Wavemaker Impact

[#WatchthisSpace🚀] How might we help Southeast Asia’s small & medium enterprises (SMEs) embrace greener operational solutions? 🌍 This was the critical HMW (How Might We) question that #WMi founder Chatchanart Jiratornsirikul (JoeZ) and his Venture team explored during a recent, fruitful trip to Bangkok! ✈ With 2.4m buildings in #SoutheastAsia occupied by SMEs — representing 75% of all commercial & industrial buildings — this segment generates a staggering ~600Mt of #CarbonEmissions per year. Yet, it remains underserved by #GreenSolution providers. While these providers have made strides in targeting "Grade A" buildings, they face challenges reaching the SME building segment. 🏢🌱 To explore how we can smooth the transition toward greener solutions for SME business owners, our team Sumira Jayabalan, Yifei Xiao and Kawewat Mayteesirasak engaged with a diverse range of key players in #Thailand’s commercial & industrial sectors, including: - Green solution providers: Companies specialising in #Solar ☀, #EnergyEfficiency (EE) 💡, #BuildingManagementSystems (BMS), and #GreenMaterials - Ecosystem partners: Prominent figures in the Thai #RealEstate sector 🏘, including property managers, real estate developers, and property sales platforms - SME building owners: Owners of smaller commercial and industrial properties We’re excited by the insights gained from this short but productive trip! Together with JoeZ, we can't wait to see the innovative ventures that emerge from their journey. 🌍 #Sustainability #SME #WavemakerImpact #ClimateAction #RenewableEnergy #BuiltEnvironment #ClimateTech

A Win for Impact: Wavemaker Partners Recognised at SVCA Awards 🌍🏆 🎉 Congratulations to our early-stage ventures fund Wavemaker Partners on winning "VC Deal of the Year" at the 32nd Annual Singapore Venture & Private Capital Association (SVCA) Awards, for leading Lhoopa’s US$80 million funding round! 🏆 As part of the broader Wavemaker family, we at #WavemakerImpact are proud to see #WavemakerPartners continue to champion ventures that create meaningful impact in #SoutheastAsia’s social and sustainability spaces. Founded by husband-and-wife team Marc-Olivier Caillot and Sabrina Tan, #Lhoopa is a prop-tech innovator addressing the critical affordable housing shortage in the #Philippines and other emerging markets 🌍, by helping families achieve homeownership and narrowing the wealth gap. SVCA’s recognition underscores the power of investing in solutions that not only drive business growth but also create lasting benefits for communities and the environment 🌱. 2024 marks the third time Wavemaker Partners has clinched “VC Deal of the Year” in the last four years 🚀. They also won the award for Indonesia’s eFishery Series C in 2022 and Growsari’s Series C in 2021. At #WMi, we’re inspired by the continued success of Wavemaker Partners in partnering founders to grow meaningful ventures that drive sustainability and scalable impact 💡. We look forward to continuing our shared journey of backing and building companies that make a difference in the region! 💪 #100x100 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ggfC2cKu #WavemakerImpact #WavemakerPartners #ImpactInvesting #Sustainability #ClimateTech #AffordableHousing #SVCAAwards

🌍Exploring India’s Untapped Potential: Holly’s Insights from Prabhav 2024 and Avaana India Climate Week 🌱 Last week, our Founder & Recruitment Lead, Holly Grabarek, spent an eye-opening week in India attending Prabhav 2024, which coincided with Avaana India Climate Week (AICW)! 🇮🇳✨ Prabhav 2024 is India's premier impact investing platform, organised by the Impact Investors Council (IIC). This biennial event brings together the global impact investing community for thought-provoking sessions, workshops, and discussions. 💬🌿 During her visit, Holly also made time to attend networking events hosted by Omnivore and Avaana Capital. Huge thanks to Mark Kahn, Subhadeep Sanyal, Anjali Bansal, and Swapna Gupta for the warm invitations! 🤝🎉 Reflecting on her experience, Holly shared: "India is a huge market with a lot of untapped potential. Many rural, semi-urban regions are hungry for investment, but technologies that work in other parts of the world may not be so easily implemented due to socio-cultural nuances. To unlock the opportunities in India, we very much need founders who are familiar with the region's context to design solutions that are customised specifically for each distinct economic landscape." If you're an experienced founder based in India and curious about expanding within the Climate & Impact space, connect with Holly to explore how we can help catalyse your next venture! 🚀💡 #WavemakerImpact #ImpactInvesting #ClimateAction #Prabhav2024 #AvaanaIndiaClimateWeek #Sustainability #Innovation #IndiaStartups 🇮🇳 #GlobalImpact #ClimateTech

