Episode Summary

Sachin Bhanot leads Southeast Asia & ANZ investments at Prosus Ventures, a global fund with $100B+ in assets. Though based in Singapore, Sachin has become an “honorary Australian fund manager”, with nearly half of Prosus’s regional portfolio now in Australia and New Zealand.

In this episode, Cheryl and Maxine dive into why Prosus ramped up in Australia during a downturn, what paradoxical traits they see in winning founders, and how Singapore and Southeast Asia really compare as markets for expansion.

They unpack the playbook for Australian startups going regional, what Singaporean family offices are actually looking for, and why relationship-building is the real cheat code in Southeast Asia. Sachin also shares his biggest Big Chon moment, and how building coffee chains in the Philippines and Malaysia reshaped his view of what it takes to be an investor.

Time Stamps

02:53 – Sachin’s first and most important investment (hint: not a startup)

07:31 – The paradoxical traits of winning founders

10:26 – Singapore vs Southeast Asia: the tale of two ecosystems

18:12 – Why Prosus doubled down on Australia in 2022

28:40 – Tips and traps for Aussie founders expanding regionally

34:44 – When is the “right” time to enter Southeast Asia?

42:11 – The rise of the Australia–India–Singapore innovation corridor

48:34 – Singapore family offices and the art of relationship-driven capital

51:59 – Sachin’s Big Chon moment: learning empathy by building businesses himself

Resources

Resources Mentioned

🙋🏻‍♂️ Sachin Bhanot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-bhanot-15551913a/

💰 Prosus Ventures - https://www.prosus.com/prosus-ventures

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