Celebrating Flutura's Acquisition and Women Leaders - Mar 2023
Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Sector Agnostic VC ? Seed, Series A/B focused ? Investor- Operator model ? Southeast Asia & India based ? Global minded
Mar 2023 Edition (#21)
Hi there,
Time flies, it's hard to believe that Q1 has already passed us by. I've had the privilege of witnessing the startup industry blossom over the years and it heartens me to see more and more women leaders emerging. At the start, I observed that women entrepreneurs tend to start businesses serving other women, such as in fashion and retail. But today, we are now seeing women lead the way in male-dominated industries too. Our Vertex female founders are a testament to this, breaking new ground across various sectors from manufacturing in India (Sonam, Karkhana.io) to job platform for mass workers in Indonesia (Nelly Nurmalasari, Pintarnya).
This month, in honor of International Women's Month, we would like to dedicate our newsletter and social media to all the female founders and leaders in our #Vertexfamily.
Every year, we honour our Vertex female leaders through sharing their inspirational stories and engaging them through events. This year,?we are thrilled to invite four amazing leaders and their portfolio managers to share Hard Truths about their industry, our investment thesis, tips on balancing work and life, as well as advice for other females on our podcast. We encourage you to listen or watch the podcast and support these incredible women here. Additionally, if you missed the inspiring untold stories of our other female founders we have written last year, you can read them here.?
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"Life is hard, choose your hard" - Natalia Rialucky Marsudi , founder and CEO of Fairatmos in HTBV podcast E6.
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We understand that being an entrepreneur is a tough job, and it comes with its own set of challenges, regardless of gender. That's why we are proud to be a supportive partner to all of our founders, not just in their businesses but in their personal lives as well. As a fund, we prioritize gender neutrality and invest in the best-in-class companies led by exceptional founders, regardless of their gender.
Last but not least, we congratulate the founders of our portfolio Flutura Decision Sciences & Analytics , Krishnan Raman , Srikanth Muralidhara and Derick Jose . We are glad to partner with you on your startup journey over the last few years.
Enjoy the read!
PORTFOLIO SPOTLIGHT
Our portfolio company Flutura was acquired by Accenture
Huge congratulations to the founders?Krishnan, Derick, and Srikanth!?The acquisition will bolster Accenture’s industrial AI services for clients and increase the performance of plants, refineries, and supply chains, and bring clients closer to their net zero goals. This marks the 4th acquisition in the last two years for our fund, following the successful acquisitions of GlowRoad.com , Active.Ai - A Gupshup Inc Company , and Recko | A Stripe company . Read more
Janice Wong shares her vision to plant 1,000 cacao trees in Singapore with Money FM
"But how would Janice wong manage to achieve this on Singapore's land-scarce island?" If you're curious about her creative solution and how she's contributing to Singapore's 30 by 30 food security goal, be sure to check out the full interview. Listen here
HARD TRUTHS BY VERTEX PODCAST
It takes a village to Nurture Successful Women Entrepreneurs
As an investor in 20 women-led startups, one key observation we have is that women leaders seldom gather enough credit for the amazing work they do. That's why we make it a priority to support them in any way we can. Each year, we celebrate the achievements of our women leaders, no matter how big or small, on our podcasts and by sharing their inspiring stories of resilience, determination, and perseverance. We hope to help them gain the recognition they deserve and inspire other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
We have been actively judging and speaking at partner events as well as organising workshops and roundtables to educate or advocate on?women empowerment. Read more
VERTEX PERSPECTIVES
India: We want to invest in founders who understand the profitability dynamics
Our Partner Kanika Mayar was recently part of a panel discussion at YourStory Media 's TechSparks in Mumbai, where she shared her insights on the current opportunities in India's startup ecosystem. She emphasized the importance of founders focusing on finding the right product market fit rather than simply optimising for high GMV, to achieve long-term success and sustainable growth.
Singapore: Puiyan is one of the 8 selected mentors for Her World mentorship program
Our Partner, Puiyan LEUNG , has been specially selected as a mentor for the inaugural mentorship program by Her World magazine (Singapore's No.1 women magazine). She was also featured in their #HerWorldHerStory series, where she shares insights on her non-linear career path that led her to venture capital. Through her past experiences and learnings from personal mentors, Puiyan has gained valuable advice. If you're interested in learning from her and gaining insights on how to navigate your own career path, make sure to check this out.
Thailand: Vitavin shares why Vertex is bullish on Thai Startups with DealStreetAsia
According to Vitavin ITTIPANUVAT , our Executive Director based in Bangkok, Thailand's startup ecosystem is very distinct, setting it apart from the rest of Southeast Asia. Founders in Thailand tend to prioritize capital efficiency and a balanced approach to growth, resulting in a lower burn rate and more reasonable valuation expectations. Find out more about the Thai market here.
Indonesia: F&B startups need to have a strong omnichannel strategy
Our Partner Gary Khoeng based in Indonesia, recently spoke with DailySocial.id - Indonesian Startup Media & Research about the #Foodtech outlook in Indonesia. Due to the high proportion of consumers on social media in Indonesia (191 million), he sheds light on the crucial role that social media can play in the success of F&B startups in Indonesia's vibrant Foodtech landscape. Read more
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Kanika Mayar | 32 Women Torchbearers Of India’s Startup Investment Space
We are excited to share that our Partner?Kanika Mayar?is 12th on the list of 32 Women Torchbearers Of India’s Startup Investment Space, according to Inc42 Media . This is testimony to the valuable contributions she has made to the India's startup ecosystem. We look forward to her continued success in shaping the future of startup investment in India. Read more
Business as a Force for Good Award
We recently also won the Business as a Force for Good Award by INSEAD Alumni Association Singapore !
Read more?here.
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ABOUT US
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India (VVSEAI) invests in high-growth start-ups seeking their first round of institutional venture capital funding in Southeast Asia and India.
VVSEAI has a long and strong track record of investing in early-stage startups and building champions like Grab, Patsnap, Nium, 17Live, FirstCry, Licious, AsianParent, Validus and others. Visit?www.vertexventures.sg?for more.
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