BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders and Venture Cap Jeremy Au

Jeremy Au collaborated with Huawei’s Global Chief Public Services Industry Scientist, Mr. Hong-Eng Koh, to discuss insights from the 2024 APAC Congress in Bangkok. They talked about three main themes: 


1. Public Sector Digital Transformation: Mr. Hong-Eng Koh shared his journey from the Singapore Police Force to leading Huawei's global public sector team. He emphasized the significance of digital transformation in Singapore, starting with computerizing police reports in the 1990s to national projects like the Public Services Online and the Broadband Infrastructure for Government. He also highlighted that true digital transformation requires a coordinated, high-level approach across all government agencies. He stressed the need for a unified network, cloud, and platform to achieve efficiency and overcome bureaucratic inertia.






2. Huawei R&D Leadership: Mr. Hong-Eng Koh elaborated on Huawei’s extensive commitment to research and development, with over 55% of its 200,000 employees dedicated to R&D globally, including significant investments in Singapore and Europe. He explained how Huawei’s integrated technology stack enables rapid innovation and emphasized Huawei’s focus on continuous innovation and customer-centric solutions, which drive its competitive edge and resilience. He cited Huawei’s substantial investment in R&D, spending over 20% of its revenue, and its global patent leadership, holding the top spot in patent applications for six consecutive years.






3. Geopolitical Resilience: Mr. Hong-Eng Koh discussed Huawei’s adaptability in a decoupling world. He described how Huawei worked hard to maintain customer trust by ensuring reliable product delivery during crises such as COVID-19. Koh emphasized Huawei's culture of never giving up and working together as a pack, which fosters resilience and commitment to customer satisfaction. He also noted that the geopolitical challenges have pushed Huawei to be more transparent and open, ultimately benefiting the company.


Jeremy and Mr. Hong-Eng Koh also talked about the evolution of AI and its future impact, the importance of digital sovereignty, the open vs. closed-source software debate, and customer-centric approaches during crises.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/huawei-geopolitical-resilience 


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Jianggan Li, Founder & CEO of Momentum Works, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:


1. China Diaspora Waves: Jeremy and Jianggan discussed the long-standing historical connections between China and Southeast Asia, dating back to the era of Admiral Zheng He's voyages during the Ming Dynasty. They touched on the various dialect groups Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese & Peranakan and event drivers across trade, piracy, civil war, invasions and re-opening. 


2. Bamboo Network Economic Interdependence: Jianggan highlighted how Southeast Asian companies benefited from China's manufacturing boom in the 1980s. They also touched on China's tax reforms in the 1990s, which spurred local governments to develop real estate and industrial parks, ultimately boosting China's manufacturing leadership. They cited billionaire Robert Kuok's Kerry Group, intertwining the stories of Fuzhou, Malaysia, Singapore and Hongkong.


3. 996 MNC Culture: Jeremy and Jianggan covered the intense work schedule advocated by Jack Ma of Alibaba, which involves working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. This is driven by the intense competition and high productivity expectations within Chinese companies. They also discussed the differences in labor regulations and productivity across various countries where Chinese companies have set up operations, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, and Mexico, and highlighted the motivation of migrant workers compared to local hires.


Jeremy and Jianggan also talked about the below-the-radar influence on South American food culture, challenges for Chinese tech companies hiring in international markets and the resumption of Chinese emigration. 


Jianggan Li is the Founder & CEO of Momentum Works, a Singapore-headquartered venture outfit.


Prior to founding Momentum Works, he co-founded Easy Taxi in Asia, and served as Managing Director of Foodpanda. He is also the co-author of the book Seeing the Unseen: Behind Chinese Tech Giants' Global Venturing.


He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a degree in Computer Engineering from Nanyang Technological University. Apart from English and his native Mandarin, he is also fluent in French and conversational in Cantonese & Spanish.


Momentum Works is a Singapore headquartered venture outfit. Over the years, we have become a strong brand for insights, community and ventures in tech, ecommerce and digital economy across emerging markets. Our main business areas include insights/research, advisory, corporate education (Momentum Academy) and venture building.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/china-migration-waves


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Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com


WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


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Jeremy Au reflects on the finite nature of life, creating the human desire to survive, build a family, or leave behind a legacy of accomplishments. He explores longevity and discusses life extension champion Bryan Johnson and his "don't die" slogan. He references Mark Manson's book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck," which argues that confronting (instead of ignoring) mortality drives people to better appreciate life. He thus delves into digital immortality, where advanced AI technologies and extensive personal data can create high-fidelity digital replicas. He cites the story of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who sought immortality but died in 210 BCE from consuming mercury, believing it would extend his life. Jeremy speculates on a future where humans thus create a digital afterlife, using continually-improving AI models, granting access to formerly-private data and structuring in economic shell-company rights. The species "Homo digitalis" thus emerges, with photo-realistic digital avatars carrying on individual human personalities and interacting with real-world humans.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/digital-immortals


