Daily Newsletter

Hello there ,

Remember when teenagers ruled social media and adults always bemoaned how it was a waste of time? Last week, my grandfather excitedly showed me a meme of a bear trying to high five a man in a car, while its bear friends looked on.

It took me years to convince my grandfather to join social media, but it’s worked out for the better (I guess). But as older generations finally come to grips with a decade-old pastime, the kids have moved on to something more mysterious: the blockchain.

Tech VCs in Southeast Asia face the same generational hurdle in embracing the latest craze among millennials and Gen Z.

Despite the saviness of these investors, finding a way to put their money behind this disruptive phenomenon is a big ask. Traditional VC firms are playing it safe for now because backing crypto firms demands a different skill set and expectations. Add some regulatory uncertainty to that mix, and it’s clear to see why VC firms aren’t quite ready to dive into the deep end yet.

Meanwhile, crypto firms are keener on bringing in investors who have extensive connections within the crypto ecosystem, which might not be the strongest suit of typical VCs.

My colleague Ardi recently unpacked why blockchain players are struggling to win investor confidence. And while traditional VC firms are still wrapping their heads around the blockchain, crypto-native investors already have a game plan.

THE BIG STORY

THE PLAYBOOK: SHOPEE

How Shopee made its bid for SEA’s ecommerce crown

The ecommerce giant’s conquest of Southeast Asia began with a mix of strategic timeliness and an effective marketing strategy. Watch now.

TRENDING NEWS

EVENTS HAPPENING

• Fast Forward with HPE! on February 17th
  A multistage B2B startup competition specially crafted to help scale and grow early-stage technology startups across the APAC region. Catch the top 10 startups now as they pitch to a panel of esteemed judges and find out which team made it to the finals!
• AWS SaaS Forum on March 8th
  Join the AWS SaaS Forum on March 8 to uncover opportunities and insights on SaaS trends, outlook for 2022 and how to build your business playbook. Attendance is complimentary.

What’s more important, the startup business idea or go-to-market strategy?

Connect and engage with tech talents across Asia this March 9-11 at one of the biggest virtual tech career fairs in the region. Hire on the spot, gain employer branding opportunities and gain insights from top executives on addressing industry challenges, particularly those related to talent recruitment.
Participation is complimentary. Save your seat today.

WHO'S HIRING

You can post a job here or search for jobs here.

• Chief Marketing Officer at PT Koltiva
  Jakarta, Indonesia
• IT System Analyst at tomps.id
  Jakarta, Indonesia
• Recruiter at Open Labs (Brand Aggregator)
  Jakarta, Indonesia
• Digital Growth Manager at PT Samala Serasi Unggul
  Jakarta, Indonesia
• Technical Lead at PT Generasi Teknologi Buana
  Jakarta, Indonesia
• Copywriter Intern at Mamikos.com
  Jakarta, Indonesia