🌍 #WMiClimateCommentary 3: A Tale of Two Models? 🌱 In this recent Tech in Asia community content by Peter Cowan, there is a reflection by one of the contributors that suggests "…VCs should refrain from venture building, while venture studios should avoid managing large funds. Crossing these streams creates too high a risk of moral hazard and lead to poor results." We would like to offer another perspective. As the first Venture Build VC in #SoutheastAsia's #ClimateTech space, we see the potential of blending both models for success. 💡 The viability of the "Traditional" VC runs on the assumption that there are #unicorn-potential start-ups out there which can achieve their fullest potential with the right capital plus some strategic guidance and network facilitation. But for Southeast Asia’s climate tech sector that is still growing and evolving, this assumption may not hold true. The region faces unique challenges, including a limited number of start-ups tackling the right problem statements, and a small pool of founders with both passion and deep domain expertise. That’s where a Venture-Build VC model comes in. In our case, we empower climate-conscious serial entrepreneurs, many of whom have made their mark in other sectors, to venture into climate tech by: 🛠️ Co-building profitable, high impact businesses with them, leveraging our expertise in venture-building and climate. 💰 Providing pre-seed funding so founders can focus on achieving product-market fit within the first 18 months—without the distraction of bootstrapping or fundraising. Three years on, we’re proud that impactful businesses like Rize, Agros, WasteX, and Refy have emerged from our venture-building model. With our support, many have scaled faster, amplifying their positive environmental impact. 🌱 Perhaps, for nascent sectors and emerging markets, this hybrid model could be the key to unlocking future climate unicorns. 🦄💡 What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments! 💬 🔗Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dguSEq7j This post is part of our [#WMiClimateCommentarySeries], brought to you by our Ventures team members Ben Ong and Yifei Xiao, reflecting on the latest in the #ClimateTech space. 🌏 #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Innovation #VentureBuilding #ImpactInvesting #StartupGrowth #ClimateAction

🌍 Uplifting the Middle Class, Reducing Emissions: #WMi’s Insights from Indonesia 🌿 Last week, our Founder-in-Residence Aik-Phong Ng, along with our venture team Ben Ong, Cheryl Kek, and Amanda Chen, visited #Indonesia to gain deeper insights into the challenges and aspirations of the country's growing middle class. 🇮🇩 📊 According to the Indonesian Statistics Bureau (BPS), the middle and aspiring middle classes account for 66% (190 million) of the population, with the government aiming to increase this to 80% by 2045. 🌍 However, with growth come challenges—such as increased consumption and a potential rise in #CarbonEmissions. 💡 Our trip to Indonesia was guided by a central question: How can we elevate living standards for aspiring middle-class families while minimising the increase in household emissions? Over five days, we connected with more than 35 individuals and households through our networks and friends in Indonesia (special thanks to Tauhid Pandji, Annisa Rahmania Jernih, and Nurcahyo Rokayanto). The insights we gathered were truly fascinating. Stay tuned to see the exciting venture that will emerge from this journey with Aik-Phong! #Sustainability #GreenEnergy #ImpactInvesting #MiddleClass #VentureBuilding #ClimateAction #SEAGrowth #WavemakerImpact #CarbonEmissions

At the Bloomberg CEO Forum in #Jakarta on September 4, our Managing Partner B. Paul Santos joined an insightful panel with Helen Pei-Hua Wong (AC Ventures), David Gowdey (Jungle Ventures), and Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro (Antler), moderated by Bloomberg’s Olivia Poh, to discuss how #SoutheastAsia ’s startup scene—particularly in #Indonesia — has evolved since the funding winter. ❄ Here's some of the key takeaways from the panel: 📌 Value creation over valuations: The funding winter has prompted startups to focus on creating value, not just chasing valuations. This is a step in the right direction. B2B startups like eFishery (a #Wavemaker portco that supports Indonesian #aquaculture farmers🐟👨🌾) that stayed true to this principle are now yielding desirable outcomes. 📌 Indonesian founders going global: Cross-border operations are on the rise as founders aim to make their solutions more internationally relevant. 🌏 📌 Indonesia’s investment opportunities: Indonesia’s massive consumer base and growing middle class present opportunities for not only consumer electronics, but also energy-efficiency home appliances #ClimateTech. ▶️ Watch the full session here: https://lnkd.in/gsYupJrV #BBGCEOForum #WavemakerPartners #WavemakerImpact #Sustainability #VentureCapital #RenewableEnergy