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观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/digital-immortals-cn


Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com


WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


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Helen Wong, Managing Partner of AC Ventures, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:


1. AC Ventures Managing Partner Leadership Journey: Helen shared her extensive journey from Oxford University to investment banking to GGV Capital to INSEAD MBA to Qiming Ventures to Managing Partner of AC Ventures. She highlighted her 20 years of investing experience across the booming Silicon Valley tech ecosystem to the early rapidly growing China tech scene of the early 2000s. The Asian Financial Crisis with Asia corporate over-leveraging debt and Alan Greenspan's interest rate hikes reshaped her understanding of risk and investment. She shared insights on investing in 4 unicorns, 3 M&A exits and 7 IPOs, e.g. Alibaba's growth from 1,000 to thousands of employees


2. China VC Acceleration: Helen discussed the early days of China's tech ecosystem, where returnees and local entrepreneurs started to build unicorns across the internet boom and the mobile internet era, despite the nascent talent pool and then-lack of exit opportunities. She noted the intense competition, global liquidity pools, rapid pace of deal-making, and the strategic focus shifts from consumer internet to deep tech and enterprise software due to government policies and market saturation.


3. Indonesia Growth Optimism: Helen highlighted the significant growth potential in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, which she identified as a critical market due to its large 275 million population, rising middle class, and economic resilience. She drew parallels between the region's current tech landscape and China's early days, noting the opportunities for substantial returns. She also discussed Indonesia's favorable economic fundamentals, with Goldman Sachs projecting the country’s GDP to rank fourth globally by 2050, and the public and private debt levels being relatively low at about 40% of GDP, which indicates a healthier balance sheet compared to more leveraged economies.






Jeremy and Helen also talked about the challenges of balancing career and family, strategic investments like Akulaku, reflections on missed investments, and her advice to her younger self.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/helen-wong


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Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com


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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremya


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


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Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au, talked about three main themes:


1. Jakarta City Master Plan: Gita highlighted Jakarta's urgent urban planning needs to address rising sea levels, land subsidence, air pollution, traffic congestion, sanitation upgrades and education requirements. Miscommunications, fragmented stakeholders and the recurring blame game in political discourse have contributed to this impasse. They discussed the new Jakarta Agglomeration Area Council, led by Indonesia’s incoming Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (Joko Widodo's son), which aims to coordinate two governors, four mayors and four regents to create a new master plan for 6,700-square-kilometers.


2. Prabowo on Western "Double Standards": Jeremy and Gita discussed Prabowo's strongly-worded The Economist op-ed which said that the West had "double standards" on Gaza and Eastern Europe and that valuing the lives of civilians in Palestine less than in Ukraine is morally indefensible. Prabowo has long advocated for cease-fires in both countries, signaling a more public foreign policy than the outgoing President Joko Widodo - while maintaining continuity on domestic and economic policy. Gita noted that Indonesia's population size and economic growth strengthen its voice in international affairs, vs. other ASEAN neighbors that have voted similarly for peace deals in both conflicts.


3. Microsoft $1.7B Investment: Jeremy and Gita discussed Microsoft's $1.7 billion investment to enhance Indonesia's digital infrastructure and workforce capabilities. This investment highlights Indonesia's potential to become a key player in the global tech market. They also addressed the challenges of brain drain and debated on dual citizenship as a solution to retain talent by allowing Indonesians to work abroad while maintaining ties to their home country, in contrast to Singapore's immigration policy. They emphasized the importance of upskilling and continuous education to keep the talent pool relevant and competitive,


Jeremy and Gita also talked about the similarities in urban planning in Jakarta vs. San Francisco, the debate on national security concerns related to dual citizenship, and the impact of political stabilization and economic continuity post-election.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/western-double-standards


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Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com


WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


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Jeremy Au explores "roboganda," the new wave of propaganda promoting the benefits of robots and AI. Roboganda playbook: 1. Emphasize transformation of industries with increased productivity, downplay short-term negative job displacement, reskilling and search costs for individuals. 2. Humanize AI to satisfy individual social needs (loneliness, validation & empathy) substituting for societal archetypes (colleague, mentor, lover, child) across media (product demos, game NPCs and Hollywood - The Creator, Her) 3. Increasingly use AI cloaked as humans to spread pro-robot narratives at effectively zero marginal cost (e.g. election bot farms, Reddit bots), instead of human creators (writers, artists and musicians) - disproportionately in favor of capital holders and disrupters over labor and incumbents.


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/robot-propaganda


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Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com


WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts


Join us at the startup conference Echelon X! We have 30 exclusive complimentary tickets for our podcast listeners. Sign up and use the promo codes BRAVEPOD or ECXJEREMY to claim your free tickets now!