500 Southeast Asia

Are Malaysian private companies investment ready? The Edge Malaysia published our analysis on 190+ Malaysian private companies where we assessed their investment appetite (total investment amount sought), sectors they are in based on Bursa Malaysia's classifications, and their overall IPO readiness. Some insights: 💰  66% of companies interviewed have received institutional investment ✅  34 out of 198 companies are profitable, have >RM5 million annual revenue, and >20% annual revenue growth 📊 F&B, Semiconductors, and Technology Equipment are the top 3 sectors on Bursa Malaysia with the highest average post-IPO returns (within 6 months). 15 companies interviewed are in these sectors. "The pool of investment-ready companies is deeper than anticipated, but the work doesn't stop there. We must actively engage with these companies, provide them with capital, insights and co-create their path to IPO." - Shahril Ibrahim (Partner, 500 Global) The analysis was based on interviews with 198 Malaysian private companies from January 2023 to June 2024 by 500 Global. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHC7s9WM #malaysia #venturecapital #investments #bursamalaysia #bursa

150,000+ trees have been planted in Thailand this year, and Grab plans to allow users to donate and track the growth of individual trees virtually in 3D by collaborating with EcoMatcher. How does it work? A carbon offset feature on the app allows users to make a donation, and these funds support reforestation and conservation projects managed by local non-governmental organizations. Country Head of Grab Thailand, Worachat L., shared that in 2023, the team completed 24 million transactions through the app’s transport and delivery services. Beyond combating climate change, Grab and EcoMatcher involve farmers and rural residents in their tree-planting projects. This creates jobs, improves soil quality, and empowers local communities by contributing to sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4e3ZE4g #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #singapore #thailand #reforestation #carbonoffset #carbonneutral #sustainability Photo credit: Grab

500-backed integrated car e-commerce platform CARSOME’s year-on-year sales of used cars have shown remarkable growth this year. The company is set to capitalize on this growth, which is also fueled by ~US$46M in fresh working capital through partnerships with Ambank Group and Maybank. The team will continue to improve their after-sales, insurance and financing offerings to serve dealers and customers better. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/40gBOiy Aaron Kee, CFA | Eric Cheng | Jiun Ee Teoh #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #malaysia #usedcar #ecommerce Photo credit: CARSOME

500-backed super app enabler Boxo and Visa launched a new miniapp, “Practical Money Skills” by Visa. A tool for financial institutions to offer in-app financial literacy and digital skills training, the miniapp easily integrates into banking apps, lending platforms, digital wallets, and fintech solutions. Companies can now go beyond traditional services to provide individuals, families, and educators with additional value. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3UjCWhO Kaniyet Rayev #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #singapore #superapp #miniapp #financialliteracy #financialinclusion Photo credit: Austin Distel on unsplash

"I struggled to secure the capital needed to grow my fish farming business. While there were a few options available, the high interest rates significantly reduced my profits. With Kabayan, I could fulfill my needs upfront, with flexible payment terms," shared Pak Joni, a carp farmer who has been running his fish farming business since 2012. He credits 500-backed aquaculture company eFishery's Kabayan program for helping his farm expand from 24 to 40 ponds. This success, and many more, were made possible after eFishery teamed up with JULO, a licensed Indonesian fintech company. Together, they’ve provided US$11M+ financing to 6,000+ fish farmers. "The aquaculture technology we develop and JULO's financial solutions allows us to offer more comprehensive services to our partners and establish an ecosystem that positively impacts all its components, while also contributing to national food security," explained Gibran Huzaifah, Co-founder & CEO of eFishery. Read the full story: https://prn.to/3YyC6QS #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #indonesia #aquaculture #farming #fintech #financialinclusion Photo credit: JULO

500-backed fashion company Pomelo has 38 physical stores in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Cambodia, and the team also serves shoppers in Malaysia and Hong Kong. They will open a minimum of 4 new stores in Cambodia and 14 in the Philippines. Despite the ubiquity of e-commerce shopping, Co-founder & CEO David Jou shared that consumers are moving away from online-only and lower price points due to quality and environmental reasons. Read the full story on DealStreetAsia: https://bit.ly/40vtL1N David Jou #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #thailand #cambodia #philippines #fashion Photo credit: Pomelo

What does it take for a tech company to go from startup to scale-up? 🌏 Don't miss learning from investor, founder and operator Chrissy Hu, Jakob Sebastian Angele, Magnus Ekbom, and William Gaultier at #TIAConferenceJKT tomorrow. They'll be sharing innovative approaches to grow your startup, building resilient business models, leadership and team dynamics, strategies for entering new markets, and leveraging the right technology and data to accelerate growth and improve efficiency. 🎟️ Need a pass? Enjoy 20% off your conference access with the code 'TIAJKT50020' at https://lnkd.in/gswDHhyK. 500 Global | White Star Capital | SEAI Technologies | Enfactum | Tech in Asia | Tech in Asia Indonesia | Tech in Asia Events #southeastasia #venturecapital #technology #innovation #startups

63% of employees are at risk of developing mental health issues, but there is still stigma around seeking help in Southeast Asia. 500-backed digital health platform Naluri - Employee Health & Wellness is among those driving a mindset shift. Founded in Malaysia, and eventually expanding to Singapore and Indonesia, the team is now growing to Thailand by partnering with a Thai real estate developer. Naluri’s platform provides a 24/7 crisis hotline and access to an extensive range of mental health professionals. 40,000 employees from their largest client have utilized Naluri’s mental health services. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4fbwEZC Azran Osman-Rani #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #malaysia #thailand #health #healthcare #mentalhealth #digitalhealth Photo credit: Thai PBS World

“We’re not anti-coffee,” Jake Berber, Co-founder & CEO of 500-backed foodtech startup Prefer | bean-free coffee shared, referring to their coffee product upcycled from leftover bread, soy pulp, and spent grain like barley. By upcycling food, Prefer ensures that they are not reliant on ingredients that are potentially decreasing. To get a healthy supply of leftovers and spent ingredients, Prefer pays companies a token for the time and energy put in to collect and deliver them. “We think it's a very fair arrangement [and] a mutually beneficial situation where we can help them manage food waste and also turn that into a high value ingredient such as coffee,” Co-founder & CTO Ding Jie Tan shared. Coffee is just the first of a portfolio of food and beverages that the team aims to produce in a more sustainable way, by using fermentation rather than traditional agriculture. Jake revealed that the team’s next step is building up their manufacturing capacity in Singapore to serve larger volume purchasers. Listen to the full interview on Channel News Asia: https://bit.ly/3A7tk2H #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #singapore #foodtech #sustainability Photo credit: Prefer

“The world is going cashless, but kids still face high friction when it comes to going cashless because of the limitations on their banking access,” shared Founder & CEO Gokula Krishnan Subramaniam of 500-backed fintech startup Vircle. Vircle allows parents to allocate funds to their kids with specific rules about how and where the money can be spent. Children can learn how to manage money within safe parameters. The team currently serves 70 schools, with more in the process of being onboarded. Transaction volumes are growing by 8-10% per month, and Gokula hopes to breakeven by 2025. They are also looking to acquire a company in Malaysia, and form a joint venture with a partner in Southeast Asia for overseas expansion. Read the full story on Tech in Asia: https://bit.ly/4gZnPUt #500Global #500SoutheastAsia #500Strong #startups #technology #innovation #venturecapital #asia #southeastasia #malaysia #fintech #moneymanagement #financialliteracy Photo credit: Vircle