Southeast Asia has seen its fair share of unicorns–23 at last count if we include startups that have already gone public like Sea and Razer. A quick scan of these billion-dollar startups reveals that only three of the region’s unicorns have female founders or are led by women.
The three are Grab Co-Founder Tan Hooi Ling, JustCo Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Lu Liu, and PatSnap Co-Founder and Vice President Guan Dian.
However, more and more venture capital (VC) firms and angel investors are wising up to the opportunity in investing in the region’s female founders. Despite the largely virtual dealmaking environment over the past year due to COVID, women-led startups have secured multimillion-dollar rounds across a multitude of sectors. Some are barely two years old but have already attracted major VCs to invest Series B money.
These female entrepreneurs and C-suite executives are bringing their industry expertise, stints on both VCs and corporates, and in some cases, family and working ties to their startups.
Some have hit the ground running with pandemic-era plays such as FinTech, InsurTech, and e-commerce. Others have seen businesses impacted by COVID yet quickly pivoted to not just survive, but attract new funding to fuel expansions.
TechNode Global has put together a list of top emerging women-led startups in Southeast Asia, with a focus on early-stage ventures with funding rounds (up to Series B) since January 1, 2019. Startups selected have raised the most total funding, with figures sourced from VentureCap Insights and Crunchbase. In the event of conflicting figures, the higher figure is presented.
1. Joanne and Cindy Kua
- Sunday (Thailand) – $128.93 million
- Latest Round: $45 million (September 2021)
- Notable Investors: Tencent, Vertex Ventures, Quona Capital
A full-stack InsurTech startup, Sunday uses artificial intelligence/machine learning to offer personalized insurance products and services. Sunday co-founders and sisters Joanne and Cindy Kua continue to manage their Malaysian family-owned conglomerate KSK Group while overseeing Sunday’s growth. The sisters are serial entrepreneurs, having also co-founded Carmana, a Bangkok-based used car platform in 2016. Joanne is KSK Group chief executive officer and KSK Land managing director, while Cindy is Sunday’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of KSK’s insurance business. Sunday has received funding from SCB 10X, the venture arm of Siam Commercial Bank, and LINE Ventures.
2. Yada Piyajomkwan
- Ajaib (Indonesia) – $92.1 million in total funding raised
- Latest Round: $65 million (March 2021)
- Notable Investors: Softbank Ventures Asia, Insignia Ventures, Alpha JWC Ventures.
Ajaib is an investing platform that allows Indonesians to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Yada Piyajomkwan previously worked at global brands McKinsey and Unilever. Ajaib outpaces the rest of the startups on this list in total funding, which was fueled by its most recent round of $65 million. Ajaib has also received funding from Bangkok Bank and Y Combinator.
3. Azita Azizan
- Aerodyne Group (Malaysia) – $47.29 million
- Latest Round: $4.8 million (June 2021)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, 500 Startups, North Summit Capital
A provider of artificial intelligence-driven drone-based solutions, Aerodyne’s executive director Azita Azizan and her husband oversee the company’s operations across 35 countries globally. Aerodyne has also received funding from Arc Ventures, Leave a Nest, and Japan’s Drone Fund.
4. Clare Ros
- KUMU (Philippines) – $38.38 million
- Latest Round: $37.15 million (April 2021)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, Core Capital, Openspace Ventures
A social livestreaming and entertainment platform that aims to amplify Filipino creativity, community, and commerce, the development of KUMU’s iconic blue branding was led by Co-Founder and Advisor Clare Ros. KUMU’s rise up the funding charts is thanks to its recent series B of over $37 million. KUMU has also received funding from Endeavor Catalyst, Summit Media, and Filipino media conglomerate ABS-CBN.
5. Utari Octavianty
- Aruna (Indonesia) – $36.25 million
- Latest Round: $33.08 million (July 2021)
- Notable Investors: Vertex Ventures, SIG, MDI Ventures
An Indonesian integrated fishery platform, Aruna helps to create fair fish trading, improve the livelihood of local fishermen, and bring affordable and high-quality seafood to communities. Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer Utari Octavianty brings her industry expertise and family history with fishing and coastal village life to Aruna. Aruna’s position on this list was bolstered by its latest funding round, which also saw participation from Prosus Ventures and East Ventures.