With the urgent need to decarbonise the region, the onus is not only on finding viable, innovative solutions but in ensuring these are deployed, adopted widely, and scaled. At the closing plenary, experts discuss how startups can bridge the valley of death. Ashley Tan, International Head of Sustainability & Social Impact, Amazon Web Services (AWS) shared 3 key points that organisations could do to cross this valley together: a) picking the right technologies and right partners; b) a commitment from large organisations to keep access to technology high and barriers to entry low; and c) creating more global public goods, citing the democratization of data for startups as an example. Speaking from the perspective of a startup, Celine Tan, Business Development Director, Nandina REM mentioned that it is very important for entrepreneurs to find the base that is supportive of their business and their course. She further added that engaging with the end customer from the very beginning is a key aspect, a sentiment echoed by Wavemaker Impact Founding Partner Marie Cheong who said that entrepreneurs should focus on what customers are asking for today, rather than peddling solutions to customers hoping for uptake. Marie encourages would-be sustainability founders, saying “You don’t need to be a specialist in the space. There are a lot of transferable skills and many actually do well because of their diverse backgrounds.” You can still tune in LIVE: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gwE5wjfw LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gZvedAkf #UnlockingCapital #UCFS2024 #UnlockingCapitalForSustainability

🌍 Building a Greener Tomorrow: Rohan Vinekar’s Journey in ClimateTech 🚀 Rohan Vinekar had a successful, multi-year career as an entrepreneur and angel investor, but he was always thinking about how he could do more to build a better world. 🌱 His passion for #ClimateTech led him to believe that his focus and efforts could create the greatest impact for the greater good, especially with his experience in the energy sector. ⚡ When we approached Rohan to explore becoming a #WMi Founder-in-Residence, he quickly recognised how our vision and interests aligned. 🤝 This led him to join us on our journey to co-build #100x100 ClimateTech ventures for the future. 🌍💡 As a result of this partnership, today, Rohan is the founder and CEO of Octayne Green Fuels, a farm-waste-to-energy venture aiming to convert over 400 million tonnes of post-harvest crop residue in #SoutheastAsia into a renewable, sustainable fuel source for the region. ♻🌾 #WMi’s 100x100 mission resonates deeply with Rohan, particularly as he reflects on how building $100 million businesses that abate 100 tonnes of CO2E can transform lives. In fact, he’s added his own “100” to this mission: “I want my ideas to positively impact 100 million families, giving them a safer and cleaner tomorrow to thrive in.” 💚✨ Curious to learn more about Rohan’s journey as a Founder-in-Residence/Leader of his own biofuel venture? Contact him for a coffee chat today! ☕👋 #GreenEnergy #SustainableFuels #AngelInvestor #RenewableEnergy #Entrepreneurship #CleanEnergy #BioWaste #Octayne #WavemakerImpact #Agriculture

In Plenary 5, the discussion revealed that budget constraints are often perceived as a barrier to innovation. However, the panel emphasized that without the right mindset, skills, culture, and workforce education, even unlimited funding won’t drive innovation. This was a very impactful end to Day 2, as similar points had been raised in many other panels. Digitalization, sustainability, robotics, AI, and adaptive reuse are all challenges that address similar issues. Educating our talent is key to transformation.   We hope the first two days at #IBEW have been enlightening. Tomorrow, we look forward to continuing with our masterclasses and learning journeys. Thank you for being part of the transformation journey at #IBEW.   #IBEW #IBEW2024 #IBEWSG #IBEWSG2024 #IBEWConference #IBEWConference2024 #InternationalBuiltEnvironmentWeek #BuiltEnvironment #BuiltEnvironmentIndustry #Conference #BCA #BuildSG # Beca #CapitalandInvestment #ObayashiCorporation #Kajima #WavemakerImpact

🗣️ #WMi Founding Partner Marie to speak at Unlocking Capital for Sustainability 2024! 🗣️ We’re excited to share that our Founding Partner Marie Cheong will be speaking at the Closing Plenary of Unlocking Capital for Sustainability, an annual event on sustainable finance in Asia Pacific 🌏, organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UN Environment Programme (UNEP)! The event gathers key leaders from finance, business, government and civil society to discuss practical steps for mobilising capital towards sustainable development 💡. Marie will be part of a panel on Bridging the Climate Tech Valley of Death, joined by: • Ashley Tan, International Head of Sustainability & Social Impact, Amazon Web Services (AWS) • Anders Soh, Director, Programmes, Temasek Foundation • Allison Hui May Nam, Chief Commercial Officer, Nandina REM • Kitty Bu, Vice President, Asia ex-India, The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) They’ll be diving into topics like: • How we can better support climate innovations to reach commercial scale 🌱 • New opportunities for climate innovation, driven by AI advancements 🤖 If these are the kinds of questions you're curious about, we’d love for you to join us! 📅 Date: 12 Sept 2024 ⏰ Time: 4:15 PM 📍 Location: Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay #EcoBusiness #UNEP #SustainableDevelopment #Sustainability #ClimateTech #GreenFinance #SustainableFinance #CarbonCredits #TransitionFinance #PublicPrivatePartnerships