Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India is a pioneer in investing in tech start-ups in this region and has helped to build a number of unicorns. In this podcast, we want to share and uncover Hard Truths - raw, unfiltered insights and venture capital experience across Southeast Asia & India. Tune in to hear from leading founders, innovators, venture capitalists and industry experts in the region and to gain industry insights from those in the know. If you like what you hear, please click follo ...
…
continue reading
Leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE network
…
continue reading
Discover the power of early childhood education with Kreedo! Tune in now and listen to the latest episode of the Kreedo Podcast series for inspiring insights from experts shaping the future of education.
…
continue reading
We interview successful founders in Vietnam and South East Asia to discuss their journeys, especially the stories and challenges of their first few months. Learn and be inspired by how some of the hottest startups in the region made early hires, raised funds, found product-market fit and so much more. If you're a startup founder in South East Asia or aspiring to be one, please follow the show, share it with fellow entrepreneurs and send in your stories. We'd love to hear from you!
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S2E3 | Unlocking the Trillion dollar SEA Startup Ecosystem - the Indonesia's context with Gary Khoeng
32:50
32:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:50
Indonesia is the largest market in Southeast Asia but with a nascent startup ecosystem, how can entrepreneurs navigate rapid growth while ensuring bottom-line profitability? In this episode, Gary Khoeng shares insights on Indonesia's startup landscape. Covering topics across profitability, unit economics, and internal governance, Gary provides a pr…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S2E2 | Hard Truths About Minting the Next Indian Unicorn w/ Piyush Kharbanda
41:21
41:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:21
How do Indian startups navigate constraints and build innovative businesses? In this episode of Hard Truths by Vertex podcast, Elise Tan and Piyush Kharbanda discuss the challenges and opportunities in the Indian startup ecosystem, drawing insights from successful ventures like KukuFM and Kissht. Explore the unique dynamics of the Indian ecosystem …
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S2E1 | Unlocking the Trillion-Dollar SEA Startup Ecosystem - The Singapore Context w/ Carmen Yuen
27:05
27:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:05
What are the evolving trends in the Southeast Asia startup ecosystem? In this episode of Hard Truths by Vertex podcast, Carmen Yuen, General Partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, shares her journey from government-backed initiatives to becoming a key player and rare woman partner in the startup landscape. Get into the mind of a promi…
…
continue reading
P
Pre-School Diaries


1
Innovation, holistic learning and transparency | Manushree Chaturvedi and Abhishek Jain, Crossmaze | India, Pre-School Education
18:58
18:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:58
Join us on the next episode of "Preschool Diaries" as we dive into the journey of Manushree Chaturvedi and Abhishek Jain, the entrepreneurs behind Crossmaze, a set of innovative preschools partnered with Kreedo since 2019. Discover how Manushree and her team revolutionised the preschool industry by creating a safe and child-centric environment that…
…
continue reading
T
TiE Talks


1
Evaluating Startups with Hero Choudhary: Team, Timing, And Traction (TTT)
30:57
30:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:57
Join us in this episode of 'TiE Talks' with Hero Choudhary as he takes us on a journey from trading billions in financial markets to investing in startups across Southeast Asia and India. Hero's insights reveal the art of evaluating early-stage companies, focusing on team, timing, and traction (TTT). As a seasoned investor, Hero shares stories of b…
…
continue reading
P
Pre-School Diaries


1
PD1 | How We Offer Free, High-Quality Rural Education | Lakshmi Ramamurthy, Amyga Foundation | India, Pre-School Education
24:05
24:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:05
Discover the inspiring journey of Mrs. Lakshmi Ramamurthy, founder of Amyga Academy, as she revolutionizes education in rural areas through a unique government partnership model. In this episode, we uncover the incredible story of Amyga's mission to bring free education to rural areas in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu through a groundbreaking partnership…
…
continue reading
T
TiE Talks


1
TT2 | Legalities of Angel Investing with Karun Cariappa | Investment Insights
19:23
19:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:23
In this episode, the host delves into the world of angel investing, exploring the legalities, due diligence process, and exit scenarios for both founders and investors. The conversation begins with a discussion on the documents involved in angel investing, such as non-disclosure agreements and term sheets. The importance of due diligence in early-s…
…
continue reading
From favourite moments to putting lessons in play, Hau and Adrian reflect on their takeaways about hiring and retaining early team members. In This Episode (00:20) How the show came into being (02:45) The importance of people strategy (04:42) How the show’s making a difference for founders (08:40) ‘Eye-opening’ and ‘Intriguing’ (11:22) Amazing anal…
…
continue reading
T
TiE Talks