6. Sharon Lim
- Browzwear (Singapore) – $35 million
- Latest Round: US$35 million (August 2021) [Corrected]
- Notable Investor: Radian Capital
A developer of 3D digital solutions for the fashion industry, Browzwear made its debut on the funding scene with a bang in August, raising $35 million from growth equity firm Radian Capital. The startup is led by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Lim, who first started out as a distributor for Browzwear in Asia before acquiring the company in 2012.
7. Jessica Li
- Pop Meals (Malaysia) – $27.02 million
- Latest Round: $18 million (February 2020) [Corrected]
- Notable Investors: Rakuten Capital, Y Combinator, Partech
Previously known as dahmakan, Pop Meals is a food delivery service that utilizes artificial intelligence in logistics and cooking automation. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Jessica Li has a varied background, with previous stints at Foodpanda and PWC. Under Li’s leadership, dahmakan was Malaysia’s first startup to be accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator in 2017. Other investors include East Ventures, Woowa Brothers, and UpHonest Capital.
8. Raena Lim
- Style Theory (Singapore) – $24.07 million
- Latest Round: $15 million (December 2019)
- Notable Investors: Softbank Ventures Asia, The Paradise Group, Alpha JWC Ventures
Style Theory is a fashion rental subscription platform that provides economically sustainable fashion choices. Formerly of Goldman Sachs, chief operating officer Raena Lim co-founded the company with her husband Chris Halim in 2016. Today, Style Theory boasts some 200,000 users across Singapore and Indonesia.
9. Christina Suriadjaja, Christie Tjong
- Travelio (Indonesia) – $24 million
- Latest Round: $18 million (November 2019)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Vynn Capital
An online residential real estate management startup, Travelio allows tenants to find and rent apartments from a day to months at a time. During the pandemic, Travelio launched its own online grocery store and disinfection services. This quick pivot resulted in revenue recovering to pre-pandemic levels by August 2020. Chief Strategy Officer Christina Suriadjaja is a scion of the Suriadjaja family, which owns commercial property, construction, and hospitality businesses in Indonesia. Suriadjaja previously worked with IHG Hotels & Resorts and AXA Advisors. Chief Operating Officer Christie Tjong worked in retail and banking in Australia before returning to Indonesia to co-found software development company Code-O Solutions in 2012. Travelio has also raised funding from Samsung Venture Investment, Insignia Ventures, and Indogen Capital.
10. Scarlett Xiao Jie
- SuperAtom (Indonesia) – $ 24 million
- Latest Round: US$24 million (September 2019)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, Cheetah Mobile
SuperAtom is a FinTech platform which aims to bring innovative financing options to millions of underbanked consumers globally. Under SuperAtom is Uangme, a P2P FinTech platform which has been officially licensed by Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK). UangMe’s mission is to allow more people to gain equal access to financial services through technology. Uangme uses big data and Artificial Intelligence to power our comprehensive tech ecosystem, the company said.
Founder and president Scarlett Xiao Jie set up SuperAtom to make financial services more accessible to the masses by taking low-cost funds from more mature markets, combining them with proven technology and business models from China, and then localizing for ASEAN markets.
11. Marcellina Claudia Kolonas
- Pluang (Indonesia) – $23 million
- Latest Round: $20 million (March 2021)
- Notable Investors: Openspace Ventures, Go Ventures (Gojek’s venture arm)
Indonesian fintech Pluang forms partnerships with super apps to sell its own products, which include investment accounts for gold. After years of investing experience with Celebes Capital (founded by her father Hendrick Kolonas), Pluang Founder Marcellina Claudia Kolonas chose to take the entrepreneurial plunge and set up her fintech in 2019.
12. Dana von der Heide
- Parcel Perform (Singapore) – $21.45 million
- Latest Round: $20 million (August 2021)
- Notable Investors: Cambridge Capital, Wavemaker Partners, Softbank Ventures Asia
Parcel Perform is a carrier-independent delivery experience platform for e-commerce merchants and their customers. Founder and chief commercial officer Dana von der Heide brings her prior logistics experience with DHL to Parcel Perform. The startup has also received funding from Investible and BANSEA.
