Singapore start-up Kluje.com joins Red Herring Asia finalists, the ranks of Asia’s most promising innovators

Singapore, 25 August 2014 – Singaporean start-up Kluje.com (pronounced “KLOO-JAY”) has been nominated as a finalist for Red Herring’s prestigious Top 100 Asia Award, a list of 100 of the top start-ups in Asia. The award, which recognises Asia’s top innovators as those who drive the technology sector towards growth, is frequently used to discover the most exciting and promising start-ups throughout the region, and receives hundreds of applications each year.

“Being nominated as a Red Herrings Top 100 Finalist, is a huge achievement” said Jamey Merkel, CEO of Kluje.com. “We’re honoured to be considered alongside so many other talented start-ups regionally, and excited to show the judges what sets Kluje.com apart from the rest! The conference is a great opportunity for companies to showcase their ideas and achievements, and to network with other likeminded entrepreneurs who have worked so hard to make their ideas become reality.”

Finalists are invited to present their business model to the judges at the Top 100 Red Herring Asia conference, which takes place in Hong Kong from 25 to 27 August 2014. Nominees will also have the opportunity to meet the founders, investors, and CEOs of the other nominated companies. In 2013, 14 Singapore starts ups were awarded, namely Acromobile, Red Mart and Wiztango,

"Entrepreneurship in Asia has reached an inflexion point, and as a result, Red Herring Asia 2014 has shifted into a new phase," said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. " A second generation of entrepreneurs is emerging and their execution skills and global ambitions is leading to great companies, solid growth and a global footprint. As importantly, we are seeing more companies from countries once absent from innovation circles. Kluje.com shows great promise and therefore deserves to be among the finalists. Now we are faced with the difficult task of selecting the Top 100 winners of Red Herring Asia. We know that 2014 will reward us for a long and continued effort scouting disruptive companies in Asia.”

Participating this year, Kluje.com, an online marketplace connecting homeowners and agents with contractors, was founded to provide a reliable and easy way to find  “better quality contractors” without the long and painful process of research, interviews, quotation comparisons and uncertainty. With the innovations and services provided, it has moved rapidly to considerably digitalize the renovation industry.  

In its first year of establishment, Kluje.com has had over 2000 homeowners and property agents signed up on their platform, with 325 contractors joining as well. Moreover, The young start-up has won the best start up in South East Asia at Talent Unleashed 2014 in July and was awarded in the original Top 50 at Echelon 2014 in June

With a mission to provide full-scale services to the Singaporean market, the start up is now actively seeking series A. Moreover, the next plan for Kluje.com is to make a big move to expand in the region, providing users with added peace of mind when undertaking major home improvement projects, routine maintenance, or even just a few odd jobs around the house.