1
TT1 | From Idea to Execution w/ James Chan, ION Mobility | EV, Hardware
28:19
28:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:19
We talk to James Chan, founder of ION Mobility, about the challenges and triumphs of building an electric motorbike company in Southeast Asia. We discuss everything from the inception of the company to the unique challenges of hardware development as well as the secret sauce that makes them special. In This Episode (01:47) Inception of ION Mobility…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV7 | C-suite Hiring and Why “Business Problems are People Problems”| Minh Giang - Newing Company| AVV Founders & Friends
38:45
38:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:45
Corporates are much better than startups at hiring impactful C-level leaders and it isn’t just because they pay more. Fortunately, startups can apply the same methods and mindsets to find the right people solutions to their business problems. Minh Giang, former partner of Talent and Culture at Mekong Capital sheds light on executive, corporate hiri…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E11 | Truths about Automating and Growing F&B and Retail businesses in Southeast Asia | Fong Wai Hong
35:27
35:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:27
How do you build a business servicing a client base that operates on a fine line between survival and failure? And how do you ensure your business is not just client-churn proof but also emerges resilient towards funding challenges? Find out from Wai Hong, founder of StoreHub. In This Episode (00:55) How StoreHub got started (04:25) Hard Truths abo…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV6 | Recruiting the A-team and making them earn a seat at the table
33:25
33:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:25
Before launching Aitomatic, Christopher Nguyen and his founding team worked together for nearly 10 years building new AI solutions over multiple ventures. As a seasoned Silicon Valley and Vietnam tech veteran he imparts his wisdom for pragmatic decision making, winning over A-team hires, and how they should earn a seat at the table. In This Episode…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E10 | Truths About Modernising the $15B Ayurvedic Wellness Market | Ameve Sharma, Kapiva
31:52
31:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:52
How do you get millennials to buy something usually recommended by their grandparents? And how do you keep their attention when the product you sell takes months to show results? How do you know when you’ve achieved product-market fit? In This Episode (01:02) Ameve’s story and the inception of Kapiva (05:38) How Kapiva Retains Customers (07:22) Ver…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E9 | Truths About Empowering SEA’s 71M MSMEs Through Financial Inclusion | Nikhilesh Goel, Validus Capital
32:49
32:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:49
How do you convince billion-dollar institutional investors to trust a relative upstart with their funds in a market with so much financial turmoil? And how do you plan expansions into multiple countries, all of which have entirely different regulations around your business? Where do you even begin building out such a financial portfolio? In This Ep…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV5 | Starting a Business with Your Partner and The Art of the Reverse Pitch | Kevin Hoong, Oyen Insurance
43:34
43:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
43:34
Convincing A-players to join a new company in a completely new industry may sound nearly impossible. How do you create a winning team when you have no funding? In This Episode (03:04) Getting started in pet insurance (06:14) The first three hires (07:47) Starting a business with your partner (11:45) Hiring a growth marketer (13:50) Establishing com…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E8 | Truths About Building a Billion Dollar, Profitable Content Business | Joseph Phua, 17LIVE
28:54
28:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:54
We often think about startups as a 0 to 1 game with a team of founders working and pivoting around one theme in the hope of finding success. But that is a highly risky way to try and build VC-scale businesses. In this episode we learn of a different model, one that has led to the creation of a billion-dollar, profitable business in the highly compe…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E7 | Truths About Helping Influencers Make a Living in the $68B SE Asian Creator Economy | Paulina Purnomowati, CMO TipTip
36:21
36:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:21
Indonesians are voracious consumers of social media, and the creator economy is set to grow massively in the coming years. As the industry grows, unmet needs in engaging and monetizing their content arise. How does TipTip as a platform better serve their needs? And what are some of the tips and best practices for creators to make money on the platf…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV4 | ‘Self-Serve’ HR and Building a Remote-First Organisation | Jason Kan, Virtual Internships
34:54
34:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:54
Getting your team to embrace the culture you want to build is challenging especially when they are remote and distributed across the world. How do you create structures and processes without making it heavy and bureaucratic? In This Episode (02:00) How Jason joined Virtual Internships (05:11) Forming the early team (08:06) Being intentional about c…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E6 | Truths About Being a Female Leader in the Trillion Dollar Climate Tech Market | Natalia Rialucky, Fairatmos
39:14
39:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:14
What are the hard truths about building a climate tech market in a country and region where the awareness, tech and regulations are yet to mature? And how do you make massive change happen while also handling the demands of being a new mother? Hear from Ria and Puiyen as they discuss the challenges, pitfalls and the immense impact of category creat…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E5 | Truths about Lighting Up One’s Own Path and That of 60M Workers in Indonesia | Nelly Nurmalasari, Pintarnya
39:16
39:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:16
It’s hard to translate vision into reality - and especially so when you are trying to help workers build a better life. But when you see it happening, the moment is magical! Listen to Nelly and Jessica discuss the highs and lows of building Pintarnya, the huge potential it has to transform blue-collar workers' lives as well as Nelly’s take on how w…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV3 | Expanding Regionally - Hire Local and Trust the Team
27:26
27:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:26
https://www.crazytokmedia.com/POPS Worldwide is one of the few Vietnamese companies to successfully expand regionally in SEA. In this conversation, Esther dives into the crucial aspects of trust, attitude, and personal qualities and how she grew the company from a 4 person team in Vietnam to a 400 person team across 3 different countries. She refle…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E4 | Truths about Disrupting India's Age-Old Manufacturing Industry | Sonam Motwani, Karkhana
32:31
32:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:31
What are the hard truths about being a startup builder in manufacturing, and what was Vertex Ventures’ thesis for investing in such a tradition-bound and notoriously difficult space? And how does it feel to be a female only founder-investor pair in such a male-dominated world? In This Episode (01:10) Vertex and Karkhana; Meeting, first impressions …
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV2 | Articulating Team Values - Velocity vs. Speed | Kartick Narayan, Founder & CEO, Kilo
33:24
33:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:24
As a first-time founder, Kartick reflects on optimising for speed, how his leadership principles have evolved, and designing a hiring process that ensures new hires are aligned with Kilo’s company values. Our Guest Kartick Narayan is the Founder & CEO of Kilo, a Vietnam-based company on a mission to bring millions of traditional businesses online b…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E3 | Opportunities in SE Asia and India | Ben Mathias
38:08
38:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:08
Vertex Ventures has been investing in South East Asia and India long before it became fashionable (!) so we know a thing or two about which sectors are on the rise. Tune in to learn how we view the key sectors of Supply Chain, Consumer and Fintech. Our Guest Ben Mathias is Managing Partner at Vertex Ventures South East Asia and India. Prior to join…
…
continue reading
A
AVV Founders and Friends