13. Prukalpa Sankar
- Atlan (Singapore) – $21.37 million
- Latest Round: $15.9 million (July 2021)
- Notable Investors: Waterbridge Ventures, Surge, Insight Partners
Atlan is a developer of tools for data collaboration, catering to more than 200 teams in over 50 countries. Co-Founder Prukalpa Sankar is a serial entrepreneur, having previously founded SocialCops, a data for good company. Atlan has also received funding from Crossbeam chief executive officer Bob Moore and Pulse Co-Founder Akshay Kothari.
14. Jeeta Bandopadhyay
- Tookitaki (Singapore) – $20.46 million
- Latest Round: $11.7 million (November 2019)
- Notable Investors: Jungle Ventures, Blume Ventures, Illuminate Financial
Headquartered in Singapore with offices in North Carolina and Bangalore, RegTech company Tookitaki develops machine learning-based financial compliance software, including anti-money laundering and reconciliation software. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Jeeta Bandopadhyay initially started Tookitaki as a social audience discovery and retargeting platform. Tookitaki has received funding from Viola FinTech, SIG China, and Nomura Securities.
15. Vanessa Hendriadi Li
- GoWork (Indonesia) – $20.2 million
- Latest Round: $3.6 million (June 2021)
- Notable Investors: Genesis Alternative Ventures, Gobi Partners, The Paradise Group
GoWork is the leading premium coworking and office space in Indonesia, with more than 25 locations in multiple cities. Vanessa Hendriadi Li founded ReWork in 2016 and became the chief executive officer of GoWork following the merger between both coworking space operators in 2018. GoWork has also received funding from Indogen Capital and Convergence Ventures.
16. Anna Gong
- Perx Technologies (Singapore) – $17.42 million
- Latest Round: $2.07 million (February 2021)
- Notable Investors: Eduardo Saverin, NCore Ventures, Access Ventures
Perx is an interactive lifestyle marketing software-as-a-service platform that develops loyalty and customer engagement to help organizations boost revenue growth. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Anna Gong amassed over 10 years of experience with various computer software brands including CA Technologies, Wily Technology, and Infor before deciding to go solo with Perx in 2014. Perx has also raised funding from Capital Management Group, LINE Ventures, and Golden Gate.
17. Blanca Menchaca
- BeMyGuest (Singapore) – $16.47 million
- Latest Round: $6.4 million (November 2019)
- Notable Investors: K3 Ventures, Raffles Venture Partners, Spring SEEDS Capital
BeMyGuest is a travel technology provider to the Asian attractions, tours, and activities industry. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Blanca Menchaca brings her experience with travel search site Wego.com and Australian publisher Enero to BeMyGuest. The startup has also raised funding from TNF Ventures, angel investor Koh Boon Hwee, and Singapore-based travel agent and tour operator Chan Brothers Group.
18. Li Congyu
- StoreHub (Malaysia) – $15 million
- Latest Round: $8.9 million (January 2020)
- Notable Investors: Vertex Ventures [Corrected], Accord Ventures, Cradle Seed Ventures
StoreHub is an operating system powering 15,000+ omnichannel retail and F&B businesses in Southeast Asia. In 2020 the startup launched Beep Delivery to help F&B businesses run sustainable food delivery in the midst of the pandemic. Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Li Congyu wrote the initial 100,000 lines of code of the StoreHub product. Previously, she was a software development engineering lead at Microsoft for five years. StoreHub has also received funding from CAC Capital, Fintonia Group, and 500 Startups.
19. Julia Markiewicz
- Silent Eight (Singapore) – $15 million
- Latest Round: $8.8 million (October 2020)
- Notable Investors: Wavemaker Partners, SC Ventures, and OTB Ventures
Silent Eight is a RegTech that leverages artificial intelligence to create custom compliance models for the world’s leading financial institutions including HSBC and Standard Chartered. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Julia Markiewicz is a serial entrepreneur, having previously founded and led Polish startup Fabryka Kadr, a human resources services provider. Silent Eight has also received funding from angel investor Koh Boon Hwee and Singapore Angel Network.
