How Cybersecurity Pioneer Flexxon Transformed Challenges into Opportunities for Growth
Camellia Chan, CEO and Founder of Flexxon
“To succeed, you need to have control over your own destiny. Once you know your goals, work with your team to achieve them and remember that branding and innovation are key pillars in getting the results you look for. This is how you become successful and remain ahead of the pack.”
Camellia Chan, CEO and Founder of Flexxon
Founded in Hong Kong with its regional office based in Singapore, Flexxon is the world’s leader in developing and distributing AI Embedded Cyber Secure SSD, and is also a pioneer in the design, manufacture, and retail of industrial NAND flash storage and memory devices.
Since its establishment in 2007, the company has grown into one of the most renowned developers of highly reliable storage devices, and today has the largest account base of Cybersecurity, Industrial, Medical and Automotive (CIMA) customers in the world.
Transforming challenges into opportunities
Founded just before the Global Financial Crisis hit in 2008, Flexxon experienced challenges early on, with a lot of their major clients unable to fulfill payment contracts. The company quickly learnt that to move past challenges, you need to face, manage, and evolve from them in order to survive and grow stronger. This approach was nurtured by CEO and Founder Camellia Chan, who in 2021, was named one of the “Top 10 Women in Cybersecurity” by Cyber Defense Magazine, and who led the company to win the Startup Pitch Pit organised by Govware Singapore earlier this year.
When Chan first started Flexxon, cybersecurity solutions were not her core focus. With a flair for innovation and years of working with customers, Chan and her team noticed a market gap and realised that they needed to make cybersecurity solutions not just a backdrop, but a core developmental strategy. This paid off, as the years following Flexxon’s inception saw a sharp rise in the day-to-day use of technologies, be it on individual or corporate levels, in response to a dramatic increase in cyberattacks globally.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. As the health crisis accelerated cross-sector digitalisation, the need for cybersecurity solutions became urgent. Flexxon grabbed the opportunity, using its prior experience and market-leading products to help companies put in place and strengthen their digital security capabilities whilst preparing them for any potential threats.
Flexxon’s expertise in the industry is recognised by relevant industry leaders like Lenovo, as the two have teamed up to make one of the world’s most secured laptops to be rolled out by the end of 2021. The laptop is expected to enhance users’ level of cybersecurity with relatively low investment, which could significantly benefit SMEs.
Hong Kong’s flexible business environment enables Flexxon’s growth
Hong Kong’s dynamic working culture, efficient public administration and robust legal protection mechanisms, contributed to Flexxon’s business growth in the Asia region. With the city providing such a flexible environment to do business, the company was able to pursue its goal of designing products with a long life cycle, focusing on the automotive and medical markets – two sectors which require customisation and expertise from non-tech actors.
Hong Kong’s can-do spirit – one that values collaboration, resilience and where bigger corporations support the growth of peers, is something that Flexxon is grateful for. For example, HSBC provided tailor-made financial advice to the company and visited its office to show support.
Chan also believes that having a presence in Hong Kong allows Flexxon to tap into the diverse talent available and serves as a steppingstone for the company’s expansion plan to Mainland China and ASEAN countries.
Nov 2021