1
AV1 | How It Feels to Be an Early Employee
12:02
12:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:02
Hau Ly and Adrian Latortue kick off the season with a discussion about their own experiences as early employees in Vietnam-based startups. Hau discusses the growth curve and early leadership lessons while Adrian talks about the benefits of early employees and how he went about establishing a new team from scratch. In This Episode (00:30) Introducti…
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E2 | Building Nium Into a Unicorn | Pratik Gandhi, COO, Nium
39:40
39:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:40
Starting with a little office in a dilapidated old building to joining the rarefied ranks of unicorns in Southeast Asia, Nium has come a long way. But what did it take to keep it going even when the chips were down and fresh funding was hard to come by? What set them apart from their competition and what were some of the bets they had to make? And …
…
continue reading
H
Hard Truths By Vertex


1
S1E1 | Building an Enduring VC w/ Kee Lock Chua, CEO Vertex Holdings
29:43
29:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:43
You might know of Vertex Ventures as a successful VC in South East Asia and India. But did you know that it had a troubled start? So how did we then go on to becoming one of the top VCs in the region with investments in Grab, Nium and PatSnap and what is our secret recipe for identifying the kinds of founders that build unicorns? What are the hard …
…
continue reading
AVV Founders and Friends podcast provides deep dives into the early days of venture building, interviewing successful founders in Vietnam and South East Asia about early hires, fundraising, product-market fit, growth hacks and much more. If you're interested in startups, do follow the show and let others know about it too!…
…
continue reading
Hard Truths gives you a behind the scenes view of the most exciting startups and investment opportunities in SE Asia and India. It's brought to you by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, an early-stage investor in the region's most promising startups and one of Southeast Asia’s oldest VC funds. If you're a startup founder, entrepreneur or start…
…
continue reading