20. Anushka Verghese
- Smarten Spaces (Singapore) – $12.5 million
- Latest Round: $12 million (November 2020)
- Notable Investor: Symphony International Holdings
Smarten Spaces is an end-to-end artificial intelligence platform that aims to digitize spaces and increase space utilization for commercial properties, enterprises, co-working, co-living, and warehousing. Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Anushka Verghese previously worked at NTT DATA and Cisco, where she was the youngest member of the Cisco India leadership team.
21. Sreejita Deb
- Raena (Indonesia) – $11.21 million
- Latest Round: $9.45 million (March 2021)
- Notable Investors: STRIVE, BEENEXT, Beenos Partners
Raena helps social media influencers launch their own e-commerce brands and enables Indonesian customers to purchase beauty products from Japan and South Korea. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sreejita Deb is a serial entrepreneur, having previously founded The Creator Co in 2019, which automated collaborations between influencers and businesses. Raena has also received funding from Alpha JWC Ventures and AC Ventures.
22. Susli Lie
- ErudiFi (Singapore) – $8.16 million
- Latest Round: $8.16 million (February 2021)
- Notable Investors: Qualgro VC, Monk’s Hill Ventures
Although it is headquartered in Singapore, ErudiFi operates as Danacita in Indonesia and Bukas in the Philippines. The startup secures funding for students through tech-enabled partnerships with leading universities and vocational schools. Co-Founder Susli Lie worked on the VC side before becoming the first female founder from Indonesia to be selected into Y Combinator as part of ErudiFi.
23. Rhonda Wong
- Ohmyhome (Singapore) – $8.02 million
- Latest Round: $3.5 million (July 2021)
- Notable Investors: Swettenham Blue, Golden Equator Ventures, K3 Ventures
Ohmyhome is a proptech marketplace for housing transactions, connecting homeowners to home seekers directly. chief executive officer Rhonda Wong comes from a real estate consultancy background, having previously managed her own firm.
24. Annu Talreja, Priyanka Gera
- Oxfordcaps (Singapore) – $8 million
- Latest Round: $3.5 million (July 2021)
- Notable Investors: Swettenham Blue, Golden Equator Ventures, K3 Ventures
Headquartered in Singapore, Oxfordcaps is Asia’s first branded and tech-enabled student housing company that has now grown to 10,000 beds across Indian education hubs like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Dehradun, Indore, Jaipur, Greater Noida, and Ahmedabad. Co-founders Annu Talreja (Chief Executive Officer) and Priyanka Gera (Chief Operating Officer) have over two decades of cumulative experience in Asia Pacific real estate and hospitality industries with companies such as JLL and Marriott.
25. Sarah Zhang Jiachen
- POINTS Technology (Singapore) – $8 million
- Latest Round: Undisclosed (February 2020)
- Notable Investors: K2VC, DHVC, Nest
Bio VenturesPoints provides blockchain-based confidential computation solutions for banks, insurance companies, and Internet companies. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sarah Zhang Jiachen was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Segway Robotics, and senior product manager at Amazon. POINTS has also raised funding from Ceyuan Ventures, China Chengxin Credit, Cherubic Ventures.
26. Dr. Hariyati Shahrima
- Naluri (Malaysia) – $7.84 million
- Latest Round: $5 million (June 2021)
- Notable Investors: Integra Partners, M Venture Partners, Duopharma Biotech
Naluri is a human-driven, AI-augmented digital health service provider. Co-Founder and health psychologist Dr. Hariyati Shahrima brings her experience in psychology and human resource wellness consultancy to Naluri. Naluri has also raised funding from BioMark, Sumitomo Corporation, and 500 Startups.
