Skip to main content
Top

2020 | Book

Asian Founders at Work

Stories from the Region’s Top Technopreneurs

Authors: Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez

Publisher: Apress

insite
SEARCH

About this book

What does it take to successfully launch and scale a startup in Asia? While much of modern business literature covers Silicon Valley and its founders, building a company in Asia—a world center of technology and innovation—is a vastly different journey, and not nearly as widely covered. This book aims to change that.

Asian Founders at Work is an essential compilation of in-depth, incisive interviews with over 20 top technopreneurs from the region. Authors Ezra Ferraz and Gracy Fernandez have gathered their exclusive conversations with business leaders: Min-Liang Tan (Razer), Maria Ressa (Rappler), Chatri Sityodtong (ONE Championship), Patrick Grove (iflix), and Khailee Ng (500 Startups) are just a few.

Questions about early difficulties, fundraising, business pivots, strategic partnerships, exits via acquisition or IPO, and more are answered in great detail to shine a light on the founders' unique experiences. Learn directly from game-changers in their own voice. By documenting these stories, the authors have created the largest and most comprehensive record of successes to date. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur yourself, a business student wanting to become well-versed in international practices, or an owner looking to expand to the area, this book provides a thorough guide to the startup culture in Asia from the most knowledgeable sources possible.

What You Will Learn

Gain business knowledge of practices that are localized to AsiaBecome familiar with essential startup topics, including product development, user acquisition, recruiting, and fundraisingStudy individual companies and founders, and an overview of startup culture

