11 Feb 2024
Shy Entrepreneur Blooms with Tech Start-up
Upon fulfilling his dream to study innovation and entrepreneurship at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Zaid Ahmed Khan has overcome his inherent shyness and other challenges to launch a successful tech start-up.
Mr Zaid Ahmed Khan was an invited tech start-up speaker at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) 2023 (Photo: Wang Tong)
As an entrepreneur, NUS alumnus Zaid Ahmed Khan knew he had to find ways to overcome his inherent shyness.
As CEO of M.I. Cloud Tech, how else would he make pitches and presentations to convince clients and investors that the start-up he co-founded was worth its value?
“Either I talk, or I die. When you and your company experience tough times, you focus more on how to survive rather than your own shyness.”
He worked at it. Overcoming his initial shyness, Mr Ahmed Khan developed the ability to navigate different environments and effectively communicate with different groups.
Today, the start-up he co-founded with fellow graduate from the Masters of Science (Venture Creation) Ms Paige Yang is driving towards commercialisation and applying their food preservation and health care solutions in the market.
![]()
Either I talk, or I die. When you and your company experience tough times, you focus more on how to survive rather than your own shyness
Zaid Ahmed Khan
JOURNEY TO A START-UP
The entrepreneurial seed in his heart sprouted three years ago in 2021 when Mr Ahmed Khan – whose two siblings are also entrepreneurs – realised his dream of starting his graduate studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Hailing from Pakistan, he was a post-graduate student in the first class of the
Master of Science in Venture Creation, which was launched in 2021 with the goal of nurturing entrepreneurial and innovative talents.
Meeting his classmate, Ms Yang, sparked Zaid's entrepreneurial spirit as she was passionate about the commercial prospects of magnetic interference technology. Classroom work swiftly evolved into a business partnership.
The duo took part in the
NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme, which provides hands-on mentorship and step-by-step guidance for deep tech start-ups to grow. They secured seed capital of $100,000.
Mr Ahmed Khan (left) and his business partner Ms Paige Yang were invited to the IP Week organised by IPOS International 2023. (Photo: IPOS International)
In early 2022,they registered the M.I. Cloud business. Within one year, they went from business idea and prototyping, to entering the healthcare sector in Singapore and expanding into the region.
Apart from having to overcome shyness, Mr Ahmed Khan also had to contend with being away from his family. From a comfortable lifestyle in Pakistan where he lived with his parents in a big house with a garden, with a retinue of helpers and drivers, he had to learn to adapt to new environments and cultures, handle accommodation, cooking, traveling and various tasks on his own.
“It was the vibrant entrepreneurial landscape and diverse culture which energised me, and strengthened my confidence and determination to embark on entrepreneurship. I feel like I became a brand new version of myself,” he reflected.
FROM FISH TO HEALTH
Interestingly, Mr Ahmed Khan shared that the magnetic interference technology was initially utilised for food preservation, to help fishermen keep seafood fresh.
But after a fisherman happened to place the device inside his sleeping bag and noticed that he felt better, the device was tested and found to have effects in improving sleep quality and reducing snoring.
The company created a prototype and after market testing, the patented technology was repurposed to develop an
innovative sleep pillow which may help insomniacs to sleep better. This would later become one of M.I. Cloud’s flagship products.
Mr Ahmed Khan introducing the sleep pillow to a client at InnovFest 2023 Singapore (Photo: M. I. Cloud)
Going forward, Mr Ahmed Khan aims to build a robust sales system and launch retail stores in Singapore, with a recent fundraising target set to secure one million Singapore dollars.
For companies in the health technology sector, competition exists not only in the present, but also in the long term. As an entrepreneur, Mr Ahmed Khan finds “being realistic” is a crucial capability for a start-up founder.
“Start-ups are not lacking in innovative ideas and opportunities, and their teams usually have strong problem-solving abilities. However, a crucial precondition is how you face reality and how you understand the current position you are in.” Mr Ahmed Khan highlighted.
Mr Ahmed Khan has certainly faced personal and entreprenuerial challenges head on and M.I. Cloud is well-poised to grow and succeed.
Text by Wang Tong (NUS Enterprise). Photos courtesy of Wang Tong, IPOS International and M.I. Cloud.