27. Alexandria Agbayani Gentry
- Sprout Solutions (Philippines) – $7.65 million
- Latest Round: $6 million (October 2019)
- Notable Investors: Kickstart Ventures, Forum Ventures, Wavemaker Partners
Sprout Solutions helps companies in the Philippines grow through its suite of backend solutions that address payroll, human resource, and recruitment difficulties. Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Alexandria Agbayani Gentry was previously group publisher for Hinge Inquirer Publications, before moving on to help a former Microsoft executive start a software company in the Philippines – Saperium. Sprout Solutions has also raised funding from BEENEXT, Next Billion Ventures, and Point72 Ventures.
28. Tripti Ahuja
- Kyt (Singapore) – $7.5 million
- Latest Round: $5 million (January 2021)
- Notable Investors: Surge, Alpha Wave Incubation
An EdTech platform and global academy for extra-curricular courses, Kyt is led by Co-Founder Tripti Ahuja and her husband Bhavik Rathod. Ahuja is a serial entrepreneur, having previously founded Exhibit.in and 400 Things. Kyt has also received funding from January Capital and Titan Capital.
29. Roolin Njotosetiadi
- Logisly (Indonesia) – $7.1 million
- Latest Round: $6 million (November 2020)
- Notable Investors: Monk’s Hill Ventures, SeedPlus
A B2B tech-enabled logistics platform, Logisly is an e-forwarding startup that works with more than 1,000 businesses in Indonesia, including 300 corporate shippers. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Roolin Njotosetiadi was previously Chief of Staff and Head of Products at Kudo, Indonesia’s leading online-to-offline platform prior to its acquisition by Grab. Logisly has also received funding from Convergence Ventures and Genesia Ventures.
30. Sophie Jokelson
- Cove (Singapore) – $6.79 million
- Latest Round: $4.6 million (December 2020)
- Notable Investors: Keppel Land, Yuj Ventures, Picus Capital
Cove is a co-living company in Singapore that leverages technology and design to revolutionize room rentals. Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer Sophie Jokelson oversaw regional innovation at food giant General Mills and managed branding at Mars. She continues to lead the Working Girls Network, a social enterprise empowering women that she co-founded in 2016. Cove has also received funding from Antler, Venturra Capital, and Picus Capital.
31. Serene Cai
- Speedoc (Singapore) – $6.74 million
- Latest Round: $5 million (December 2020)
- Notable Investors: Vertex Ventures, Momentum VC
Speedoc is a virtual clinic and healthcare solutions platform that allows users to seek medical care and services from home. A long-time marketing and communications professional, Co-Founder Serene Cai also used to head marketing and communications at Speedoc. Concurrently, Cai is Vice President of the Sharing Economy of Singapore. Speedoc has also received funding from Global Grand Leisure and Decacorn Capital.
32. Venus Wong
- Saleswhale (Singapore) – $6.62 million
- Latest Round: $5.3 million (April 2019)
- Notable Investors: Monk’s Hill Ventures, Wavemaker Partners, Y Combinator
Saleswhale’s artificial intelligence sales assistant engages and qualifies marketing-generated leads at scale, through two-way intelligent email conversations, before handing over qualified leads to sales reps. Co-Founder Venus Wong is a serial entrepreneur, having previously co-founded mobile software development agency Getting Real Software, where she was also a designer and frontend developer. Saleswhale has also received funding from GREE Ventures, STRIVE, and InnoVen Capital.
33. Ng Mei Lan
- Avanseus (Singapore) – $5.99 million
- Latest Round: $2.4million (January 2020)
- Notable Investors: TNB AURA, Apollo Consulting
Avanseus specializes in building enterprise solutions driven by artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. It focuses on predictive maintenance software, especially in the telecom, manufacturing, and industrial IoT sectors. Co-Founder and Head of Finance Ng Mei Lan is a longtime finance professional, having held similar roles in Cellos Software, Aviat Networks, and Nokia. Avanseus has also raised funding from FEBO Limited Partnership and Bangsawan.
34. Park Mi-Kyoung
- One BioMed (Singapore) – $5.96 million
- Latest Round: $4.73 million (December 2020)
- Notable Investors: Seeds Capital, Biopath Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners
One BioMed uses digital-health, molecular diagnostics platform technologies that are poised to enable the simultaneous detection of both bacterial and viral infections in less than 30 minutes. Founder Park Mi-Kyoung is a lifelong scientist, having led Singapore’s Institute of Microelectronics’ bioelectronics program and worked as a senior scientist at biotech Biowarn.
