Rise of Southeast Asia’s Tech Startups

Southeast Asia is a hotbed of startup activity, with venture capital funding poised for a record year in 2021 after startups here raised a record $6 bn in the first quarter of 2021 alone. As US-listed Internet platform company Sea’s market cap swells to $150 bn, with rivals Grab and Gojek-Tokopedia also readying for exits, the region’s nascent but fast-growing tech ecosystem has drawn increasing interest from international investors. What are the drivers of Southeast Asia’s digital economy, and how can investors navigate this highly fragmented and diverse region?

In-conversation with Willson Cuaca, Managing Partner of East Ventures; and Bernadette Cho, General Manager of Entrepreneur First Singapore. The discussion was moderated by Marissa Lee, Senior Associate at Global Counsel Singapore. 

They discussed:

• Where are the best venture capital opportunities in Southeast Asia now and why?
• How can international players participate in the region’s different tech ecosystems? How can companies and investors leverage on partnerships with government institutions to expand here, and how do all parties involved benefit from such programmes?
• As the competition landscape changes, with a few players dominating key sub-sectors of the digital economy, what sort of response can we expect from regulators? How are VCs managing regulatory risk across their portfolios?