Gaming chair maker Secretlab’s co-founder and CEO Ian Ang has become the youngest person to be named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Singapore.
The 28-year-old, who was also named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year — Consumer Products, will be Singapore’s representative at EY’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year (WEOY) in June 2021, and will compete with contenders from over 60 other countries for the world title.
Under Ang’s leadership, the company has partnered with some of the biggest names in esports and entertainment today, making Secretlab the seat of choice for the world’s premier brands and over 500,000 happy users globally.
“To win this award among so many other great, experienced entrepreneurs is an absolute honour,” says Ang.
“There is still much to learn, and it is still early days for Secretlab. There are far too many people that I'm indebted to, but I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to our journey – staff, partners, investors and fans,” he adds.
While his products are now sold all over the world, the home market remains his special place. “Singapore will always be our home where we first started six years ago and we’re proud to be part of putting our little red dot on the world map in the esports industry and beyond,” says Ang.
Chairperson of the judging panel, Enterprise CEO Png Cheong Boon also commented on Ang’s winning attributes.
See Also: Temasek unit buys stake in Secretlab
“Despite his youth, Ian embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and displays the business acumen of a seasoned entrepreneur. He spotted a niche in the ergonomic gaming chair market and went on to build Secretlab into a commercial success globally. With the courage to drop out of university to pursue his dreams and perseverance to build a product from next to nothing, Ian demonstrates how there are multiple pathways to success, the power of ideas and the value of continual hard work.”
He also highlighted Ang’s focus on helping young employees build their careers and his community contributions, such as Secretlab’s donation of masks to hospitals and partnering with charities to grant wishes to critically ill children.
At the ceremony, EY also awarded the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year — Financial Technology award to M-DAQ founder and CEO Richard Koh, while the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year — Industrial Solutions award went to Mlion Corporation Managing Director and Co-founder Eric Leong.
