Headline - Asia

🎉 Headline Asia Year in Review: 2024 Highlights 🎉 As the year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on an incredible 2024 filled with milestones and momentum. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve accomplished together: 🚀 Fund 5 Launch Targeting ¥27.5B (~$180M USD) to support early-stage startups across Japan and APAC. 🌟 Portfolio Growth From Pi-xcels advancing NFC tech to Tyme Group achieving unicorn status, our portfolio companies raised groundbreaking rounds, driving innovation across e-commerce, AI, fintech, and beyond. 🎤 Event Spotlights ▪️IVS 2024 KYOTO: With 12.5k+ attendees and 800 speakers, we hosted Japan's largest innovation conference. ▪️LAUNCHPAD SEED 2024: Celebrated Elcyo’s self-adjusting glasses as the pitch contest winner. ▪️IVS Beta: Explored M&A strategies, AI trends, and life post-funding. 📰 In the Press Featured across Forbes, Nikkei, Bloomberg, CNN, and PitchBook, showcasing our founders’ successes and our vision for APAC innovation. 💡 Expert Insights We shared stories, strategies, and lessons from trailblazing founders and emerging innovators throughout the year. Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to an inspiring 2025 filled with bold ideas, impactful collaborations, and game-changing startups. See you at IVS KYOTO 2025! Wishing you all a joyful holiday season, —The Headline Asia Team --- Akio T., Joseph Huang, Akihiko Okamoto, Brian Yen, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kenneth Jeng, Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su,Tatsuya Kawamura, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU

🚀 Founders Journey with respond.io: Iaroslav Kudritskiy 🚀 At IVS Kyoto, the biggest conference we host in Japan to connect founders and investors, we sat down with Iaroslav Kudritskiy (Jaro), co-founder of respond.io. From a small office in Hong Kong, respond.io has grown into a global leader in enterprise messaging solutions, now serving over 10,000 companies across 86 countries. 🌟 Why Respond.io Stands Out: ▪️ Precision Through Pivots: Early iterations focused on user feedback helped create a platform that truly meets market needs. ▪️ Reliability at Scale: Respond.io’s robust infrastructure has earned the trust of large-scale enterprises worldwide. ▪️ Relentless Innovation: Weekly product updates keep the platform ahead of market demands. 💬 Jaro summed it up: “We realized that success isn’t a destination but a journey defined by constant adjustment and growth.” Akio T., our founding partner, captured the global ambition behind Respond.io best: “We see the huge Go Global ambition behind the Respond.io technology and are proud to support the team and its mission to connect brands with customers across industries.” Their vision aligns seamlessly with our commitment to fostering global ventures in our Go Global strategy. Respond.io continues to set the standard for enterprise communication, and we remain dedicated to supporting their growth across borders. ➡️ Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter "Beyond Borders" here: https://lnkd.in/geibVRvg --- c.c Gerardo Salandra, Hassan Ahmed, Akihiko Okamoto, Joseph Huang, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Jennifer Lin, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU, Tatsuya Kawamura, Agata Krzysztofik, Kate Ng Jia Yi, Polina Alexandrova, Jerad Tan, Zong You Lai, Jackson Loo, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kate L., Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi

🌟 IVS Beta: From Check to Partnership – Event Highlights At IVS Beta, founders and investors came together to explore how VC funding can lead to stronger partnerships. Jason Chih Hsuan Lu (達盈管顧 Darwin Venture Management), 郭家齊 (Andy Kuo, PopChill 拍拍圈), TseHsin (Jason) Huang (FunNow), and Kate L. (Headline Asia) shared real-world insights on what works—and what doesn’t. Here’s what stood out: 🔹 Be transparent – Monthly updates, including challenges, help investors know how to support you. 🔹 Scale smart – Series B and beyond? Build communication pipelines for regional growth. 🔹 More than money – Investors can offer connections, insights, and strategic advice. 🔹 Collaborate wisely – Founder roundtables can spark unexpected growth ideas. ➡️ Read the full recap for tips that founders and investors can apply today here: https://lnkd.in/gHFrcmHC --- Akio T., Joseph Huang, Akihiko Okamoto, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Brian Yen, Jackson Loo, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Tatsuya Kawamura, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU

🚀 Kicking Off the New Year with Part 2 of Naoki Aoyagi’s Founder Journey! In this segment, Aoyagi dives into newmo's recent milestones and future vision. Notably, in October 2024, the company raised $106𝐌 (¥16.7 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠—a testament to its commitment to delivering user-focused, sustainable regional mobility solutions. We invite you to watch the full interview to gain deeper insights into Aoyagi's journey and Newmo's future plans ➡️ Missed Part 1? Catch up here: https://lnkd.in/guq7f7JN --- Rika Nakazawa, Akio T., Joseph Huang, Akihiko Okamoto, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU, Brian Yen, Jennifer Lin, Kate L., Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Tatsuya Kawamura, Whiplus Wang,

🎄 Happy Holidays from our Partners Akio T., Joseph Huang, Akihiko Okamoto, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, and the whole Headline - Asia / IVS Family! As the year comes to a close, we’re excited to share we are in the final leg of closing our Fund V — a significant step in expanding our global reach and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs across Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and beyond. Looking ahead, we’re already gearing up for IVS 2025 in Kyoto—a chance to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the amazing ideas shaping the startup world. We’d love to see you there! Thank you for being part of our journey this year. We’re grateful for the community of founders, investors, and friends who inspire us every day. Wishing you a holiday season full of joy and a new year filled with possibility. Warm regards, The Headline Asia Team --- Brian Yen, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kenneth Jeng, Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Tatsuya Kawamura, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi,CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU

