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Managing partner of Quest Ventures, James Tan, believes Southeast Asia continues to attract the attention of smart institutional investors. “As the world’s fastest growing region, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for investors to tap into the potential of Southeast Asia,” he notes. “Quest Ventures, backed by institutional investors such as Temasek, has launched new funds focused on emerging opportunities.” Tan is also among the speakers at the CVCF 2022.
Southeast Asia continues to see deals done at the early stage, continues Tan. “Many problems and therefore opportunities exist in the emerging economies here. While proven business models are important, VC firms in Southeast Asia are very open to new models that adapt to their unique markets.”
As one of the regional tech hubs, Hong Kong has demonstrated resilience. Meanwhile, the city faces competition from other hubs in the region, such as Singapore. Tan believes the relaxation of COVID-19 measures in Hong Kong will benefit not just the start-ups but for the overall economy. “Hong Kong is an important global financial centre and we look forward to its opening up,” he says.