Singapore – CNBC has announced it has teamed up with an expert in small and medium business e-commerce and award-winning London video agency Hub to create a brand new business entertainment show, Pop Up Start Up which debuts in Asia on 17 December.

The series will follow 12 aspiring manufacturing entrepreneurs who go head to head to win a £20,000 cash prize.  In each episode, two candidates are given seed money and challenged to mass produce and sell their products in a pop up shop. Expert mentors and judges including branding guru Rita Clifton CBE, pop up pioneer Roger Wade and Pete Wild from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, provide guidance and advice to the contestants on how to manufacture, import, market and sell the products. The contestant who makes the most profit each week wins the £20,000 prize.

Sophie Wu, President of Wholesale Marketplaces at Alibaba Group said, “We really see Pop Up Start Up as a great illustration of how to do business in today’s dynamic environment. We look forward to showcasing the huge talent of the contestants and hope to provide inspiration to UK startups and small businesses around the world on how to join in the new digital economy.”

Martin Conroy, Executive Producer at CNBC International, said, “Pop Up Start Up speaks to the network’s entrepreneurial spirit and also fits well amongst our evening programming slate. We know our audience has a real appetite for business programming with personality and Pop Up Start Up delivers just that.”