Features
David Kim on why better startup pitches can still fail investors [Q&A]
David Kim discusses investor signals, fundraising narratives, international pitch localization and the limits of AI-generated investor materials.
TDCX’s Michael Cowell on what makes customer experience genuinely AI-native [Q&A]
TDCX Hong Kong Managing Director Michael Cowell discusses AI-assisted CX, changing frontline roles, better metrics, data residency and what makes an operation genuinely AI-native.
Global Payments’ Konrad Chan on what merchants need as payments become invisible [Q&A]
Global Payments’ Konrad Chan discusses digital wallets, cross-border payment rails, agentic commerce and the trust questions that grow as payments fade into the background.
Mario Ferro on how GFE’s Pay It Forward model could scale education funding across ASEAN [Q&A]
GFE Founder Mario Ferro explains how the Pay It Forward education-funding model assesses students, sets income-linked contributions and plans to scale across ASEAN.
[Central Asia Rising] From Astana to Hong Kong: new capital routes for Central Asia
At an SCMP Live panel in Astana, representatives of AIX, HKEX, Alem Capital Management and Gobi Partners discussed how Central Asian companies could connect with international capital, and what a more diversified route beyond traditional resource and trade links might require.
Grafilab bets on sovereign AI to take Malaysia’s Neo Cloud ambitions beyond its borders [interview]
Malaysia’s first local Neo Cloud startup Grafilab sees data sovereignty, affordable AI compute and close ties to the developer community as potential advantages in a market dominated by heavily funded global players.
Singapore’s Laters.com bets on payment flexibility to reshape online travel booking [interview]
Laters.com announced a $1.5 million seed round led by XBO Ventures, the investment arm of XBO.com, the global digital-asset platform, and the completion of its rebrand.
AppsFlyer’s Joen van Driel on reading APAC app growth beyond installs [Q&A]
AppsFlyer VP of Sales APAC Joen van Driel discusses why marketers should weigh payer behavior, long-term retention and fraud alongside app-install growth.
Beyond vanity metrics: why startups need a new approach to PR [Q&A]
In this Q&A with TNGlobal, Aniket Gupta, Founder and Director of Mahou Consulting, shared why startups must ditch one-size-fits-all regional PR, how to navigate Southeast Asia’s fragmented media landscape, and why a distinct voice matters more than content volume in an AI-driven era.
[Discover Vietnam Tech] Beyond the IPO: Rethinking exit strategies for Vietnam’s tech startups
In the interview, Alex Phan, an investor and Co-Founder of startup incubator XYZ Foundation, takes the diagnosis deeper: Vietnam's legal framework has begun running ahead of its market, collateral-bound banks leave intangible tech firms stranded, and founders are chasing the wrong prize. An IPO that was never the only exit and rarely the right first one.
