S3E5 | We Don’t Build Restaurants, We Buy Them | DailyCo’s 100 K
In this episode of “Hard Truths by Vertex,” I sat down with Kelvin Subowo, the founder and CEO of DailyCo—Indonesia’s fastest-growing multi-brand F&B company.
Read More
Podcast: Hard Truths by Vertex
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 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.
S3E4 | How This Indian Startup Made $6M+ Selling AI to US Car Dealers (Without a US Team)
Today on “Hard Truths by Vertex,” I’m sitting down with Sanjay, the innovative co-founder and CEO at Spyne, who’s going to share just how they pulled it off.
Read More
S3E3 | Lessons from Indonesia’s Startup Crash and the Road to a Stronger Future
In this episode of Hard Truths by Vertex, Gary Khoeng, partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, joins host Rahul Thayyalamkandy to explore the Indonesian startup ecosystem.
Read More
S3E2 | Burnout, Feedback, and the Making of a Leader: PatSnap CEO’s Story
In this episode of Hard Truths By Vertex, I sit down with Jeffrey to explore how he turned tough feedback into fuel for growth. From starting PatSnap right out of university to leading a global tech company, he shares candid lessons about leadership, building strong teams, and navigating challenges.
Read More
S3E1 | Will India hit its EV Targets? | Akshay Shekhar from Kazam
In this episode of Hard Truths By Vertex, we chat with Akshay, co-founder of Kazam, who’s on a mission to revolutionize how we think about EVs and energy.
Read More
S2E9 | She dropped out of Harvard to change the lives of 600M women in India — Achitha Jacob
What motivated Achita Jacob to shift her focus from a career in a Fortune 500 healthcare company to founding Proactive for Her, and how does she envision the impact of her work on women’s health in India?
Read More
S2E8 | How Guan Dian built a Tech Unicorn from Ground up to address the Trillion-dollar R&D market
Imagine building a global tech powerhouse from scratch. That’s the story of Guan Dian, CMO and APAC GM of PatSnap, a pioneer in AI-powered patent analytics.
Read More
S2E7 | How Roshni went from babysitting to owning SEA’s largest parenting empire
In this episode Hard Truths by Vertex, we have a conversation with Roshni Mahtani Cheung, the founder and CEO of The Parentinc, a pioneering parent-tech leader renowned for owning the largest content-community-commerce online platform for parents in the region.
Read More
S2E6 | PayPal Mafia Insider on Winning In a Tough Market | Jack Selby
Join host Elise Tan in this special episode of the Hard Truths by Vertex podcast, as she sits down with member of the PayPal mafia, Jack Selby, venture investor and independent film director.
Read More
S2E5 | Unlocking the trillion dollar Indian startup ecosystem with Nikhil Marwaha
In this episode, Nikhil Marwaha, Senior Executive Director, shares his extensive investment journey spanning early and later-stage companies in sectors like consumer, B2B enterprise, and healthcare.
Read More
S2E4 | Unlocking the Trillion dollar SEA Startup Ecosystem – the Malaysia’s context with Chan Yip Pang
In this episode of Hard Truths by Vertex podcast, Chan Yip Pang, Executive Director at Vertex Ventures SEA & India, explores the Malaysian startup ecosystem, delving into his journey and the three phases of Malaysian tech development.
Read More
S2E3 | Unlocking the Trillion dollar SEA Startup Ecosystem – the Indonesia’s context with Gary Khoeng
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?
Read More
S2E2 | Hard Truths about minting the next Indian Unicorn with Piyush Kharbanda
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.
Read More
S2E1 | Unlocking the Trillion-Dollar SEA Startup Ecosystem – The Singapore Context w/ Carmen Yuen
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
Read More
S1E11 | Truths About Automating And Growing F&B And Retail businesses In Southeast Asia | Fong Wai Hong
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.
Read More
S1E10 | Truths About Modernising The $15B Ayurvedic Wellness Market | Ameve Sharma, Kapiva
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?
Read More
S1E9 | Truths About Empowering SEA’s 71M MSMEs Through Financial Inclusion | Nikhilesh Goel, Validus Capital
How do you convince billion-dollar institutional investors to trust a relative upstart with their funds in a market with so much financial turmoil?
Read More
S1E8 | Truths About Building A Billion Dollar, Profitable Content Business | Joseph Phua, 17LIVE
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.
Read More
S1E7 | Truths About Helping Influencers Make A Living In The $68B SE Asian Creator Economy | Paulina Purnomowati, CMO TipTip
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.
Read More
S1E6 | Truths About Being A Female Leader In The Trillion Dollar Climate Tech Market | Natalia Rialucky, Fairatmos
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?
Read More
S1E5 | Truths About Lighting Up One’s Own Path And That Of 60M Workers In Indonesia | Nelly Nurmalasari, Pintarnya
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!
Read More
S1E4 | Truths About Disrupting India’s Age-Old Manufacturing Industry | Sonam Motwani, Karkhana
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?
Read More
S1E3 | Opportunities In SE Asia And India | Ben Mathias
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.
Read More
S1E2 | Building Nium Into A Unicorn | Pratik Gandhi, COO, Nium
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?
Read More
S1E1 | Building An Enduring VC W/ Kee Lock Chua, CEO Vertex Holdings
How did Vertex Ventures get started as one of the oldest VCs in the region? And what’s our secret recipe for identifying high-potential founders? Find out in this episode
Read More
Hard Truths By Vertex: Trailer
Follow/ subscribe to Hard Truths By Vertex for a behind the scenes view of the most promising startups and investment opportunities in SE Asia and India. Vertex Ventures South East Asia & India is an early-stage investor in the region’s most promising sta
Read More