The company's co-founders, Nattachai Ungsriwong, 27, and Pairoj Buapuean, 28, said with pride that each had already paid back their parents the Bt100,000 they borrowed to establish Createch, which is capitalised at Bt1 million.

"We repaid them more than we borrowed and the company's capital is already fully paid up," said Nattachai, the company's managing director.

He added that this year the company, which has 10 employees, targets revenue of Bt30 million, double that of last year.

The friends seriously discussed having their own future in the mobile software business when they met as students at the computer engineering faculty at Kasetsart University. They set up the company after graduating in 2002.

Initially they used Nattachai's house as their office and mainly produced software to enable handheld computer devices to access stock-market information, said deputy managing director Pairoj.

Six months later the company moved to tap the increase in demand for mobile phones by making the trademark mobile application SmartThai, which enables handheld computer devices and Symbian-based mobile phones to support the Thai language.

At the same time they enlisted Warakorn Kunawong, 28 - from the same faculty - to be the company's third major shareholder.

The partners initially promoted their brainchild by offering it as a free download amongst local online communities. Then they knocked on the doors of the handset-makers and distributors to sell SmartThai to them on a licensing basis.

Createch later joined with Total Access Communication (DTAC) to introduce a service that sends e-mail messages from DTAC customers' free mail accounts to their mobile phones when there is an incoming mail message. The names of the mail senders and topics are sent to the customers' phones. If they want to read the full text, they have to access their emails from the phones via DTAC's high-speed cellular network.

Pairoj said the company was now focusing on assisting telecom companies to encourage their customers to access data via their high-speed networks.

Now with a firm footing in the business, the partners said they aimed for Createch to be a major provider of products and services. They also have a common ambition to eventually list the firm on the stock exchange.

They said the door to the software market nowadays was wider open than at any time over the past five years. There are many state and educational institutions that are ready to groom and finance those who want to enter hi-tech businesses.

"All you need is good business plans and, of course, the utmost confidence that you can do it," added Nattachai.

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation