With us today is ⁠Gunawan Woen⁠, the co-founder and CEO of ⁠ESB⁠, a restaurant management SaaS providing an interconnected ERP system, POS software, and online ordering mobile app. The firm recently launched an AI feature named Olin, which among other things, can accurately forecast restaurant sales with up to 90% accuracy, detect cases of fraud, give geographical consumer price points all around Indonesia, and increase customer spending by up to 40% with menu recommendations. Gunwawan unpacks how Olin’s data collection mechanisms are also allowing ESB to facilitate loans to F&B outlets na ..read more

With us today is Martin Reyhan Suryohusodo, co-founder and CEO of Otoklix, the premier platform for automotive aftersales service in Indonesia. Significant challenges lie ahead as the country navigates its energy transition from gasoline to electric vehicles. Notably, there is a need for widespread infrastructure investment and essential upskilling among the nation’s repair service providers and independent workshops, which make up 80% of the market. Martin shares how Otoklix is positioning itself to address these issues ahead of the curve, including recent partnerships with regional EV manufa ..read more

Today we’re shining a light on the solar energy sector with Helen Wong, Managing Partner at AC Ventures. Looking through an investor’s lens, Helen breaks down the electrifying surge in renewable energy across the region. Southeast Asia, blessed with abundant solar resources, is ramping up its sustainability efforts, with solar photovoltaic capacity projected to skyrocket and exceed 100 gigawatts by 2030 in a net-zero scenario. However, Indonesia's solar market faces unique challenges in ramping up production and competing on a regional scale. Join us as Helen unpacks the complexities and oppor ..read more

Today we're joined by Jesse Choi of Reku, a prominent crypto exchange based in Indonesia. Following the tumultuous FTX scandal in 2022, the global cryptocurrency landscape experienced a significant downturn. Fast forward to 2024, and we’re witnessing a remarkable resurgence. Key events, including the Bitcoin halving and the launch of BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, have reignited institutional interest and cemented crypto’s status as a legitimate asset class. With the market hitting unprecedented highs this year, Jesse analyzes current trends and discusses Reku’s strategy and performance in recent qu ..read more

In today's episode, Derisa Zahara, AC Ventures' AVP of Organization and People, talks with fellow practitioners in the Southeast Asian recruiting and HR sector.  Sandi Sadek is the Chief People Officer at global venture capital firm B Capital. Also with us is Sergio Salvador, the former Chief People Officer and current Strategic Advisor at Carsome, as well as a member of ACV's portfolio advisor community.  The group discusses various strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in the region, where competition has always been fierce, as well as the implications of new technolog ..read more

The real estate and infrastructure sectors are responsible for about 40% of global carbon emissions, and addressing the climate crisis requires reforming these industries. Today, we are talking to Annu Talreja, Founder and CEO of Accacia, an Asian startup that enables large property owners to monitor their carbon footprint in real time by integrating with ERPs and property management systems.  Accacia has already been implemented across more than 20 million square feet of real estate in Asia. Today, the company is expanding across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and Ca ..read more

In this NewsCast episode, AC Ventures' Adrian Li and Leighton Cosseboom team up with Jianggan Li from Momentum Works to dissect TikTok's strategic acquisition of a controlling 75% stake in GoTo's Tokopedia for US$1.5 billion, a move sure to revolutionize Indonesia's e-commerce arena in 2024 and beyond. The group unpacks how the acquisition could catapult Tokopedia to e-commerce supremacy in the nation. They discuss the transformative impact on job creation and the potential boon for over 64 million Indonesian MSMEs. Tune in for a deep dive into the intensifying e-commerce rivalry, speculations ..read more

In this NewsCast episode, Adrian Li and Leighton Cosseboom dive into the Indonesia Venture Capital 2023 report, produced in partnership between AC Ventures and Bain & Company. The pair discuss an imminent upswing in sectors like electric vehicles, renewable energy, healthcare, and new retail, despite the global economic downturn. The episode particularly highlights Indonesia's potential in the electric vehicle market, emphasizing its significant global nickel production, crucial for lithium-ion batteries. The local government's ambitious carbon emissions goals and the evolving investment l ..read more

In this NewsCast episode, Adrian Li and Leighton Cosseboom from AC Ventures analyze the e-Conomy SEA 2023 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company. They dig into Southeast Asia's digital economic growth trajectory, on track to reach an impressive US$100 billion in revenue, outpacing established tech markets like the US despite global macroeconomic headwinds. Shifting to focus on Indonesia, the pair discuss its growth potential, the build-up of dry powder in the market, local investor insights, and the digital sector's push for profitability – delivering what may be a light at the end ..read more

On today's NewsCast, Adrian Li and Leighton Cosseboom from AC Ventures analyze J&T Express's scaled-back IPO. Amid a sluggish period for Hong Kong's IPO market—currently at a two-decade low—J&T adjusted its expected IPO from an initial US$1 billion to US$500 million due to market uncertainties and diminished investor appetite linked to China's recent performance. The episode also touches on how J&T's association with key e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Tokopedia, and tech giants such as Pinduoduo and TikTok, may influence its strategy regarding Indonesia's shifting online tran ..read more