shark-unveils-rs6-ultra-a-flagship-esports-mouse-featuring-its-proprietary-magnetic-hot-swappable-battery-technology-302831566.html

SOURCE ATTACK SHARK

Continue Reading

Technology

EnKash Introduces India’s First Meal Card with UPI Payments

Published

on

By

EnKash extends its UPI capabilities to meal card allowances, combining the convenience of UPI, the reach of RuPay, and tax-efficient employee benefits.

MUMBAI, India, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EnKash, India’s leading business payments and spend management platform, today announced the launch of UPI-based payments on its Meal Card. With this addition, employees can make payments directly from their meal card balance by scanning eligible UPI QR codes at food and grocery merchants.

This makes EnKash the first provider in India to enable UPI payments directly from a meal benefit balance.

The new capability extends the UPI infrastructure that EnKash already offers across its Prepaid Payment Instrument portfolio. It brings the familiarity and convenience of UPI to structured meal benefits, allowing employees to use their meal allowance through a payment method that has become a part of everyday life in India.

The timing is also significant. Under the revised Income-tax reforms, eligible meal benefits of up to ₹200 per meal are available under both the old and new tax regimes, subject to prescribed conditions. Employees can receive up to ₹1,05,600 annually as a tax-free meal benefit. For HR teams, this makes meal benefits more inclusive, valuable and easier to offer across the workforce.

The solution combines:

UPI-based scan-and-pay convenienceLargest acceptance infrastructure of RuPayMerchant category-based spending controlsPhysical and virtual meal cardsReal-time transaction visibilityCentralised card issuance, loading and management for employers

Employers can issue cards, load meal balances, set spending controls and track transactions through a centralised platform. Merchant category controls help ensure that the meal balance is used only for eligible expenses.

“Employee benefits should be as seamless as everyday payments. By bringing UPI to meal benefits, we’re enabling employees to pay the way they already do while helping employers deliver a simpler and more digital-first experience,” said Priya Sharma, Head of Product at EnKash.

“This launch brings together the power of RuPay, the familiarity of UPI and the tax efficiency of meal benefits. It also reflects the strength of the payments stack EnKash has already built across its PPI products.”

The UPI-enabled Meal Card is supported by EnKash’s existing payments and prepaid infrastructure. The company already provides UPI-based payment capabilities across its prepaid products and also offers businesses a wider payments suite covering prepaid cards, employee benefits, expense management, petty cash, corporate payments, payment gateway, and rewards.

About EnKash

EnKash is India’s first full-stack payments and spend management platform, empowering 5,000+ businesses to automate payments, expenses, and employee benefits. Holding PA, PPI, and Bharat Connect (BBPOU) licenses, EnKash offers a unified financial orchestration suite backed by $23M in funding. By partnering with leading banks and networks like NPCI and Visa, EnKash delivers secure, scalable solutions that make enterprise financial operations faster, smarter, and fully compliant.

For media inquiries, email: marketing@enkash.com

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/enkash-introduces-indias-first-meal-card-with-upi-payments-302829537.html

Continue Reading

Technology

SunTec India Launches Proprietary eCommerce Price Monitoring Platform Delivering 99%+ Accuracy with Human-Verified Pricing Intelligence

Published

on

By

NEW DELHI, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SunTec India today announced the launch of its proprietary, in-house-built eCommerce price monitoring platform, a purpose-built pricing intelligence solution that tracks competitor prices across multiple channels in real time and pairs automated data collection with human QA verification.

The platform supports pricing, sales, and marketplace teams by combining automated data collection, AI-powered product matching, anomaly detection, and analyst-led verification for quality assurance. It enables businesses to monitor competitor prices, promotional movements, Buy Box signals, and Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) violations across key marketplaces & retailer websites.

Unlike generic SaaS tools that hand back raw data for clients to clean and interpret, SunTec India controls its platform end-to-end, from data collection to matching rules, allowing continuous improvement based directly on client needs.

The platform’s core capabilities include:

Real-time, multi-channel monitoring across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces, and custom URL tracking for any publicly accessible website.AI-powered product matching using EAN/GTIN identifiers for exact matches and ML models for comparable products, achieving 99%+ matching accuracy.MAP violation alerts delivered within agreed SLA windows, with violation logs formatted for legal, sales, and distributor review.Buy Box and dynamic repricing intelligence compatible with Repricer.com, Linnworks, ChannelAdvisor, and other major repricing platforms.Promotional and deal monitoring timed to peak events like Black Friday, Prime Day, and Q4, giving teams lead time to respond.

Built on a proprietary AI crawler, optimized for dynamic page rendering and anti-bot environments, the platform handles JavaScript-rendered pages and pricing overlays that defeat standard scrapers, while continuously learning from detection patterns to maintain collection reliability.

“Self-service tools give you a dashboard and leave the hard part to you,” said Mr. Ravi Kant, Vice President – eCommerce Division, SunTec India.

“What sets our platform apart is the human-in-the-loop layer. AI detects; our analysts verify. Every anomaly is reviewed by a QA analyst before it reaches the client. Our goal is to help clients identify pricing gaps, protect margins, track violations, and respond to competitor moves before they impact revenue,” he added.

About SunTec India

SunTec India is an IT and digital services company delivering technology-led, data-driven business solutions. Founded in 1999, the company has served 8,530+ clients across 50 countries, supported by 1,500+ full-time professionals and a 95%+ client retention rate. SunTec India combines human expertise with AI-enabled technologies to improve operational efficiency, strengthen competitiveness, and create long-term value for businesses worldwide.

Media Contact: 
Rohit
rohit@suntecindia.com  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/suntec-india-launches-proprietary-ecommerce-price-monitoring-platform-delivering-99-accuracy-with-human-verified-pricing-intelligence-302831594.html

SOURCE SunTec India

Continue Reading

Trending