Picus Capital’s Post

Corporate Venturing isn't a walk in the park. In today's business environment, competition has evolved beyond products to encompass the ability to build and orchestrate entire ecosystems of value around fundamental customer needs or market opportunities. This shift requires corporations to rethink their corporate venturing programme. Corporate venturing for innovation and growth now requires orchestrating a symphony of collaboration among all stakeholders including corporations, startups, innovation partners, and many more. The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) has been at the forefront of championing and supporting corporate venturing in Asia. With its Corporate Venture Launchpad, EDB has been the catalyst for the vibrant corporate venturing ecosystem in Singapore, helping corporations to develop and improve their corporate venturing capabilities. The Corporate Venture Launchpad programme is a great example of how public-private partnerships not only accelerate innovation but also fuels job creation and economic growth. As a corporate venture studio based in Singapore, we are excited to witness the transformative power of initiatives like these. Looking forward to continuing to champion innovation, drive growth, and shape the future of our industry together! 💡🌏 #CorporateVenturing #Innovation #Partnerships #Singapore Sebastien Picard l Eelee Lua l Julia Chin l HongJing (Jingles) K. l Shi Mei Chin l Beatrix Tay l Emma Chiau l Kenny Wongchamcharoen l Zee H

What’s the most creative place you’ve pitched from? Let me share mine... It was the end of a beautiful day on a tiny island in Indonesia 🌞 Despite being on a so-called "vacation", I was full of energy, preparing to pitch our vision to a US-based investor. Our groundbreaking idea? Disrupting the learning and development space with a revolutionary learning infrastructure 🚀 With no desk in sight, I turned my trusty luggage into a workstation 💼 (special shout-out to that turquoise suitcase that traveled the world 🌍 before meeting its end in Porto, during the inncivio launch with Félix and Anna). This memory takes me back to those early days of inncivio and gets me excited for the unpredictable adventures ahead - especially with the Antler residency starting in NYC in 2 weeks 🗽 Your turn: Where’s the weirdest place you’ve pitched from? On a beach? Under a blanket? Share your craziest story in the comments below ⬇️! I can’t wait to read them! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #FutureOfWork

Malaysia is rated the best country in Southeast Asia and the tenth best globally to start a business, according to a study by the leading business name generation tool, Business Name Generator, which analyzed 52 countries worldwide. Despite having a relatively low GDP per capita, Malaysia boasts a predicted economic growth of 4.3%, which is higher than those of the top nine countries in the ranking. It also offers the fourth best value for hotdesking, making it an attractive location for new businesses needing office space.

Yesterday's event is definitely in the running for the coolest venue this year. I was hosted, together with a party of founders and investors, on the Clipper Stad Amsterdam, an historical reconstruction of a mid-19th century Dutch tea clipper that sailed halfway across the world from Amsterdam to #Singapore. The Clipper is 76 metres long, carries 31 sails, and has an authentic square rig and a pointed bow. It is registered as a working Dutch passenger ship. But, quite apart from the very cool venue, it was the discussion on board that I found most interesting. Here are some key takeaways: 1. In a funding winter, investors are exploring different models for funding #innovation. These could be a venture studio like venturerock; corporate ventures such as the many facilitated by our client Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) New Ventures; direct investments by some 1,600 family offices now based in Singapore; or organisations like She Loves Tech, whose mission is to narrow the gender gap in terms of tech funding and opportunities. 2. Developed economies like the US and Western Europe may be more lucrative markets for businesses like consumer tech and enterprise software, but it is in the developing world that the biggest problems of the next 100 years will be solved. Problems of access, sustainability, and climate action, that affect not only the developing world but the entire world. 3. Singapore remains the world's undisputed springboard to Asia, and founders and funders of innovation should consider setting up businesses here to tap into the region. We are the "best place in the world to do business", the "smartest city in Asia", the second most innovative country in the world, and "the most liveable location in the world". Our Changi Airport Group manages the best airport in the world and our flag carrier, Singapore Airlines, the best airline. We are the best place in the #AsiaPacific for startups. Many thanks to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Singapore for your kind invitation, and to everyone for the great discussion. Photo of the Clipper Stad Amsterdam moored off Keppel Island, by me.

🇲🇾✨ Malaysia's Entrepreneurial Spirit Remains Bright! ✨🇲🇾 There has been chatter about the Malaysian startup ecosystem among friends in the VC community. I agree that Malaysia may not be a viable place to invest if we use the standard Westernized methodology of investment. I had 24 years of business and investment exposure to Malaysia. And despite the negativity, Malaysia continues to demonstrate remarkable entrepreneurial resilience with evergreen proven methods of financial returns. Key Highlights: - 🤝🇲🇾 Diverse Talent Pool: Multilingual population with increasing English proficiency, enhancing ability to be a global HQ for backend operations. - 🌏 Strategic Collaborations: Initiatives like the Johor-Singapore Economic Zone strengthen regional economic ties, geopolitics shifting focus to Malaysia as a neutral ground. - 🚀 Booming IPO Market: Bursa Malaysia achieved its best performance in 19 years with 55 IPOs in 2024, raising RM7.42 billion (US$1.65b) in proceeds. - 👨👩👧👦💼Thriving Family Businesses: SMEs constitute nearly 97% of corporations, contributing 39.1% to GDP in 2023, showcasing robust family-run enterprises that are cash generating and profitable. To get the investment returns from Malaysia, one needs to understand the Malaysian culture and drop the transactional way of investing. Reach out to me if you are keen to invest into TRIVE’s Private Equity fund that focuses on Malaysian family businesses. #MalaysiaBoleh #venturecapital #privateequity #familybusinesses https://lnkd.in/gPjfTk38

