Supermomos

Just last Monday, on Aug 12, I had the honor of moderating a discussion for a special all-Singaporean panel in the heart of New York ❤️. Co-organized by Supermomos, Singapore Global Network, and Enterprise Singapore, I was able to glean insights from Shang-Wei Chow, Managing Director of Vertex Holdings and Head of the Vertex Exploratory fund, and Ethan Chan, Co-Founder & CEO of Allium, on founding, running, and fundraising for early-stage startups. It was a solid hour packed with lots of nuggets of wisdom and perspectives from different sides of a coin – a startup founder and an investor. I'm sharing some of the key insights I took away: For startups, as Ethan said, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for finding product-market fit. For Allium, what worked out for him in the early days was focusing on the customers as they built the product, talking to as many as possible, finding out what their real pain points were and pivoting quickly. When it came to fundraising in a not-so-bullish climate, he stayed focused on building a great product and team, which attracted the right investors. Shang-Wei offered valuable insights into the US and Asian fundraising landscapes, emphasizing Singapore's evolving role as a global tech hub. He highlighted Singapore's strategic position in the BLOCK71 Global initiative, which aims to expand the city-state's entrepreneurial ecosystem worldwide. There are currently more than 400 VC firms based in Singapore. The panel discussion ended with one common piece of advice to founders: how to rise above the macroeconomic environment and stay resilient, focused, and persist in building out a great company and technology. 🎁 Bonus: Ethan recommended a book that he's currently reading to any founder on the startup journey – "The Mom Test," a strategy for getting insights out of potential users, even when said potential users may be prone to lying to you. Link to the book: https://lnkd.in/exd5vd-M Thank you again to the panelists for sharing so generously, the organizers for this insightful learning event to connect overseas Singaporeans and friends of Singapore, and last but not least, the audience for your enthusiastic participation! I hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as I did. Katie Lee Cheryl Lee Darren Lee Cheng Loong Henry Yen Youshen Lim

🌟 VC Asia Insights from the Supermomos x Enterprise Singapore x Singapore Global Network Event in NYC! 🌟 Earlier this week, our Managing Director Investment at the Vertex Exploratory Fund, Shang-Wei Chow, had the privilege of sharing his insights at "ASEAN Founders and VCs” Fireside Chat & Mixer, alongside Ethan Chan, Co-Founder & CEO of Allium and hosted by Supermomos, Singapore Global Network, and Enterprise Singapore. The event brought together a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and investors eager to explore the evolving landscape of capital in Asia. Shang Wei highlighted Southeast Asia as a thriving investment hub, driven by a large consumer base, supportive policies, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and a robust talent pool. Citing Singapore's BLOCK71 Global as an example, the ecosystem builder has gone beyond its 11,000 sqft space in Singapore to establish presence in Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and the US. Despite this, Shang Wei also cautioned that the fundraising environment still remains challenging. Startups should initiate fundraising early to ensure adequate runway. Moreover, he stressed the importance of a strong founder-investor fit with the relationship being a 2-way street, emphasizing the need for founders to find investors who will journey with them even in challenging times and are able to provide value beyond capital. Thanks again to Supermomos Edwina Cheng (Edwina Yeo 杨时恩) Brian Christian Singapore Global Network Cheryl Lee Enterprise Singapore Darren Lee Cheng Loong for organising the event! #VertexHoldings #StartupEcosystem #AsiaCapital #Fundraising #Innovation #Supermomos #Venturecapital

We had a fantastic GTM & Marketing Masterclass series on Monday, featuring the SVP of Singapore Tourism Board, Rachel L. The event was co-hosted with Singapore Global Network, together with Perkins Coie. Thank you Rachel for the wonderful insights and Cheryl Lee for the expert moderation! Here are a few key takeaways from the masterclass: 👉 Strive for remarkability. Go back to the root of the word and ask yourself: Is your marketing worth remarking about? 👉 Break down your marketing strategy into 3 points: (a) Stories - what makes your story memorable? (b) Fans - who are your fans? As Paul Graham also says: It's better to have 100 people that love you than a million people that just sort of like you. Find that 100 people that love you and work to double down on them! (c) Channels - how do you make your ideas spread? Keep them simple - only one key message! 👉 Resource-constrained organizations must prioritize delivering one clear and impactful message rather than diluting efforts with volume Join us for our next panel discussion featuring ASEAN Founders and Funders! #Tech #Travel #NYC #GTM #Marketing

