
YANGON On a balmy December evening in downtown Yangon, a diverse crowd packs into the sprawling offices of Phandeeyar, an information and communications technology hub. The event marks a milestone in Myanmar's "connectivity revolution" -- the group's second birthday, and a new phase in its training and investment programs for startups.
The space is normally filled with an intense buzz of guest lectures and training sessions for aspiring entrepreneurs, but the atmosphere tonight echoes the exuberance of a vibrant nightclub. The loud music and excited chatter subside only when David Madden, Phandeeyar's Australian founder, takes the microphone. "Myanmar faces huge challenges ... but technology can help accelerate its growth and development," he says.