Video: NexChange Talks Startups and Manufacturing With Dragon Innovation’s Herman Pang

Andrew Work is interviewing with Herman Pang, CEO and co-founder of Dragon Innovation, a company that works with startups in their manufacturing side and helps them launch their new products from the prototype phase to mass production.

Transcript:

NEXCHANGE:

Hi, I’m Andrew Work from NexChange. We are outside where they are building the node MIT’s new headquarters in Hong Kong right now they are running the MC program where they bring 12 students from MIT they are matched up with 12 students from Hong Kong universities carefully chosen and they work together to create new products and new business plans in a high-pressure environment for two weeks.

They also bring in innovative entrepreneurs and people that can help them along the way and I’ve got one of those people here today this is Herman Pang he’s the co-founder and president of Dragon innovation which works with startups that are producing new products and they help them with the manufacturing side of it in developing their products in their business. Herman maybe you can tell me a little bit about what you did before you got started with dragon innovation because you got a really interesting background.

HERMAN PANG: I was the Far East Management Director for iRobot for many years before I started dragon innovation with my partner’s top Mita who was the VP of engineering at iRobot and we started dragging no vision eight years ago and basically helping startup to build a from the first prototype to mass production which means many pieces.

NEXCHANGE: Okay. Very good. Now the companies that you work with are typically located in the United States they’re started there but you’re here in Hong Kong tell me why that is and how you work with these companies.

HERMAN PANG: First most of our clients startups they don’t have manufacturing experience and also they are not stationed in Hong Kong and or China so we’re kind of providing them feet on the ground and at the factory have them monitor the production and also before started we help them to prepare all the documentation that will help them to build product to the specification, specification.

NEXCHANGE: Okay that’s right because there’s anybody and on this part of the world knows dealing with China when it comes to manufacturing can be very tricky business. Companies are lucky to have Herman Pang to help them along. Can you think of can you maybe tell us about one company in particular or one product that you’ve helped the startup work with that’s really interesting.

HERMAN PANG: The one most probably like common well-known would be Pepper Watch that is probably the first SmartWatch before Apple watch.

NEXCHANGE: Okay.

HERMAN PANG: Yeah. We helped them to build many pieces like it could be close to one million pieces.

NEXCHANGE: Wow fantastic. So startups in North America, Europe anywhere if you need help lowering your risk factors and accelerating your progress in manufacturing you need to come and see a guy like Herman Pang maybe even the exact Herman Pang CEO and co-founder of Dragon Innovation. I’m Andrew Work for NexChange. Thanks Herman.