APRW and India-headquartered PRHUB form new PR arm catered to start-ups

Singapore based integrated communications firm APRW has partnered up with India-headquartered PRHUB to launch a specialised communications practice targeted at start-ups looking to expand within and beyond the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The new practice is established under US-headquartered IPREX, an international communications network with over 100 communications partners worldwide.

The new entity will be led by Anu Gupta (pictured), director of APRW and Xavier Prabhu, regional president for APAC, IPREX and founder and managing director of PRHUB. According to the agency, the specialised communications practice will provide a full suite of communications services for start-ups by leveraging IPREX’s global network of communication partners and tapping upon the expertise of Gupta and Prabhu.

Commenting on the new practice, Julie Exner, IPREX global president, said, "Spread across India, China, Indonesia and Singapore among other countries in the region, there is absolutely no doubt that the start-up ecosystem in the APAC is one of the most dynamic and thriving ecosystems globally.”

In fact, the APAC start-up ecosystem has seen unprecedented growth in the past few years. According to market intelligence firm Preqin start-ups in APAC have secured US$152 billion in venture capital deals within the first nine months of 2021, matching the previous record of US$152 billion set in 2018. As per Statista research there were close to 200 unicorns in APAC with only the United States possessing a greater number of unicorns.

Exner added, “ APRW and PRHUB are highly established partners with deep understanding of the ecosystem. With their expertise and support from other partners in key markets, I am confident that the new practice will be a success and bring start-ups to greater heights.”

Gupta further explained that as a highly diversified and fragmented region, APAC presents an exciting multitude of opportunities and challenges.

“I am thrilled to be launching this practice with PRHUB under IPREX. Through IPREX, we are now able to build an expertise-led practice and offer strategic consultancy across key growth markets including China, Japan and Australia. We hope to propel more start-ups to achieve greater success within and beyond APAC with this timely initiative,” she said.

Moreover, the move falls in line with APRW’s growth plans, where in 2020, the agency expanded into Indonesia, which is a vital market for expanding start-ups. The agency recently appointed Debora Prescillia as the agency's new associate director. The addition follows APRW's 25th anniversary. During her appointment, Cho Pei Lin, managing director, APRW said the appointments come as part of the agency's commitment to serve the Indonesian market, and the local expertise in the Indonesian market will play a vital role in unlocking the potential of the clients from a communications standpoint.

Prescillia will focus on leading the operations in Indonesia, ensuring that the agency continues to provide strategic communication consultation, and to oversee the business development opportunities.

Xavier Prabhu, IPREX regional president for APAC and founder and managing director, PRHUB, said, “Many start-ups are looking to scale beyond their home markets and leverage the many opportunities that APAC has to offer. As they grow, they will require communication agencies that can provide holistic regional communications strategies to boost their visibility and strengthen their reputations. Our practice will be able to offer a global network of esteemed communication partners with a huge repertoire of capabilities and expertise.”

Prabhu also claimed that PRHUB with its SAARC, and APRW with its Southeast Asia, are “perfectly poised to offer the widest available coverage for any start-up looking at multiple markets in the region”.

Asia PR Werkz first stepped up its global presence by joining international communications network IPREX as its sole representative in Southeast Asia in 2020. IPREX is a US$420 million network of communication agencies, with 1,600 staff and 110 offices worldwide working across the spectrum of industry sectors and practice disciplines. Asia PR Werkz will represent the SEA region including markets Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Asia PR Werkz’s foray into IPREX’s network aims to pave way for the agency to open up opportunities and access to wider key markets across the United States of America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific including India, Australia, Hong Kong, China and many more.

In 2019, Asia PR Werkz also partnered Verra Asia to provide marketing consultancy and services to SMEs and startups across Singapore. Through this tie-up, both firms aim to address the demand for professional advisory services and offer a gamut of offerings ranging from marketing, brand building, event management to public relations.

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