Searching in Southeast Asia

searcher profile

December 17, 2023

by a searcher from Harvard University - Harvard Business School in Boston, MA, USA

Hi,

I'm very early stage, but thinking about searching in Southeast Asia.

Does anyone have any experience doing this? I believe that the ecosystem is still very nascent, and there are complex rules around business ownership, depending on the jurisdiction.

Would love to hear any advice for raising funds, any experience in doing outreach, and any tips for navigating the ownership laws.

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commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from Open University in Singapore
Based in Singapore here, with previous operating experience across Southeast Asia. It's a highly heterogenous region, and you might not be able to translate much of your set-up/investment across markets. If you're not a citizen of the country you're acquiring in, you'll also highly likely need a local partner. Probably might be best to focus your search in one spot to begin with, then expand after your first acquisition.

More importantly, welcome to the region! There's been a few of us starting our searches in the last few months, so always great to see new people.
commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from Harvard University in Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Very keen to see how things evolve in SEA; has some similar dynamics to the GCC / Middle East region I suspect around likely investor set, sourcing, and day-to-day challenges
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