BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: GDP Per Capita vs. Unicorns, Interest Rate Liquidity Lever & Localized Approached - E528 Jeremy Au 区汉辉 explored the evolving venture capital landscape in Southeast Asia by linking GDP per capita thresholds (US$5K in Vietnam, Indonesia & Philippines vs. US$94K Singapore) to the rise of unicorns like Gojek and Grab. Jeremy also explored the implications of high global interest rates, which have reshaped venture capital deployment, shifting focus toward early-stage investments while reducing late-stage funding. Lastly, he analyzed the diversification of startup models, such as Vietnam's localized mini-conglomerates and Singapore’s globally focused virtualized teams, emphasizing adaptability as a key driver for success in a fragmented yet promising ecosystem. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gBT7Hy3F #SoutheastAsiaStartups #VentureCapital #TechInnovation #DeepTech #AIUnicorns #EmergingMarkets #StartupEcosystem #GrowthCapital #FutureOfTech #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Product-Market Fit, Persevere vs. Pivot & Lean Build, Measure and Learn - E527 Jeremy Au 区汉辉 examined the evolution of technology marketing and communication, emphasizing the transformative impact of AI, the importance of addressing consumers' primary problems, and the iterative nature of innovation in startups. Jeremy stressed the necessity of solving consumers' most pressing problems at the right moment to achieve product-market fit, illustrating this with real-world scenarios where timing dictated success. Additionally, he underscored the iterative principles of the Lean Startup and Kaizen, which prioritize rapid building, measuring, and learning cycles to meet evolving consumer needs while minimizing errors. The discussion also touched on notable examples like Netflix’s shift from DVDs to streaming and the development of reusable rockets by SpaceX to illustrate these principles in action. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gPJpEPyj #Innovation #LeanStartup #Kaizen #Pivoting #AIRevolution #10xBetter #Startups #ProblemSolving #Entrepreneurship #BRAVEpodcast

Jeremy Au 区汉辉 Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Kristie Neo: Channel News Asia to DealStreetAsia VC Editor, Investigative Journalism, Unicorn Mismanagement (Revolution Precrafted) - E526  Kristie Neo, VC (Southeast Asia) Editor at DealStreetAsia, and Jeremy Au 区汉辉 discussed: 1. Channel News Asia to DealStreetAsia VC Editor: Kristie began her journalism career at Channel News Asia (CNA), working in documentaries and later transitioning to business news. She emphasized CNA’s commitment to telling stories through an “Asian perspective,” which shaped her approach to reporting. Later, Kristie also joined DealStreetAsia (DSA) as a venture capital and startup reporter, contributing to its growth from a small team. She highlighted the challenges of establishing credibility as a startup newsroom, including building relationships with key stakeholders and securing access to major press events. 2. Investigative Journalism: Kristie spearheaded the use of Singapore’s ACRA database to access private company filings, uncovering financial insights that shaped investigative reporting at DealStreetAsia (DSA). Her work involved analyzing complex financial reports, connecting the dots between stakeholders, and leveraging this data to produce in-depth reports. Over time, these efforts evolved into Data Vantage, a proprietary tool offering comprehensive company data and insights across Southeast Asia, becoming a critical resource for DSA’s operations. 3. Unicorn Mismanagement (Revolution Precrafted): Kristie led an exposé on Revolution Precrafted, a Philippine unicorn valued at over $1 billion, revealing fraudulent activities. Through on-ground investigations in Manila, she uncovered unfulfilled development projects and inconsistencies in financial operations. Her findings triggered a national government investigation, highlighting the risks of informal structures in Southeast Asia’s startups and emphasizing the importance of accountability and transparency in the ecosystem. Jeremy and Kristie also discussed ethical challenges in journalism, declining media trust, technology's impact on storytelling, and Southeast Asia’s cultural nuances in startup reporting. