VSV Capital’s Post

“𝓢𝓾𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓱” is a movement to celebrate the unsung heroes of the fintech and VC community. Brought to you by Aspire, Fintech Nation and supported by Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), Peak XV Partners and Lightspeed Southeast Asia - these are the investors, mentors, friends and partners that have played an instrumental role in shaping the ventures we all know and love today. Next up, honouring Joo Seng Wong, CEO & Founder of Spark Systems Pte Ltd. "In mid-2017, I made the difficult decision to exit Call Levels, a startup I had co-founded and built from scratch. The months leading up to the decision were incredibly challenging, I felt like the world had collapsed around me, but I could not have made it through without the support of Joo Seng. Throughout the ordeal, he remained calm and solution-oriented, providing invaluable professional advice while also offering much-needed mental and emotional support. During moments when I felt like a failure and unsure of what to do next, Joo Seng reminded me that it’s rare for startup founders to stay all the way and sometimes, the best course of action is to let go. Joo Seng guided me through every difficult conversation with investors, hosted the final board meeting, and ensured my rights and interests were protected. He helped me navigate the pivot and consistently encouraged me to focus on the bigger picture – to think about the lessons I had gained and the connections I had forged — all invaluable opportunities I wouldn’t have encountered had I stayed in investment banking." - Cynthia Siantar, General Manager (SG) of Dynatech.AI Have some Superhumans of Fintech that you want to nominate? Submit your story here or comment below and we’ll be in touch: https://lnkd.in/gz3fwCx7

I might be a tad biased, but I'm inclined to agree with Thomas Krogh Jensen 🫣"For early-stage (pre-seed) startups the key is access" And I'd wager that the New Nordic region is where the greatest opportunities lie as of now. Our collaboration with Copenhagen Fintech 🤝 is just one example of industry players banding together to forge impactful solutions. There's a wealth of innovation unfolding within the financial sector here; from companies revolutionizing how artists earn in the music industry to crafting personalized insurance that rewards healthy lifestyle choices. This fact is consistently reaffirmed in the conversations I have with founders – 🫡not a dull moment in a day. More insights into the scene: https://lnkd.in/d_iPiT6X Currently, we're on the lookout to fund and accelerate the next generation of pre-seed fintechs, insuretechs, ESG startups, and more. Share your details and we'll be in touch👉 https://lnkd.in/dWkAhT4H

🔥 Inriskable has been selected as one of Hong Kong's top 10 hottest startups 2024. 🔥 "Born from a blend of "invisible" and "risk," InRiskable addresses the critical challenge banks face in identifying latent risks within SME operations, utilising advanced AI to efficiently and accurately filter risk levels. The startup’s platform significantly reduces due diligence time by up to 80% with a remarkable accuracy of 97%. With plans to raise seed funding and expand into Southeast Asia, InRiskable aims to become the Moody's for SME credit assessment, bridging the gap between banks and the elusive data on SMEs, thus enabling safer business practices across the financial ecosystem." https://lnkd.in/eeBg7vBY

Launching a successful FinTech startup is not easy. You need funding, exposure, and the right connections. Global Fast Track 2024 can help you with all three.  🚀 But don't wait – applications close on September 20th! Here's how Global Fast Track can help you overcome those startup hurdles: - Want global exposure? Showcase your company at Hong Kong FinTech Week, one of #Asia's leading #FinTech events, and connect with a global audience seeking innovation. - Need a boost? Semi-finalists receive a flight subsidy (up to $1,000 USD) to pitch live in Hong Kong and get a complimentary prime exhibition booth! - Seeking partners who believe in your vision? Share your #FinTech, #AI, #ESG, #Web3, or other innovation with 100+ investors and leading companies like HSBC, Bank of East Asia, and Morgan Stanley – all ready to support the next generation of innovative startups. Ready to turn your startup dreams into a reality? Apply for free today: https://lnkd.in/gn5WJ3dB Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g7DhUDv3 Invest Hong Kong | FintechHK | Finoverse #FintechHK #fintech #HK #hongkong #GFT #GFT24 #GlobalFastTrack #innovation #technology #startups #funding #investors #networking #Scaleup #GlobalExpansion #HKFTW24

As an operator and investor in ASEAN startups and scaleups over the past decade, grateful to Elevandi Navin Suri to give me an opportunity to share my experiences in the ASEAN ecosystem. Summary - The concept of growth hacking originated in Silicon Valley. When we look at startups in ASEAN, they need to create their unique model and playbook for growth hacking since many things that worked in the West would only sometimes work in the East. Over the last 10 years, ASEAN startups have developed their models based on their unique macroeconomic, customer segment, and development models through experiments and trysts with economic cycles. Unlike Silicon Valley, ASEAN startups prefer evolutionary change, and even disruptors focus on creating additional value instead of just being a replacement for incumbents. The focus on avoiding extreme free-market approaches and varying degrees of centralised planning makes the ASEAN growth model unique. ASEAN cherishes order among chaos, alignment among debate, and construction of the future before disruption. Most ASEAN economies have been independent for less than 80 years. The first 40 years after World War 2 focused on establishing the basics, such as public infrastructure, social stability, and monetary policy autonomy. Venture capital and startups have become mainstream in ASEAN in the last 20 years, only as a mixture of government initiatives, corporate venture arms by local and regional corporations, and Asian arms of global venture arms. In this paradigm, founders and investors in ASEAN apply various approaches to growth driven by its unique cultural and economic factors. Fintech Nation Singapore FinTech Festival Pat Patel Rebecca Martin Rafat Kapadia Sopnendu Mohanty / 漠汉帝 / 模範帝 / सोपनेंदु / ସୋପ୍ନେନ୍ଦୁ Damien Pang Vanessa Ho Tawishi Singh Kai Zen Theng Chris Lim