35. Lim Ai Meun
- Percipient (Singapore) – $5.71 million
- Latest Round: $5 million (July 2020)
- Notable Investors: Global digital R&D impact fund Stat Zero
A digital banking technology firm, Percipient helps enterprises integrate their data across both traditional and modern systems. Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Lim Ai Meun is an experienced communications professional, with previous stints at ANZ, Cerulli Associates, and Citi.
36. Shayna Teh
- Food Market Hub (Malaysia) – $5.3 million
- Latest Round: $4 million (November 2020)
- Notable Investors: SIG, Go Ventures, 500 Startups
Food Market Hub is a cloud-based purchasing and inventory solution specifically designed for the F&B industry with the use of Big Data and AI to improve restaurant procurement and reduce food costs. Co-Founder and Chief of Money Shayna Teh is a serial entrepreneur, having previously managed several cafes as well as a custom men’s shoe store.
37. Francesca Chia
- GoGet (Malaysia) – $4.1 million
- Latest Round: $2 million (October 2020)
- Notable Investors: Monk’s Hill Ventures, 500 Startups
GoGet is an on-demand job marketplace that connects businesses to freelancers. Co-Founder and Chief Community Manager Francesca Chia worked with the Boston Consulting Group for four years before starting GoGet. She has been named to the 2021 class of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders.
38. Petrina Goh
- Nuren Group (Malaysia) – $3.88 million
- Latest Round: Undisclosed (March 2019)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, Malaysia Debt Ventures, InnoVen Capital
Nuren Group is a content, community, and commerce platform comprising several websites that follow women from getting married to entering motherhood. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Petrina Goh founded Nuren with her husband in 2013, after working for five years with CIMB’s proprietary investment arm. Nuren has also raised funding from N Capital Partners and 500 TukTuks.
39. Winnie Chua
- PolicyStreet (Malaysia) – $3.88 million
- Latest Round: US$1.72 million (November 2020)
- Notable Investors: Spiral Ventures, KK Fund
Insurtech PolicyStreet allows customers to buy insurance policies directly from its platform, with a focus on millennial users. Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Winnie Chua worked in insurance giant Allianz Group for six years before striking out on her own. PolicyStreet has also received funding from Malaysian Co-investment Fund and Cradle Fund.
AirAsia partners with InsurTech startup PolicyStreet to provide digital car insurance service
40. Soh Yienyee
- AVANA (Malaysia) – $3.74 million
- Latest Round: $2 million (April 2021)
- Notable Investors: Cradle Seed Ventures, Gobi Partners, Rekanext
AVANA empowers micro enterprises via social commerce, helping business owners sell through websites, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Soh Yienyee is a serial entrepreneur, having also founded Square.my and A Shopaholic’s Den. AVANA has also received funding from Captii Ventures, TH Capital and XA Network.
41. Dorothy Yiu
- EngageRocket (Singapore) – $3.25 million
- Latest Round: $2.2 million (March 2020)
- Notable Investors: Qualgro VC, SeedPlus
EngageRocket is a cloud-based software that helps leaders and organizations make better people decisions using real-time data, automating employee feedback and analytics to deliver management insight. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Dorothy Yiu spent four years with analytics and advisory firm Gallup before taking the entrepreneurial route. EngageRocket has also raised funding from Found.Ventures and angel investor and JobsCentral co-founder Huang Shao Ning.
42. Ponglada Paniangwet
- FreshKet (Thailand) – $3 million
- Latest Round: US$3 million (September 2020)
- Notable Investors: Openspace Ventures, 500 TukTuks, TaniHub co-founders Pamitra Wineka and Ivan Sustiawan
FreshKet is an e-commerce marketplace that connects farmers and food processors to businesses, like restaurants, and consumers in Thailand. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ponglada Paniangwet is a serial entrepreneur, having previously co-founded software development firm Onner Tech, where she worked as Chief Marketing Officer. FreshKet has also received funding from French-Singaporean food conglomerate Denis Asia Pacific, ECG-Research, and SeedersClub.
