KUCHING – For students of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Jesper Aw and Justin Aw, entrepreneurship extends beyond learning business concepts in the classroom. Through their student-led venture, Robocafe Sdn Bhd, they are gaining practical experience in developing and operating SaKopi, an AI robotic café At Swinburne Sarawak campus.
Jesper, a Year 2 Bachelor of Business student, and Justin, a Year 1 Diploma of Business Administration student, are responsible for the commercial operation of SaKopi. The venture gives them an opportunity to apply what they have learned through their studies while dealing with the practical demands of running a business.
From business concpets to real decisions
Developing SaKopi has required the students to work through areas such as opportunity recognition, customer validation, business model development, pricing operations, supplier coordination, marketing and customer experience. As a result, rather than working solely with a hypothetical business model, they are making decisions involving real customers, costs, physical infrastructure, technology and day-to-day operations.
SaKopi’s AI-enabled robotic café system was developed through student-led venture Robocafé Sdn Bhd, with the support of the Swinburne Sarawak Entrepreneurship Hub – bringing a working commercial venture to Swinburne Sarawak’s campus.
“Working on SaKopi has shown us that building a business is very different from simply developing an idea. We have had to think about customers, costs, operations, technology and how to respond when things do not go exactly as planned,” said Jesper. “In particular, what we learned through our studies gave us a framework, but running SaKopi has taught us how to apply that knowledge in a real environment,” he added.
The experience reflects the practical approach to entrepreneurship education supported by the Swinburne Sarawak Entrepreneurship Hub, which encourages students to move from learning about entrepreneurship to practising it through venture development.
An Ecosystem for Student Ventures
SaKopi was developed through the wider entrepreneurship ecosystem around the Swinburne Sarawak Entrepreneurship Hub. Specifically, the initiative brings together an industry partner, a student-led operating venture and the University as an environment in which the venture is developed and operated.
The students took responsibility for developing SaKopi as a commercial venture rather than the University operating the vending machine itself. This approach gives them first-hand experience of the responsibilities involved in running a business, from managing operational requirements to responding to customer needs.
In addition, Swinburne Sarawak supports the students through mentoring via the Entrepreneurship Hub, connections with industry and technology partners, commercial development and discussions around the campus installation and operating model.
The University provides the campus location and access to power for the SaKopi machine. Meanwhile, the student venture is responsible for installation, maintenance, consumables, insurance and day-to-day operations.
This arrangement gives the students ownership of their venture while providing an environment in which they can apply their knowledge and develop their business.
Learning through real-world experience
SaKopi features an AI-enabled robotic arm and automated beverage preparation. While the technology is central to the venture, the experience extends beyond operating the robotic café. For Jesper and Justin, the project involves making decisions, responding to operational challenges and managing the responsibilities associated with developing a commercial venture.
“What matters most about SaKopi is not the robotic arm itself, but what the students learn by taking responsibility for a real venture,” said Dr Gabriel Wee, who led the initiative while serving as Chief of the Entrepreneurship Hub at Swinburne Sarawak.
“They have to move beyond ideas and presentations and deal with customers, suppliers, costs, operations and uncertainty. Ultimately, that is where entrepreneurship education becomes very real.”
Jesper Aw (pictured) and Justin Aw worked closely with Dr Gabriel Wee, who served as Chief of the Entrepreneurship Hub at Swinburne Sarawak, in developing SaKopi from concept to commercial operation.
Through initiatives such as SaKopi, the Swinburne Sarawak Entrepreneurship Hub provides opportunities for students to take ideas developed through their university experience towards real venture development. For Jesper and Justin, SaKopi offers an opportunity to put their business knowledge into practice and gain first-hand experience of what it takes to develop and operate a working venture.
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