By sharing resources, knowledge, and networks, BFB and QFCA are not just supporting the growth of startups but are also contributing to the broader economic development in the region. https://lnkd.in/dd_KFtga

The Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation announced 10 semifinalists for the MilkenMotsepe Prize in FinTech, each receiving $100,000. These teams will showcase innovations at the Middle East and Africa Summit in Abu Dhabi on December 5-6, competing for a share of $2 million to enhance financial inclusion globally. Milken Institute Emily Musil Motsepe Foundation https://lnkd.in/dQPz8pGJ #MilkenMotsepePrize #FinTechInnovation #FinancialInclusion #EmergingMarkets #Startups #Entrepreneurship #FinancialTechnology #GlobalFinance

How do different industries compare at the pre-seed stage? Of course everyone has a different definition of "pre-seed". In this graphic, we based the analysis on companies who raised between $1 million and $3 million on SAFEs or Convertible Notes in 2024. X-axis: median valuation cap Y-axis: median cash raised Bubble size: total companies 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁? • As usual, B2B SaaS is the largest sector (big grey bubble in the center of the chart).    • AI, unsurprisingly, has very high cash and valuation medians. The bubble size for AI is not to scale, as it actually appears in many other sectors as well.    • Biotech (with some heavy influence from notes as opposed to SAFEs) is valued quite highly at this stage with a median valuation cap of $17 million.    • Good showings for Fintech, Healthtech, and Web3 (yes, crypto startups are still out there).    • Not so good for Edtech, Food, or Logistics. Now these metrics are reflective of many things, but the primary dynamic is supply and demand. There are certain industries (and certain founders) who can generate a higher "demand" for their companies - and there are some sectors that investors are cooler towards. Each individual negotiation will be different but hopefully this helps set some reality for fundraising founders out there - and if you want to dig deeper into pre-seed, join us tomorrow at our virtual event! 10am PT sharp, comment below for a link. VCs headed back from vacation, more deals happening — bullish on H2 2024! #startups #preseed #valuation #founder #fundraising  

Very useful information!

Fyi: Funding update: "Now these metrics are reflective of many things, but the primary dynamic is supply and demand. There are certain industries (and certain founders) who can generate a higher "demand" for their companies - and there are some sectors that investors are cooler towards." All of content: "How do different industries compare at the pre-seed stage? Of course everyone has a different definition of "pre-seed". In this graphic, we based the analysis on companies who raised between $1 million and $3 million on SAFEs or Convertible Notes in 2024. X-axis: median valuation cap Y-axis: median cash raised Bubble size: total companies 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁? • As usual, #B2B #SaaS is the largest sector (big grey bubble in the center of the chart). • AI, unsurprisingly, has very high cash and valuation medians. The bubble size for #AI is not to scale, as it actually appears in many other sectors as well. • #Biotech (with some heavy influence from notes as opposed to SAFEs) is valued quite highly at this stage with a median valuation cap of $17 million. • Good showings for #Fintech, #Healthtech, and #Web3 (yes, #crypto startups are still out there). • Not so good for #Edtech, #Food, or #Logistics. Now these metrics are reflective of many things, but the primary dynamic is supply and demand. There are certain industries (and certain founders) who can generate a higher "demand" for their companies - and there are some sectors that investors are cooler towards. Each individual negotiation will be different but hopefully this helps set some reality for fundraising founders out there - and if you want to dig deeper into pre-seed, join us tomorrow at our virtual event! 10am PT sharp, comment below for a link. VCs headed back from vacation, more deals happening — bullish on H2 2024! #startups #preseed #valuation #founder #fundraising ………………………………………………………….. RePosted by: #StartLouis is For the St. Louis Region and Beyond, EcoNetwork System for #Founders, #StartUps, #Entrepreneurs, #Innovators, #SMB’s and Others. ….. “StartLouis Where “StartUps” Start !”. Free to join, Free access to Resources and the “Top 10+ List of Resources” For: #Founders, #StartUps, #Innovators, #Entrepreneurs, #SMB’s and Others. Access via web site (MeetUp) “StartLouis”. ….. Ed Schneider, StartLouis V5.0, Founder, Principal, Lead Organizer. ….. (R:08062401). ———————————————-—-