The Thammasat Asia Moot Corp Competition 2008 began full swing early morning today. The order of the day for the student entrepreneurs: to convince the judging panel that they should be one of 8 teams selected to move into the Semi-final round held in the afternoon.

One by one, all 16 teams made formal presentations in the morning according to their assigned times and divisions. From each division’s four teams, the two stronger contenders were chosen. It was a close race forcing the judges of one division in particular to prolong their deliberations, unable to conclude which team should advance.

The eight semi-finalists were Herblemed of Chiang Mai University, KokuEco of the University of Hawaii at Manao, Monoxidize of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, TMN Biofuels of the National University of Singapore, I-Waseda of Waseda University of Japan, Magicare of Lingnan College Sun Yat-sen University of China, Orchid King of Thammasat University and Photon Wave Technologies of Indian School of Business. Through a random draw, a representative of each team picked their competing order for the afternoon. Before resuming the competitive rounds, every team met with the judging panel again for a feedback and review session which has proven year after year to be one of the most valuable aspects of the Thammasat Asia Moot Corp experience for participants.  

At the semi-finals, each team faced the judging panel again one by one. Described as a 30-minute fully interactive presentation, judges were allowed to interrupt freely with questions and concerns. If intellectual property is an issue, how will they ensure that their patents or ‘trade secrets’ remain protected? Is a venture’s selling point or product really so unique as to warrant a patent? Are the projected financial gains realistic? Has the team seriously considered cash flow? Assuming the investor role, judges were keen to identify any weak links in the chain of reasoning, and they were fair but relentless in doing so. Consequently, instead of being able to deliver another practiced presentation, teams were forced to stay on their toes and to dissect their venture on the spot.    

Having given their best efforts for the day, there was nothing left for the teams to do but relax at the Social Night organized at The Residence on the hotel’s mezzanine floor. The elegant but relaxed space lent itself perfectly to the night’s “Spa” theme, with the hotel’s masseuses offering shoulder and back massages to willing volunteers. The “final four” finalists were announced during this gathering: Monoxidize, Photon Wave Technologies, Orchid King and Herblemed. The remaining 8 teams that did not make the semi-finals had a random drawing to determine their presentation order for tomorrow morning’s Challenge Round, the winner of which will receive a USD 700 cash prize.