Thank you to my amazing co-host from Supermomos and Gunderson Dettmer for your partnership in creating another memorable Female Entrepreneur roundtable with us Titanium Ventures. This was our 8th roundtable since inception last year. I am looking forward to connecting with more great female entrepreneurs. Eugin Lee Melissa Marks Edwina Cheng (Edwina Yeo 杨时恩) Katie Lee #AlwaysAmazing #FemaleEntrepreneur #WomenInBusiness #VenturesCapital #StartupCommunity #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Founders

Gunderson Dettmer partnered with Titanium Ventures and Supermomos to host a female founder dinner as part of their ongoing series. The event brought together female venture-backed founders and executives for an evening of networking and facilitated discussions, led by Maggie Zhou, Eugin Lee and Gunderson Dettmer partner Melissa Marks where they discussed growth & scaling, fundraising concerns, shared insights and more. #FemaleFounders #Dinner #NY #Roundtable

We had an empowering Female Private Founders Dinner last night, co-hosted with Titanium Ventures and Gunderson Dettmer. A huge thank you to Maggie Zhou, Eugin Lee, and Melissa Marks for driving the conversations, and to all the incredible female founders in attendance who made this event so impactful✨ Join us for our Founders and Funders Fireside Chat series at the end of August, co-panelled by Maggie Zhou! #NYC #Tech #Supermomos #FemaleFounder #FemaleFunder #Community

Last week, we hosted an unforgettable Tech Alumni Spirit Night together with Cornell Tech, with over 300 of tech's brightest minds from Cornell University, Columbia University, and New York University in attendance🤩 It was a vibrant and engaging night, brimming with nostalgia, joyful reunions, and delicious drinks. We can't wait to see you at our upcoming Summer Soiree👀 #Tech #FAANG #NYC #Supermomos #Community

Earlier this week, we co-hosted an insightful panel discussion on real estate investing and 1031 exchange basics together with Plotify and JTC Group, featuring Anish Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Plotify (raised $17M+), Justin Amos, Senior National Sales Manager and 1031 Specialist for JTC, Akanksha Raina, a seasoned real estate professional from McKinsey & Company, and William Dickey from Plotify who moderated the panel. Here are some takeaways from the panel: ✅ Be proactive and start early with real estate investing, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool even in high-interest rate environments. Consistent investment in cash-flowing rental properties can provide both immediate income and long-term appreciation ✅ Diversifying your portfolio is essential for mitigating risks and maximizing returns. Investors should consider emerging markets and trends, such as the shift to suburban living and the changing demands for space ✅ Leveraging 1031 exchanges to transition personal residences into investment properties can help defer capital gains taxes, working with a qualified intermediary to facilitate the 1031 process can provide peace of mind by ensuring compliance, and benefitting from expert guidance ✅ Exploring innovative strategies like reverse exchanges to obtain more flexibility in finding replacement properties, or combining 1031 exchanges with tax-advantaged strategies like the 121 exemption, can provide investors with additional options to meet their specific needs Please always consult a tax advisor or legal expert to tailor these strategies to your circumstances and ensure they comply with the current regulations. The event was an excellent opportunity for fellow real estate investors, professionals, and enthusiasts to discuss strategies, obtain diverse perspectives, forge valuable relationships, and further deepen their exposure to deferring taxes, diversifying portfolios, and building generational wealth through property investments. #realestate #investing #1031 #tech #community

It was my pleasure to sit beside experts, Justin Amos and Akanksha Raina, to discuss the power of real estate investing with planned and customized portfolio-building, including optimizing the use of financing and tax incentives. First-time to seasoned investors in the audience engaged actively in the conversation with a range of questions from the fundamentals of real estate investing to specific risks and tax benefits associated with investing in cash-flowing properties. A special thank you to JTC Group and JTC Institutional Client Services – US for co-hosting this in-person panel session and networking event, and to Justin Amos for educating our audience on 1031 Exchanges within real estate investing strategies. We look forward to continuing these conversations and building insights that help empower our Plotify Members to build wealth. Thank you Supermomos for arranging this event and sharing more about real estate investing within your community. #Plotify #RealEstate #Investing #Networking #PanelSession #EventSuccess #1031Exchanges #WealthBuilding #TaxAdvantagedInvestment

This week, Gunderson Dettmer sponsored Supermomos's Early Stage Founders Dinner, an evening that brought together individuals in the New York venture capital industry, including Gunderson partner Steve Baglio. Steve said, “I had a great time connecting with this group of engaging, smart and passionate founders. Events like these are invaluable for fostering the type of collaboration and camaraderie that can catalyze the future of innovation in New York City. I look forward to continuing to support this vibrant community.” #NY #Supermomos #EarlyStage #GundersonSponsored