Join Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, as they share 5 bold predictions about Southeast Asia's tech ecosystem, including how VCs continue to shift their strategy, silent death of funds and the second-order impact of US-China decoupling on regional markets. Balancing optimism with pragmatism, they also discuss 5 wishes for the region, including overhauling financial accounting operating standards and supporting "failed" founders to bounce back into the talent network.

===

Shiyan Koh is the Managing Partner at Hustle Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in pre-seed software startups in the U.S., Canada and Southeast Asia.

Prior to that she was VP Business Operations and Corporate Development at NerdWallet, a Fintech Startup that helps users with a range of financial decisions through content, community and tools. Over the course of six years at NerdWallet, she led product teams, ran business operations and corporate development, and helped grow the company from US$1M to US$150M in revenue.

===

Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/

5-predictions-5-wishes

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di www.bravesea.com/blog/

5-predictions-5-wishes

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 www.bravesea.com/blog/

5-predictions-5-wishes

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại www.bravesea.com/blog/

5-predictions-5-wishes

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Spotify

English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ

Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR

Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1

YouTube

English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1

Apple Podcast

English: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464

Learn more about Nika.eco! Reach out to info@nika.eco if you are a geospatial data scientist or climate researcher who is interested to partner on a pilot or research opportunities

#DeepTechSingapore #SoutheastAsiaTech #USChinaDecoupling #VentureCapitalTrends #TechInnovationHub

Sean Ang, Chairman of NUS Alumni Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. NUS Alumni Ventures: Sean shared how NUS Alumni Ventures (NAV), established in 2020, connects NUS alumni to startups across Southeast Asia for partnerships and investments. Inspired by Stanford Angels, NAV focuses on matchmaking rather than direct funding, organizing four major events annually to link startups with alumni in various industries. The platform engages both seasoned professionals and students, teaching investment analysis and fostering connections. Sean emphasized NAV’s role as a facilitator rather than an investment firm, focusing on SaaS, B2C, and B2B startups.

2. University Unicorn Founders: Sean highlighted NUS’s role as a key entrepreneurship hub in Southeast Asia, citing successful alumni-led companies like Carousell (Siu Rui, Lucas, and Marcus) and PatSnap (Jeffrey Tiong and Guang Tian). Programs like NUS Overseas College (NOC) and research initiatives such as GRIP drive innovation, although more commercialization of deep tech is needed. NUS attracts top talent through its strong academic programs, which create an environment for entrepreneurship and research to thrive.

3. USA vs. Singapore Angels: Sean discussed the distinct cultural landscape of Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem compared to the U.S., where angel investors often reinvest from successful exits. In Singapore, most angels come from traditional industries—banking, consulting, and law—recycling high incomes. This difference impacts startup funding dynamics. Sean noted NAV’s role in bridging gaps, activating alumni, and helping early-stage startups navigate this unique landscape through targeted, quality connections.

Jeremy and Sean also touched on the role of Block71 in connecting students with startups, the cultural importance of warm introductions and his new project to connect business angels and family offices across the region.

===

Sean Ang is the Chairman of NUS Alumni Ventures (NAV), a society that seeks to connect the NUS Alumni network to businesses in SEA for business matching opportunities (partnerships or investments). NAV is a value-driver to two different categories: senior NUS alumni and junior NUS alumni. Besides the core mission of helping people to reconnect with the alma mater, facilitating the interactions of these two distinct generations is another core mission that NAV has been very proud of enabling since our establishment 4 years ago.

Besides the alumni community, NAV is also committed to training the next generation that is passionate about being significant future contributors to the innovation industry. We recruit a batch of 50 new students (undergrads, masters, PhDs) every year, trained by retained senior NAV associates. On the backdrop of this committed resource, we organize 4 demodays quarterly interspersed with smaller networking events to grow the ecosystem.

Driven by his passion for connecting people, Sean is co-founding SEADS—a people-first platform transforming how entrepreneurs and investors navigate Southeast Asia’s fragmented early-stage investment ecosystem. Featuring a meticulously curated database of business angels, venture capitalists, and family offices, SEADS empowers entrepreneurs and investors alike by fostering meaningful connections and streamlining access to regional funding opportunities. Sean is starting SEADS with a fellow NAV alumni member.

===

Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/

nus-alumni-ventures

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di www.bravesea.com/blog/

nus-alumni-ventures

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 www.bravesea.com/blog/

nus-alumni-ventures

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại www.bravesea.com/blog/

nus-alumni-ventures

Cheryl Lau from “Edit History” Podcast and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Law & PHD Dropout: Cheryl reflected on leaving law school in Hong Kong in 2018 despite earning a scholarship due to self-awareness gained during internships and to focus on a research degree instead. She later had to choose to drop out of her Hong Kong PhD during the pandemic in order to join her now-husband in Singapore. She shared her mixed emotions about leaving academia and choosing love. Although her parents initially disapproved, they came to respect her independence and ability to take responsibility for her choices.

2. Side Hustle to Thought Leadership Podcaster: Cheryl described her podcast’s transformation from “The Side Hustle Club” to “The Thought Leadership Club” and now “Edit History.” This latest iteration critiques and reflects on past works, showcasing personal and professional growth. Cheryl, as a solopreneur, manages every aspect of production, emphasizing storytelling and thought-provoking content. She highlighted the importance of meaningful long-form content, which she finds more resonant than short-form media in today’s AI-driven landscape.

3. Asian Childhood Beliefs vs. Personal Growth: Growing up in Canada as the child of Asian immigrants, Cheryl internalized the value of hard work but later questioned whether diligence alone ensured success. Leaving law school was a pivotal moment, prompting her to focus on aligning her career with her strengths. Cheryl also overcame insecurities about her appearance and public speaking by committing to daily Instagram video stories, building confidence and refining her ability to connect with others. These experiences now shape her work as a coach and content creator, helping others build meaningful bodies of work.

Additionally, Cheryl shared her thoughts on balancing short-form and long-form content, her childhood aspiration to edit textbooks and how the pandemic profoundly shaped her career transitions and personal life.

===

Cheryl Lau is a podcaster who helps entrepreneurs and creators around the globe build a substantial and compelling body of work that matters. Cheryl believes that your impact isn’t defined by your audience size, your business revenue, or whether you have a LinkedIn Top Voice badge. Instead, it is measured through whether you’ve built something that matters to you and your people. This is precisely what your body of work does.

Her podcast is the Thought Leader Club (previously called Side Hustle Club). The podcast was shortlisted for the 2024 Asia Podcast Awards (by Radioinfo Asia) in the “Best Money and Business Podcast” category and won the 2023 Golden Crane Award (by the Asian American Podcasters Association) in the “Best Entrepreneur/Solopreneur Podcast” category.

Cheryl has quit graduate school twice - Law school in 2018 and PhD in 2022. Both times, it felt like she went from being the Asian parent’s dream child to their biggest disappointment overnight. But since starting to build a body of work in 2019, Cheryl has created new business and career opportunities that not only make her proud… But it also makes her parents proud.

Today, Cheryl’s work empowers entrepreneurs and creators to stay committed to pursuing what they truly believe in and always take full responsibility for their decisions and actions - And it all starts with building a body of work that matters.

===

Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/

law-dropout-to-podcaster-coach

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di www.bravesea.com/blog/

law-dropout-to-podcaster-coach

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 www.bravesea.com/blog/

law-dropout-to-podcaster-coach

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại www.bravesea.com/blog/

law-dropout-to-podcaster-coach

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com