Who This Book Is For

Those in the tech ecosystem in East, Southeast, and South Asia, including aspiring founders or current founders who have started their entrepreneurial journey. This book is also for people outside of Asia who have an interest in the region. Entrepreneurs or businesspeople can refer to this book as they consider expansion into the area. Researchers and readers can pick up this book if they are curious about the business landscape of Asia and want to hear directly from game-changing founders.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Siu Rui Quek: CEO and Co-founder, Carousell
Abstract
Siu Rui Quek founded Carousell in Singapore in 2012 with Lucas Ngoo and Marcus Tan. Prototyped over the course of a Startup Weekend, Carousell is a consumer-to-consumer marketplace with a focus on mobile technology. With over 250 million listings, Carousell is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing marketplaces in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong,
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 2. Shing Chow: Founder and CEO, Lalamove
Abstract
In 2013, Shing Chow founded Lalamove, then still known as EasyVan, in Hong Kong. Lalamove is an on-demand logistics company that allows consumers and enterprises to ship both large and small goods via a mobile app.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 3. Khailee Ng: Managing Partner, 500 Startups
Abstract
Khailee Ng is one of the most successful founders from Southeast Asia. In 2011, he sold daily deals site GroupsMore to Groupon, as part of the latter’s entrance into Malaysia. Just two years later, Ng sold social curation and news platform Says.com to Malaysian media giant Media Prima Bhd.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 4. Royston Tay: Founder, Zopim
Abstract
Royston Tay co-founded Zopim in Singapore in 2007 with Wenxiang Wu, Yang Bin Kwok, Qing Ru Lim, and Julian Low, who all met while studying abroad at Stanford University through the National University of Singapore Overseas College program.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 5. Chatri Sityodtong: Founder, Chairman, and CEO, ONE Championship
Abstract
Chatri Sityodtong, an MBA graduate from Harvard Business School (USA), founded ONE Championship in Singapore in 2011 after a successful career on Wall Street. He returned to Asia to launch ONE Championship because he wanted to unite the region by creating Asia’s first global sports media property to celebrate Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, martial arts.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 6. Willis Wee: Founder and CEO, Tech in Asia
Abstract
In 2010, Singapore Management University alumnus Willis Wee founded Tech in Asia in Singapore after recognizing a gap in the global coverage of technology and startups. Most media outlets focus on Silicon Valley startups, even though Asia is increasingly home to the world’s most promising tech companies and has a growing regional readership eager to learn about them.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 7. Ritesh Agarwal: Founder and CEO (Global), OYO Hotels & Homes
Abstract
In 2013, 18-year-old Ritesh Agarwal founded OYO Hotels & Homes in India. The company began as Oravel Stays, a platform for listing budget accommodations, around the same time that Agarwal was accepted to the Thiel Fellowship.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 8. Shao-Ning Huang: Co-founder and Deputy CEO, JobsCentral
Abstract
In 2000, Shao-Ning Huang co-founded JobsCentral with Der Shing Lim (whom she married in year 3 of the business) in Singapore. The two met at the University of Michigan where she studied business and he studied electrical engineering. In the United States, they encountered Monster and thought that Singapore needed a similar job portal solution.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 9. Achmad Zaky: Founder and CEO, Bukalapak
Abstract
Indonesia has four unicorns—the most in any market in Southeast Asia. The first three are Traveloka, Tokopedia, and Gojek. The fourth and latest unicorn, Bukalapak, was founded by Achmad Zaky in 2010, with Nugroho Herucahyono and Fajrin Rasyid.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 10. Patrick Grove: Co-founder, iflix
Abstract
In 2014, Patrick Grove founded iflix in Malaysia, with backing from his Catcha Group, the digital group he founded in 2004.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 11. Chitpol Mungprom: CEO and Founder, Zanroo
Abstract
Chitpol Mungprom founded Zanroo with Udomsak Donkhampai in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2013. As a marketing technology company, Zanroo began by offering a social listening platform. Zanroo later created Arun, which allows companies to track their return on investment across owned media, earned media, and paid media. The company is currently active in 15 countries and employs more than 160 people. The company is expected to become the first unicorn from Thailand and a world leader in marketing tech.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 12. Mohan Belani: Co-founder and CEO, e27
Abstract
In 2007, e27 started as a community group among passionate tech and startup enthusiasts who wanted to build the Internet ecosystem in Singapore. e27 was so named as a result of a white paper written by Paul Graham on investing in companies where founders were 27 years old or younger. The “e” stands for entrepreneurs.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 13. Zeeshan Ali Khan: CEO and Co-founder, Zameen.com
Abstract
Zeeshan Ali Khan built and launched his first batch of online portals with his brother Imran Ali Khan’s help to much fanfare in the UK. Following up on this success, he expanded his operations to Canada, Australia, and the US, before relocating to his Pakistani homeland.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 14. Akiko Naka: CEO and Founder, Wantedly
Abstract
In 2010, Akiko Naka founded Wantedly in Tokyo, Japan. Originally conceived as a question-and-answer site similar to Quora, Naka eventually pivoted Wantedly into a social recruiting site built around casual office visits.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 15. Ron Hose: Co-founder and CEO, Coins.ph
Abstract
In 2014, Ron Hose co-founded Coins.ph with Runar Petursson. Coins.ph began as a cryptocurrency marketplace, although the co-founders knew that they wanted to pursue the larger opportunity in creating a digital wallet of choice in the Philippines. Hose had the necessary expertise to build this product, having graduated from Cornell University with a master’s degree in computer science and serving as the co-founder and CTO of TokBox, which was acquired by Telefonica Digital in 2012.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 16. Zac Cheah: CEO and Co-founder, Pundi X
Abstract
Zac Cheah founded Pundi X with Pitt Huang in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September 2017. As a fintech technology company, Pundi X began by offering a different kind of payment platform through its predecessor—the Pundi-Pundi app, a QR payment system. Pundi X became much more than a traditional payment gateway, soon it allowed people to experience a borderless payment system with the use of its proprietary products—XPOS, XWallet, and XPass. The company is currently active in 25 countries and has shipped more than 5,000 XPOS devices. By 2019, the company is expected to become the first unicorn from Indonesia that transcends borders as it continues to be a world leader in the fintech industry.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 17. Chih-Han Yu: CEO Co-founder, Appier
Abstract
In 2010, Chih-Han Yu co-founded Appier with Joe Su and Winnie Lee in Taiwan. Prior to Appier, Yu spent most of his career studying computer science in academe, earning a bachelor’s degree in the field from National Taiwan University, followed by a master’s degree at Stanford University, and finally, a PhD from Harvard University.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 18. Winston Damarillo: CEO and Founder, GlueCode
Abstract
Winston Damarillo was the CEO and founder of GlueCode. A self-taught programmer, Damarillo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial and mechanical engineering from De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 19. Min-Liang Tan: CEO and Co-founder, Razer
Abstract
In 2005, Min-Liang Tan co-founded Razer with Robert Krakoff in Singapore. Razer’s first product was the Boomslang, a high-end gaming mouse, the rights of which the co-founders had secured from a failed business.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 20. Maria Ressa: Co-founder and CEO, Rappler
Abstract
In 2012, Princeton graduate Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler in the Philippines with Ceche Lazaro, Glenda Gloria, Chay Hofilena, Lilibeth Frondoso, Gemma Mendoza, Marites Vitug, Raymund Miranda, Manuel Ayala, and Nico Nolledo. Rappler was a social news network that disrupted traditional media in the Philippines with its emphasis on social media engagement, smartphone-based reporting, and other proprietary digital tools, such as the Mood Meter.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 21. Mark Sears: CEO and Founder, CloudFactory
Abstract
Founded by Mark Sears in 2011, CloudFactory addresses two problems at once. First, the shortage of jobs in emerging markets like Nepal, and second, the structural gaps in traditional outsourcing models. Inspired by Henry Ford’s assembly line framework, the platform splits up work into smaller tasks and delegates these simpler, more manageable workloads to the CloudWorkers on CloudFactory. This streamlines how individuals accomplish whatever has been outsourced to them, allowing them to do more, and hence, earn more without sacrificing quality. Client businesses are then able to focus their efforts on higher-value work.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Chapter 22. Teresa Condicion: Chief of Data and Operation, Co-founder, Snapcart
Abstract
Teresa Condicion co-founded Snapcart in 2015. Unlike other startups, Snapcart had a regional presence and focus from the beginning because its co-founders hailed from different markets in Southeast Asia. Laith Abu Rakty, Reynazran Royono, and Araya Hutasuwan are from Indonesia, and Condicion is from the Philippines.
Ezra Ferraz, Gracy Fernandez
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Asian Founders at Work
Authors
Ezra Ferraz
Gracy Fernandez
Copyright Year
2020
Publisher
Apress
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4842-5162-1
Print ISBN
978-1-4842-5161-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5162-1