Meet the entrepreneur behind software innovation firm 2359 Media

The company is set on making an impact on 1 billion lives through their offerings.

2359 Media is a software innovation consultancy company founded by Wong Hong Ting. Beginning in 2009 at the dawn of the mobile-first and cloud-first revolution, 2359 has since evolved to work with customers to provide end-to-end innovation consultancy to increase productivity, revenues and client engagement.

With the mission of touching 1 billion lives through their innovations, 2359 recently ventured into artificial intelligence with Botbot.AI, a chatbot that seeks to automate processes through conversational exchanges.

"Through the effective use of cutting edge technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, augmented reality, and virtual reality, 2359 aims to remain a forerunner in software innovation and consultancy regionally," says Wong.

From sales and revenues amounting to $350,000 in 2009, the number reached $4.1 million in 2016. In terms of job growth, there were only two people in 2009 (both the company's co-founders), but in 2016, the number reached to around 80 people spread across Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore, with more than 50 percent of that number located in the city-state.

This has been made possible through the efforts of Wong, described as a visionary leader who consistently braves odds to get to the next frontier. Wong graduated from National University of Singapore with B.Sc (Hons) in Quantitative Finance and a minor in technopreneurship in 2010. He deeply believes in harnessing technology to change the way people live and work, and endeavours to be a catalyst in the digital age movement.

He is a big proponent of mentorship and learning, which he takes an active role in as Chairman of Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE)’s Mentorship Sub-Committee and member of Entrepreneurs' Organization Singapore. He sees his company as a platform for the team to grow together, investing heavily in learning and ‘tours of duty’ that make each career significant and crafted for the individual’s strengths.

“Witnessing the growth that members of my team, past and present, have experienced in their careers, has been the singular most fulfilling thing for me," says Wong. "An aspiration to be Merlin to many King Arthurs became reality through them - which reminds me of how it is absolutely critical for us, as entrepreneurs, to keep learning and sharing deeply with the people around us."

Wong also adds: "Given that we base our decisions on the experiences we have, living vicariously through someone else’s experience, whoever that person may be, brings a different depth and dimension to our decision-making and learning."

He notes that platforms such as the Entrepreneurs' Organization in Singapore, with the immersive nature of its sharing, has brought profound value in learning to him, and he hopes to transfer that value to others via programmes like ACE Mentorship, which creates an avenue for those who are starting out to tap on his experiences.

"As a founder, I see growth as my greatest responsibility – to create progress and remove bottlenecks by being the lighthouse of learning for the team," he says.