By Shanshan Kao, Zinnia Lee and Catherine Wang
Since 2021, Forbes Asia has published three editions of the 100 to Watch list, which spotlights notable small companies and startups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the theme “Defying The Odds,” the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch Forum convened founders, CEOs and senior executives from the 100 to Watch companies, leading venture capitalists, top investors and members of selected Forbes lists to discuss strategies for navigating challenges and achieving profitable growth amid a tougher funding environment.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Welcome Remarks by Rana Wehbe Watson, Special Projects Director, Forbes Asia
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Forbes Asia
Session I: What's Next?
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Theodoric Chew, Cofounder and CEO of Intellect; Victor Ching, Founder and CEO of Miso; Roshni Mahtani Cheung, Founder and Group CEO of The Parentinc; and Gregory Van, Cofounder and CEO of Endowus on a panel discussion with Forbes Asia associate editor John Kang about their startup journeys.
Forbes Asia
“Everybody has different needs for mental health. Having a one-size-fits all kind of approach clearly wouldn’t work,” said Theodoric Chew, Cofounder and CEO of Intellect.
Forbes Asia
“For the first few years, I did customer service myself. If I do it as CEO, then every other employee kind of thinks, ‘this is something I might also need to do,’ ” said Victor Ching, Founder and CEO of Miso.
Forbes Asia
“No matter what, if you’re obsessed about your customer, you’ll be able to listen and build something that makes sense,” said Roshni Mahtani Cheung, Founder and Group CEO of The Parentinc.
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“When we say we’re a wealthtech company, the wealth part is changing the business model, and the tech part is changing the service model,” said Gregory Van, Cofounder and CEO of Endowus.
Session II: FedEx Small Business Grant Contest
Selected from the latest 100 to Watch list, four founders pitched live to a panel of judges: Brian Cu, Cofounder and CEO of SariSuki; Kamarul A Muhamed, Founder and Group CEO of Aerodyne; Larry Ridwan, Founder and CEO of Fresh Factory; and Tan Min-Han, Founder and CEO of Lucence.
Brian Cu, Cofounder and CEO of SariSuki.
Forbes AsiaKamarul A Muhamed, Founder and Group CEO of Aerodyne.
Forbes AsiaLarry Ridwan, Founder and CEO of Fresh Factory.
Forbes AsiaTan Min-Han, Founder and CEO of Lucence.
Forbes AsiaSession III: AMA - The VC Edition
Forbes Asia
Amit Anand, Founding Partner and Managing Director of Jungle Ventures; Jenny Lee, Senior Managing Partner of Granite Asia; and David Su, Founding Managing Partner of Matrix Partners China, on a moderated ‘Ask Me Anything’ session where founders in the audience get the opportunity to interact with some of the region’s top VCs.
Forbes Asia
“Make sure, at least in your home ground, you are such a dominant force that when the floodgates open…you’re in the best position to win this,” said Amit Anand, Founding Partner and Managing Director at Jungle Ventures.
Forbes Asia
“As of last year, we have been seeing actually good quality companies come up for fundraising because now they have done their housekeeping, they’re ready to think about expansion,” said Jenny Lee, Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia.
Forbes Asia
“I’m of the school that no startup started with thinking of changing the world from day one. It’s about fixing a specific issue,” said David Su, Founding Managing Partner at Matrix Partners China.
Session IV: FedEx Small Business Grant Contest - Results Announcement
Forbes Asia
(From left to right) Kawal Preet, President – Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) of FedEx Express, with finalists of the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest: Winner (Lucence) and Special Mention (SariSuki, Aerodyne and Fresh Factory).
Session V: In Conversation with Koh Boon Hwee, Chairman, Altara Ventures, Chairman, SGX Group
Moderated by Justin Doebele, Editor and Vice President - Content at Forbes Asia.
Forbes Asia
Forbes Asia
“Most people want to get rich quick. No one wants to get rich slowly…yet I would say, if you put a sporting analogy to it, you win more ball games by winning singles than home runs.”
Networking
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Forbes Asia
Forbes Asia
Forbes Asia
Forbes Asia
Forbes Asia
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