Welcome to the world’s first and only impact-driven Industry 5.0 venture studio. Our accelerator that supports women and minorities led industry 5.0, deeptech ventures is a first of its kind.
Our story begins with Dr. Viveka Kalidasan, a visionary who, amid the journey of pregnancy and maternity, saw the world of Industry 4.0 through a different lens. It was during this time that she realized the stark absence of women and representative minorities in this evolving landscape.
With River Venture Studios, she is determined to rewrite the narrative of Industry 5.0, envisioning a future where diversity isn't an afterthought but the cornerstone of progress.
In an era where technology intertwines seamlessly with human existence, Industry 5.0 is the heartbeat of tomorrow's advancements. Yet, amidst this wave of innovation, a critical voice was missing—the voice of diversity. Recognizing this gap, River Venture Studios will emerge as a catalyst for change, an innovation studio with a bold mission: to infuse inclusivity into the very fabric of Industry 5.0.
“Denying half the world access to resources and voices hampers an inclusive, tech-empowered society. In Industry 5.0, recognizing the absence of women in tech and education, the impact of climate change,
and building collaborative ecosystems are vital. It took a collective ‘someone’ to shape our modern world. I’m part of those ‘someones,’ envisioning women and minorities driving Industry 5.0’s future.”
– Dr. Viveka Kalidasan,
Founder-CEO, River Venture Studios
Inclusively empower humans to lead the future through impactful innoventures
Create awareness and support women and minorities to innovate and build industry 5.0 ventures
Navigating the Industry 5.0 Space, the River Venture
Studios way to a brighter and collaborative future.
Uniting the global industry 5.0 community
Mapping women and minorities in the ecosystem
Building a rich database for future endeavours
Bringing together the best of APAC and Europe, centered in Singapore to
empower the world
The world’s first-ever Industry 5.0 Venture Studio championing diversity.
Bridging the best from the East and West through our founding partners.
Our compass is set towards social impact-driven deeptech ventures.
Singapore serves as our foundation, a springboard for a global movement.
Together, we connect and empower diverse innovators across continents
Impact Goals (2027 & 2029)
Managing Partner
Joanna has extensive experience working with both corporates and startups in Asia. She has spent 14 years in Senior and Executive roles at DHL and Toll Global Forwarding and has been scaling Industry Leading Tech Companies for the past 7 years as well as mentoring at the German Accelerator, PortXL (a leading global maritime and transportation accelerator), The Scale Factory and CRIB ((a social enterprise empowering women to become successful entrepreneurs).
Software Strategy lead
Varun Parmar is a dynamic leader with a rich blend of experience as a private equity investor, programmer, consultant, and operator, bringing a unique and comprehensive perspective to complex techno-commercial challenges. Renowned for expertise in commercial and technology due diligence, product and tech-IP audits, IT integrations, carve-outs, and unlocking synergies. Skilled at driving technology-led transformations, crafting innovative operating models, launching cutting-edge products and platforms, and executing seamless post-deal integrations. Passionate about leveraging the power of technology to deliver transformative business value and tackle pressing societal issues.
Managing Consultant
David is a seasoned professional with two decades of know-how in consultative sales, delivery, and managing complex solutions and services across IT, Telecom, Logistics, Health and Software industries. For the past 15 years, he’s been deeply engaged in the APAC market, and has a wealth of hands-on experience in all aspects of the process. This includes everything from leading major programs, to sales and account management, in-life commercial management, developing ecosystem partner relationships.
Director
S. E. Arrasu serves as a Wealth Management Director at Phillip Securities Pte Ltd, where he focuses on fostering strong client relationships and achieving excellence in financial planning and client retention. With a people-oriented approach, he values effective communication and interpersonal connections, ensuring successful collaboration with clients, colleagues, and financial institutions. His dedication and motivation consistently drive outstanding results in both professional and social environments.
Director
Rishi Prakesh is a dynamic professional associated with Sobus Insight Forum, contributing his extensive expertise in strategic planning, program management, and business transformation. At Sobus, he leverages his skills to drive impactful discussions, manage diverse portfolios, and execute large-scale change programs. His experience in outsourcing, offshoring, and nearshoring, along with his ability to align operations with strategic goals, plays a pivotal role in the organization’s mission to foster insightful, outcome-driven initiatives. Through his leadership and collaboration, he adds immense value to Sobus’s efforts in delivering innovative solutions and achieving sustainable growth.
Senior Consultant
Hemanand has 14 years of experience in digital solutions, focusing on Industry 4.0. He possesses a deep understanding of empowering teams to drive digital transformation initiatives. His expertise includes championing solutions in AI, digital twins, and business intelligence across various domains through strategic and systematic approaches.
Founder & Principal IP Business Consultant
Claire H.L. Chang, Founder and Principal IP Consultant at Sybaris IP, holds an LL.M. and an M.B.A. and brings over 15 years of expertise in intellectual property. She has adeptly guided complex international IP issues across the regions of Asia and Europe, spanning strategy, protection, management, valorization, and enforcement.
Digital Transformation and AI Strategist
Vetrivillalan Vennila, Associate Partner Digital Transformation / AI Strategist, has an overall 30 years of progressive experience in the AI, Analytics and Technology Space. She has won the “Singapore Top 100 Women in Tech 2021”, and is an agile and adaptive leader with a proven ability to lead projects, propose innovative solutions and she has built a high performance lean team where she has implemented data analytics and AI solutions for Ministries, Public, and Higher Education sectors in Singapore. She has participated as an eminent speaker and panellist in many international conferences held in Hong Kong, USA and Singapore.
Corporate Compliance Specialist
Dennis Poh, LLM, CSA(Cert), is a man with many professional hats. As a compliance specialist, he has helped more than 400 companies with corporate compliance. As an educator, he has taught students and adult learners company law and startup finance. As a mentor, he acts as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and business mentor across different educational institutions, providing business insights and guidance to the startups.