🌎 Beyond Borders: Scaling into Japan and APAC 🌎 🚀 Tyme Hits Unicorn Status! Congratulations to Tyme Group on their $250M Series D round led by Nubank, valuing the company at $1.5B! Earlier this year, Tyme acquired our portfolio company SAVii, paving the way for expansion into payroll-enabled financial products in Southeast Asia. 📡 Venture Radar Recap Spotlighting APAC’s most promising startups: ▪️ Halluminate - Jerry Wu, Wyatt Marshall ▪️SaveDay - Huy Ngo Xuan, Phuong Nguyen ▪️Civils.ai - Stevan Lukic ▪️Pie Systems - Sunny Long, Dominic S.  🌎 Expert Corner Recap At IVS Kyoto, leaders from AppWorks, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, and Cool Japan Fund クールジャパン機構 shared strategies for thriving in East Asia’s dynamic startup landscape.  Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter "Beyond Borders" here: https://lnkd.in/geibVRvg--- --- Akio T., Joseph Huang, Brian Yen, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kenneth Jeng,Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Kohei Suzuki, Tatsuya Kawamura, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU,

Congratulations to Tyme Group on securing a $250 million Series D funding round, led by Nubank, advancing Tyme to a $1.5 billion valuation and unicorn status. Tyme is a digital banking group offering accessible and affordable financial services in South Africa and the Philippines, with plans to expand into Southeast Asia. Earlier this year, Tyme Group acquired our portfolio company SAVii, the largest fintech salary lender in the Philippines. Savii, wil be playing a pivotal role to Tyme’s business, boosting their growth trajectory and expansion into payroll-enabled financial products. ➡️ To read more on TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/gUaxU7Ew ➡️ To read more on Financial Times: https://lnkd.in/e-mZUbRG ➡️ To read more on Bloomberg: https://lnkd.in/g499K6UK --- Brian Yen, Thomas Jeng, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Kohei Suzuki, Tatsuya Kawamura, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU,

🌏 East Asia’s Startup Playbook 🌏 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢? At IVS Kyoto last year, Min-Jeong Lee (Bloomberg) moderated a discussion featuring Joseph Chan (AppWorks), Cindy Chow (Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund), and Kenichi Sawaya (Cool Japan Fund クールジャパン機構). Their insights revealed strategies for thriving in East Asia’s startup ecosystem and touched on : ▪️Southeast Asia’s Potential ▪️AI Applications ▪️Regionalization ▪️Japan’s Assets ▪️Post-COVID Funding Have a look below for the full conversation. 📩 Want insights on our next IVS event? Connect with Shimakawa Toshiaki, Tomokazu Okada & Guillaume Defer to learn more! --- Brian Yen, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kenneth Jeng, Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Ian Su, Kohei Suzuki, Tatsuya Kawamura, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU, Kate L.

📡  We are back with another Venture Radar: highlighting APAC's Emerging Innovators 📡  This week features four standout startups transforming APAC industries: ▪️ Halluminate: Evaluation tools for AI agent governance and optimization.   👥: Jerry Wu, Wyatt Marshall ▪️ SaveDay: A tool to save, highlight, and organize web content.   👥: Huy Ngo Xuan, Phuong Nguyen ▪️ Civils.ai: Automates construction workflows from building codes.   👥: Stevan Lukic ▪️ Pie Systems: Streamlined, paperless VAT refund platform.   👥: Sunny Long, Dominic S. Want to learn more? Connect with Jeremy Kai Proctor, Jennifer Lin, Jackson Loo, and Kate L.. Stay ahead—subscribe to Beyond Borders! https://lnkd.in/g-ijHiJt --- Akio T., Joseph Huang, Akihiko Okamoto, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Brian Yen, Thomas Jeng,Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Kohei Suzuki, Tatsuya Kawamura, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU,

🌎 Beyond Borders: Scaling into Japan and APAC with Headline Asia 🌎 Last week’s highlights: ▪️ Founder Journey with forest inc. 🇯🇵 At this year’s IVS Kyoto, we sat down with Michael (Akira) Takahashi, Co-Founder and CFO of forest inc., to talk about their mission to elevate Japanese e-commerce brands to the global stage. Our talk covered four key areas: Bridging Gaps, Diversity as Innovation, Growth Mindset, and Global Vision. ▪️ On the Ground Recaps: 🇹🇼 IVS Beta: From Check to Partnership IVS Beta brought together founders and investors to explore how to turn VC investments into impactful partnerships. The panel featured: Jason Chih Hsuan Lu ( 達盈管顧 Darwin Venture Management), 郭家齊 (Andy Kuo) ( PopChill 拍拍圈), TseHsin (Jason) Huang (FunNow), and moderator Kate L. ( Headline - Asia) 🇯🇵 Tokyo Venture Breakfast by JAFCO, Headline Asia & VivaTech Last week, we partnered with JAFCO and Viva Technology, to host an intimate breakfast for Tokyo's leading investors and global angels. ➡️ Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter "Beyond Borders" here: https://lnkd.in/geibVRvg --- Shingo Yuhara, Akio T., Joseph Huang, Brian Yen, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kenneth Jeng, Thomas Jeng, Jennifer Lin, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Ian Su, Kohei Suzuki, Tatsuya Kawamura, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi,CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU,