Singapore’s myFirst Tech Holdings Pte Ltd has appointed SGX Mainboard-listed Fu Yu Corporation Limited as its exclusive contract manufacturer to propel a major North American expansion of its kid-safe digital platform. The two homegrown companies signed a SGD15 million contract on Friday (5 April) for Fu Yu to commence mass production this month.
Following a Pre-Series A funding round from Lynx Asia Partners and angel investors, myFirst is set to expand its presence in North America, increasing from 4,000 to over 20,000 locations, including major retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy.
G-Jay Yong, co-founder and CEO of myFirst, said, “myFirst is excited to partner with a fellow Singaporean homegrown company in our global expansion. Every time myFirst has expanded, we have faced a sudden surge in demand. We are globally available, but the US is a big market and this partnership has given us the backing to be able to cater to this demand surge.
“Parents in the US have been asking us when they could get onto our kids tech ecosystem as they’re very concerned about their kids’ safety online and also in the real world, so now we can assure them we are ready,” continued Yong.
Singapore-headquartered Fu Yu, one of Asia’s largest manufacturers of high-precision plastic products, will provide a full suite of solutions to manufacture and assemble myFirst’s products. Fu Yu will scale up production, supported by its Smart Factory in Tuas which includes new production introduction and rapid prototyping capabilities, metal 3D printing, liquid silicone rubber injection moulding and high-precision tool fabrication.
David Seow, group chief executive officer and executive director of Fu Yu, said, “We are honoured to play such a key role as myFirst embarks on its most significant expansion since its inception. The partnership underscores our ability to meet the high-precision demands for new devices and potential product ramp-ups.”
Seow added that over the past year, Fu Yu has been tirelessly evolving, developing new NPI (New Product Innovation) capabilities to provide early-stage engagement and enhancing their capabilities with cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
“Our business transformation led to us being appointed as myFirst’s exclusive contract manufacturer, marking our inaugural venture into box-building manufacturing of Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart devices. We are now well-poised to meet the advanced manufacturing requirements of our customers, and will continue to build upon our strong record and maintain a healthy project pipeline,” concluded Seow.
Depending on myFirst’s requirements, component production can be manufactured across Fu Yu’s six facilities located across Singapore, Malaysia and China, providing a high level of interoperability and flexibility. Fu Yu’s strategic geographical distribution also ensures a robust supply chain, facilitating efficient cross-border logistics and reducing turnaround times.
There is an increasing awareness among parents and educators about the importance of social media safety, as many children start to engage with such devices before the age of five, while nearly one-in-five children under 12 have their own smartphone.[1] These technologies, while offering new learning and development opportunities, carry significant risks in terms of privacy, inappropriate content and safety.
myFirst addresses this gap by offering a unique ecosystem of child-centric tech products that marries the physical interactivity of hardware with real-world technology tailored for children, offering a holistic experience that meets the demands of a parent’s educational goals and a child’s curiosity.
myFirst’s myFirst Circle app – the pioneer of the world’s first kids’ tech ecosystem – allows each child to build a unique digital community that is parentally secured to interactions with trusted family and close friends. Through this kid-safe network, children can socialise and share experiences using myFirst’s products, such as watchphones, cameras, earbuds, 3D pens and headphones. Parents will have classification capabilities and also be able to track a child’s whereabouts.
With 46.6 million children under 12[2] in the US, myFirst is well-positioned to meet the rising demand for kid-safe technology. The company, already operating in 40 countries, previously received investments from tech founders and executives from companies like PatSnap, Google, Rainforest, TNB Aura, and Zopim in 2022.
Prior to mass production of each of myFirst’s products, Fu Yu’s NPI team will engage with myFirst to offer bespoke product design assistance, while optimising the production process to allow for shorter time-to-market while improving quality and high production yield.
Both parties will also explore the use of bio-rated materials to manufacture certain components, further enhancing sustainability across the production line.
References:
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/childrens-engagement-with-digital-devices-screen-time/
[2] https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/demo.asp#:~:text=In%202022%20(the%20latest%20year,age%20group%20(25.8%20million)
Source: myFirst Tech Holdings Pte Ltd
