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HKUST MBA To Launch Voice Assistant Smart Ring For Android And Apple iPhone

Marcus Leung-Shea co-founded his high-tech startup with two of his classmates during his MBA

Mon Oct 17 2016

BusinessBecause
Marcus Leung-Shea is an entrepreneur with lofty ambitions. During an MBA at Hong Kong’s HKUST Business School, he co-founded the Origami Group. Its mission: to bring seamless, voice-enabled technology to the masses.

Its first product: ORii, the world’s first multi-functional communication smart ring. Set for release in 2017, ORii lets you make and receive calls screen-free, simply by touching your ear.

Linked with an Android or Apple iOS app, the ORii smart ring captures your voice via microphone and delivers the callers’ voice directly into your inner ear through vibrating your finger. With ORii, Marcus hopes to shake up the multi-billion-dollar wearable technology market.

Marcus relocated from the US to pursue an MBA at Asia’s number one business school. He has a background in consulting, but after 12 months at HKUST - one of the world’s leading technology institutions - it’s no surprise that he made the transition into cutting-edge tech.

He met his two MBA co-founders at HKUST. He’s built his team with robotics experts from HKUST’s School of Engineering. And he kick-started his business through HKUST’s one-million-dollar entrepreneurship competition.

How did the idea to develop ORii come about?

We saw a gap in the wearable space. A lot of wearables, like fitness trackers, try to get you to do something that’s not part of your normal behavior. Or something quite complicated on a very small device like a smartwatch.

marcuspicring

We felt strongly in the human element: we wanted to help people talk more to each other. Our CEO comes from a luxury watch background, and the project actually started as a smartwatch. But as we did more research, and talked to more investors, we eventually landed on a smart ring.

What do you hope to achieve?

We’re driven by the belief that the attachment we have to computer screens and touch panels will gradually go away as more and more products become voice-enabled.

When you think about the interfaces we’ve had; we’ve gone from a keyboard which requires both hands and all ten fingers to use, to a mouse which requires one hand, to a touch screen which requires one finger.

The next step is to go to no hands at all, and no screens at all. We want to make components to help manufacturers turn their products into voice-enabled products.

What challenges do you face?

With any disruptive product, there’s lots of questions and there aren’t really any empirical ways to address them. Do people want to wear a ring with this function? There’s no way to measure this except by launching the product.

The challenge with this product is to be able to tell the story in a way that captures people’s imaginations. And to find investors who are aligned with the long-term mission of what we’re trying to do. A lot of hardware companies are one-hit wonders. Being able to articulate that this is the first step of a series of steps is really important.

How has HKUST supported you in starting your own business?

HKUST played a big part in kicking off the project. If you think about the first step – forming a team and putting your idea down on paper – it was actually the school’s one-million-dollar pitch competition that drove us to do that. We did pretty well, got seed funding, and got validation from several VCs and PEs to continue pushing on with the business model.

HKUST also has a really robust alumni network. Alibaba has a one-billion-dollar entrepreneurship fund in Hong Kong. And the lady in charge of that fund is an HKUST MBA alumna. We managed to get an opportunity to pitch to them, and we’re still in conversation.

What advice do you have for MBAs looking to do the same?

Find co-founders who share the same values as you. There’ll be so many difficult decisions to make with your co-founders that if you diverge on your values, principles and ethics, it will make those decisions insurmountable in the long-term.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at HKUST?

I’m new to Hong Kong, and the MBA was the fastest way to build a high quality network in Asia. I liked that the HKUST MBA was a younger program, hungry to make its mark.

In global rankings, HKUST typically does better than the other Hong Kong schools. So if I was to relocate back to the US, or outside of Hong Kong, it was important for me to have a school with global brand recognition.

What should applicants think about when deciding to do an MBA?

It’s very easy to get pulled off course once you’re in the MBA program as many opportunities come your way. You have to know what you want out of an MBA, to always go back to exactly why you chose the MBA, and keep aligning to that vision.

Student Reviews

HKUST Business School

Mohammed

Verified

28/07/2023

On Campus

Excellent Supporting Staff

HKUST campus is a very scenic place. However, the best part of the university is the professors and administrators. I have had numerous instances where I have approached them outside their office hours and asked them for help. I have always received full support, and they have helped me escape some very tricky situations. I will miss the faculty and especially the UG Hall 5 Residence Master. I am grateful for his help during my undergraduate program. I will recommend people choose HKUST for their bachelor, master, or Ph.D. studies. Do experience the hall life and you will never regret it.

Student

Verified

10/06/2022

On Campus

Stressful university

Vibe Students in HKUST is really competitive, they study really hard. Environment Nice sea view and modern campus Teaching Many professors are from mainland, whose accent are difficult to understand sometimes. Harsh grading from most of the professors from my department Opportunities HKUST provides many opportunities and guidance for students on careers and extracurricular activities

Student

Verified

29/04/2023

On Campus

Hard working and motivational

Major selection activities are very competitive. 1st/2nd year students work hard to get into popular majors they want. If you enjoy working in a competitive environment, this is a great place. Great ocean view with sports facilities and activities ready for you. Many programmes and social clubs available to boost your cv, learn practical skills for future jobs and interviews.

Student

Verified

2/05/2022

Blended

Good for academics but not that good for student life

Professors and teaching staffs definitely know what they are teaching and have strong knowledge in their discipline; Academics can be quite tough and stressful for students as everyone works very hard and course grades are rather competitive; Student societies exist but are not extensive. Activities are also mostly non-existent.

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