leading mobile-first e-commerce travel platform KKday has secured around $70 million in funding from Cool Japan Fund クールジャパン機構, Taiwan’s National Development Fund, ZUU & De Capital Fund, CHBVC, Darwin Ventures, and several financial institutions. Around 50% of the newly raised capital will be earmarked for mergers and acquisitions across the Asia-Pacific market and strengthening KKday’s leadership position in the travel experiences sector. To enhance market presence in high-growth markets such as Japan and SEA, the company plans to hire top talent from relevant markets. KKday will focus heavily on artificial intelligence technology research and development and on the enhancement of its products to deliver a better end-consumer experience as. To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.org #Funding #Startup #KKday #Taiwan

Some of the countries innovating the most since 2019 aren’t coming from where you’d expect. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 Türkiye, Morocco and Vietnam... They’ve made real progress by building on steady policies and setting up startup ecosystems. Even more surprising? Indonesia, Mauritius and Pakistan have made some of the fastest climbs.

🌟 Turning Setbacks into Success: The Kapas Living Story 🌟 In the midst of the pandemic, the brother-sister duo Zer Ken Yap and Vin Li Yap turned adversity into opportunity. When their property management business came to a halt, they channelled their hospitality expertise and passion for design into creating Kapas Living, a brand offering premium, eco-friendly bed linens without the marketing fluff. Today, Kapas Living is a thriving 7-figure business, winning hearts (and beds!) in Malaysia and Singapore. Their commitment to quality, transparency, and sustainability has made them stand out in a competitive market. From navigating supply chain challenges to embracing e-commerce, this is a story of resilience, family collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit. And they’re just getting started—plans for offline retail and expansion across Southeast Asia are on the horizon. Read the full feature to learn how Kapas Living built its brand from the ground up! 🛏️ https://loom.ly/5m5Egr0 #Entrepreneurship #Ecommerce #Sustainability #SmallBusiness #PandemicSuccess #e27Features

The Unicorn Game: A Reflection on eFishery and Beyond The recent news https://lnkd.in/gJcwDXDA about eFishery ’s alleged systematic fraud is troubling, but not entirely surprising. Why? Because the "unicorn game" often demands unsustainable practices. To achieve unicorn status, companies must hit massive valuations. These valuations are typically tied to revenue, not profitability. That’s why the playbook often involves burning cash to pump sales, disregarding profit in favor of flashy revenue growth. It's a cycle—create the illusion of exponential growth to attract the next funding round. But what happens when even aggressive spending isn't enough? Some resort to more "creative" solutions: double bookings, fake transactions, or inflated expenses. Indonesia’s eFishery may be the latest headline, but this isn’t a new story. International cases like Theranos and WeWork have shown us how far companies will go to meet the demands of this game. I learned this lesson the hard way. Despite building Botika as a profitable business with healthy growth, I struggled to capture investors’ interest. Why? Because in this game, sustainability and profitability don’t excite as much as meteoric, albeit often artificial, growth. This isn’t normal. It’s not healthy. And it raises a critical question: is this the kind of environment we want to cultivate? It’s time we reconsider the metrics that define success—not just for the sake of investors, but for the long-term health of businesses and the ecosystems they operate in. #StartupEcosystem #UnicornValuation #BusinessSustainability #StartupGrowth #InvestorMindset #LessonsLearned #FraudPrevention #EthicalBusiness #EntrepreneurshipJourney #IndonesiaStartups

Yesterday Carro announced record FY2024 numbers with 11x year-on-year EBITDA growth, this FY being their fourth year of positive EBITDA. They also announced a strategic investment from Woori Venture Partners as well. See the full release here: https://lnkd.in/gq6kHE4p At the heart of this performance is a global, tech-enabled system that combines, to quote the release, “strong marketplace margin expansion, ecosystem-led ancillary income growth, and productivity optimisation”. And their growing ecosystem of partnerships continues to deepen the strengths of this system, including their latest strategic partner. As CFO Ernest Chew shares on this partnership in the official release: "The strategic investment from Woori Venture Partners also means we’ll be growing deeper into our ancillary arms in our Southeast Asian markets, especially in Indonesia where Woori has a strong presence in." 📸 In the documentary Against All Odds, Chief Scientist and Indonesia CEO Bryan Tan, PhD best encapsulates what this has meant for Carro Indonesia in the snippet below 👇: "The system powering Carro Indonesia is tried and tested in many different markets, which is why the value of Carro itself is pretty much in the system that we have built over time by the people who have been loyal and have been enthusiastic about contribution." Watch Bryan’s story with Carro and how it has shaped their Indonesia business within the context of an increasingly global organization: https://lnkd.in/gh2epx8h