43. Marianne Rumantir
- Member.id (Indonesia) – $2.72 million
- Latest Round: $1.6 million (February 2021)
- Notable Investors: East Ventures, Traveloka, ACE Capital
Member.id is a data-driven loyalty consulting and tech firm that provides businesses with long-term loyalty solutions and rewarding customer experiences. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marianne Rumantir is a serial entrepreneur, having previously run her own restaurant in Melbourne, and co-founded Nitipstore, an online concierge helping Indonesian buyers purchase items from the U.S.
44. Leong Shirmein
- DeliverEat (Malaysia) – $2.4 million
- Latest Round: $1.2 million (August 2019)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners
Online food ordering and delivery company DeliverEat was recently acquired by Teleport, the logistics venture under AirAsia Group. It brings its 4,000 merchants and 4,000 delivery partners to the AirAsia super app. Leong Shirmein co-founded DeliverEat with her husband after working as an advertising executive with the national newspaper The Star.
45. Cheryl Low
- SimplyGiving (Singapore) – $2.38 million
- Latest Round: US$1.83 million (August 2019)
- Notable Investors: Gobi Partners, MAVCAP
SimplyGiving.com is Asia’s crowdfunding platform for social good, with over 1,200 non-profit partners across seven countries. SimplyGiving chief executive officer and director of social lending Cheryl Low previously worked at the China-Britain Business Council for seven years. She was also co-founder and executive director of Wildlife Asia, a wildlife and environment film festival.
46. Mandy Chan
- Epost (Malaysia) – $2.32 million
- Latest Round: $1.5 million (July 2021)
- Notable Investors: Warisan Quantum Management, Vynn Capital
Present in China and Malaysia, Epost is an online logistics platform that connects businesses and consumers. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Mandy Chan comes from a corporate background, having previously operated a joint venture between Brunsfield and Tsinghua University.
47. Eileen Kamtawijoyo
- Populix (Indonesia) – $2.2 million
- Latest Round: $1.2 million (April 2021)
- Notable Investors: Intudo Ventures, Gobi Partners
Populix is a consumer insights platform that connects businesses with readily-accessible and highly-qualified respondents. Co-Founder Eileen Kamtawijoyo comes from a corporate background, having worked with Indonesian conglomerate Djarum Group to develop and market new brands. Populix has also raised funding from Pegasus Tech Ventures and Quest Ventures.
48. Thanyatorn Thitiseranee
- Drivemate (Thailand) – $2.2 million
- Latest Round: $2.2 million (October 2019)
- Notable Investors: 500 Startups, Total Access Communication, NetSol Technologies
A peer-to-peer car sharing platform, Drivemate’s network comprises 3,000 vehicles and over 50,000 members in Thailand. Chief operations officer Thanyatorn Thitiseranee co-founded Drivemate with her husband, with the goal of replicating successful car rental platforms they had seen overseas. Drivemate has also raised funding from Colopi Next, Isuzu Motors, and UNT Group.
49. Kimberly Yao
- CloudEats (Philippines) – US$1.6 million
- Latest Round: US$1.4 million (April 2020)
- Notable Investors: Local family offices, regional angel investors
A pioneer cloud restaurant company, CloudEats builds digital restaurant brands via tech-powered cloud kitchens. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Yao brings in over a decade of experience operating The Palace, the largest standalone food, beverage and entertainment complex in the Philippines. A serial entrepreneur, Yao co-founded Boozy.ph, Philippines’ leading beverage e-commerce company, and then sold it to one of the country’s largest beverage groups within 18 months.
50. Alodia Gosiengfiao
- Tier One Entertainment (Philippines) – $1.18 million
- Latest Round: Undisclosed seed round (April 2021)
- Notable Investors: Warner Music Group, Gobi Partners, Core Capital
Tier One is a developer of a gaming platform and esports talent agency focused on content distribution and creation. Co-Founder Alodia Gosiengfiao is a multi-talented influencer and brand ambassador for esports gaming, in addition to modeling and singing. She launched her own beauty brand while overseeing talent at Tier One.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with corrections.