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gFiX5SEy #InvestigativeJournalism #SoutheastAsiaTech #MediaInnovation #StartupEcosystem #DigitalStorytelling #AsianNarratives #VentureCapitalInsights #TransparencyMatters #TechJournalism #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Indonesia: eFishery’s $1B Valuation Collapse, 2024 Fraud Allegations, and Sovereign Fund Exits with Shiyan Koh - E525 Shiyan K., Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, and Jeremy Au 区汉辉 discussed: 1. eFishery Fraud Allegations: Once an Indonesian agritech darling, eFishery’s end-to-end aquaculture solutions were lauded for their potential to improve farmers’ productivity and incomes. eFishery had achieved a $1 billion valuation in 2023, backed by investors like Temasek, Sequoia, Northstar, and GGV Capital. Whistleblower allegations against the founders surfaced despite significant financial oversight, including audited accounts and reputable due diligence processes. Shiyan emphasized the trust deficit such incidents cause, and drew parallels to Zilingo’s earlier downfall which caused a chilling effect on Southeast Asia’s growth-stage investments. 2. Early Exits Signals: Jeremy highlighted the divergent strategies of eFishery’s investors during its Series D round. Notable exits included Ideasource, which achieved a 40x return over a decade, and Sui Ling Cheah from Wavemaker, who bought in via secondaries in 2019 and accomplished a similar return in five years. These moves showcased varying approaches—early-stage investors seeking liquidity versus late-stage investors balancing signaling effects. They also discussed the challenges of timing exits in Southeast Asia’s market context, balancing growth ambitions with prudent capital recovery. 3. Ecosystem Red Flags: Jeremy and Shiyan debated how weak financial governance impacts Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem. Citing eFishery’s CFO resignation and earlier signals as red flags, they stressed the need for stricter board oversight and robust due diligence practices. Jeremy noted how fraud incidents strain ecosystem trust, making diligence processes longer and more expensive. Drawing parallels to the U.S., Shiyan emphasized how trust and long-term reputation are critical for founders aiming to sustain multiple ventures. They discussed how practices like misreporting revenue—common in sectors like e-commerce—distort valuations and create cascading governance failures. Additional topics included Southeast Asia’s funding culture, revenue-quality metrics, exit dynamics for early employees, and honest advice to founders. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gCDph4Ez #Startups #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #TrustInBusiness #SoutheastAsia #eFishery #GovernanceMatters #FraudAwareness #ScalingChallenges #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Unicorn & Blockbuster Hunting, Emerging Fund Returns & Southeast Asia VC Landscape - E524 Jeremy Au 区汉辉 discussed the financial returns of venture capital. Firstly, he explored the concept of power law returns, emphasizing that only 4% of startups generate 10-50x returns, with examples like WhatsApp achieving 50x and Zoom delivering 22x even at later stages. He highlighted this phenomenon's prevalence in industries such as Hollywood (blockbusters vs. average films) vs. aviation (budget airlines). Secondly, he explained the three-fund trajectory for venture capitalists to become established, while noting that Fund 1 and Fund 2 for emerging managers often outperforming due to industry veterans leveraging insider insights—citing crypto as an example where early adopters thrived in the 2010s. Lastly, he underscored the importance of governance, pointing out how founder-investor relationships hinge on balancing control rights and trust. He used examples such as the OpenAI coup attempt vs. Sam Altman and Southeast Asia’s reputation for financial mismanagement to stress the implications of governance misalignment and regulatory challenges in the region. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gVZgzrsP #VentureCapital #StartupSuccess #PowerLawReturns #FounderInvestorTrust #SoutheastAsiaStartups #InnovationLeadership #FundStrategies #RegulatoryChallenges #UnicornHunting #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Yudara Kularathne: D*ck Pics for Science, Child Emergency Doctor to AI Founder & Model Training vs. Regulatory Affairs - E523 Yudara Kularathne MD, FAMS(EM), CEO & Cofounder of HeHealth, and Jeremy Au 区汉辉 discussed: 1. D*ck Pics for Science: Yudara described the progress of HeHealth, an AI-powered men’s health app launched in 2022. The app helps users detect sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by analyzing images. Within two weeks of its release, the app received over 20,000 downloads globally, including from countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Yudara recounted a case where a user with monkeypox contributed 150 detailed images documenting his condition over two weeks to help improve the app’s diagnostic accuracy. This approach leveraged community contributions to create robust, annotated datasets while adhering to ethical guidelines. 2. Child Emergency Doctor to AI Founder: Yudara reflected on his journey from managing over 10,000 cases as a pediatric emergency doctor to founding HeHealth. During his time at Sengkang General Hospital, he built a dedicated pediatric emergency department with support from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hospital workflows and inspired him to address healthcare gaps. He cited a personal encounter in 2019, when a friend mistakenly believed he had HIV and considered suicide, as the moment that fueled his commitment to bridging stigma-driven healthcare disparities through technology. 3. Model Training vs. Regulatory Affairs: Yudara emphasized the balance between building AI models and navigating regulations. HeHealth used incremental data collection and synthetic data to improve accuracy and reduce biases, particularly for underrepresented groups. In 2023, HeHealth faced a $50 million FTC lawsuit in the U.S., citing privacy concerns about sensitive user data. Using AI tools for legal strategy and transparent communication, Yudara successfully resolved the case within two months. He highlighted how innovation often outpaces regulation and the importance of proactive collaboration with regulators to mitigate risks. Jeremy and Yudara also talked about the role of synthetic data in addressing racial biases in AI healthcare tools and the challenges of scaling health tech in emerging markets. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/guBActFr  #HealthcareInnovation #AIinMedicine #PediatricCare #EntrepreneurshipJourney #MenHealthTech #SyntheticData #StartupResilience #GlobalHealthTech #LeadershipInCrisis #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Whaling Power Law, LP Incentives & VC 2 & 20 - E522 Jeremy Au 区汉辉 explored the nuances of venture capital through three lenses. He described how LPs, such as sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors, pursue diversification and long-term returns, often seeking a 25% net IRR to justify the high risks of VC, as seen in Southeast Asia's emerging tech ecosystem. Using the "2 and 20" model, Jeremy explained that a. general partners commit 1% of the fund size (e.g., $1M for a $100M fund) as skin in the game while limited partners provide 99% of the capital. b. GPs spend 2% of the fund size on operations for 10 years and c. GPs receive 20% of the fund exit upside and LPs 80%. He shared examples like Sequoia's $100M investment in Zoom, yielding 22x returns, and Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp, which turned a $60M investment into $3B. Lastly, he likened VC to 19th-century whaling, where only 6% of deals produce 60% of returns, drawing parallels to how power-law distributions shape the industry’s focus on rare, high-value investments. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.braves https://lnkd.in/gnZe8brS #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #SoutheastAsiaTech #PowerLawReturns #UnicornHunting #TechInvestments #InnovationEconomy #EntrepreneurshipInsights #TechGrowth #BRAVEpodcast

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: VC Selection Edge vs. Startup Fraud, Local Expertise & Whaling Power Law - E521 Jeremy Au 区汉辉 discussed the nuanced challenges faced by venture capitalists in assessing startups, emphasizing the importance of local expertise and first-principles thinking. For example, he shared how his understanding of Singaporean founders—gained through years of personal interactions—provided him with an edge over Silicon Valley VCs. He highlighted the risks of fraud in Southeast Asia, citing cases like Zilingo and comparing them to global examples such as Theranos and FTX, which underscore the need for robust due diligence. He explained how VCs use strategies like hiring fraud analysts or leveraging local networks to address these risks. Drawing parallels to the 19th-century whaling industry, Jeremy illustrated how power law dynamics dominate VC returns, with only about 6% of investments producing 60% of total returns, as seen in analysis from Horsley Bridge. This perspective frames VCs as high-performance scouts navigating a market where a single unicorn, like Grab or Gojek, can make or break a fund’s success. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://lnkd.in/gt7QvKiG #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #SoutheastAsiaTech #TechLeadership #InnovationEcosystem #FraudMitigation #PowerLawReturns #EmergingMarkets #BRAVEpodcast 

This BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast interview of Gobi Partners’ Carlo Chen-Delantar is a real deep-dive into the Philippine startup ecosystem’s current state, and the various internal and external factors that influence its trajectory. If you’re curious about how the ecosystem is poised to take advantage of 2025’s opportunities, and what stakeholders need to do to overcome the hurdles, take some time to watch this. Good job on a super episode, Jeremy Au 区汉辉!