Establishing ClimateTech in South East Asia with Djoann Fal

Jul 18, 2023

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Djoann Fal, the founder of Atlas Capital, believes that Southeast Asia is a region with enormous potential for innovation and implementation in ClimateTech.

In this episode, our host Tarmo Virki speaks with Fal, a passionate advocate for climate tech, about the challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia, we hear about some of the companies that his investment firm Atlas Capital is backing, and how Fal got into climate investments after his exit from an e-commerce technology firm.

"I almost drowned doing spearfishing, because of a plastic bag, and that plastic bag, I think was from e-commerce delivery. So it was kind of, you know, God sent me a sign that you got your small exit, now you got a little bit of money, you're going to just spend it on stupid stuff, or you're going to actually do something with your time and with that money to do a bit more meaningful," Fal said in the episode.

"That was the trigger for me to decide to look and spend the next 10 years in this space. So so far, it's been two years, eight years to go. That's my commitment. But let's see, I think there's a lot that's going to happen in the next few years," Fal said.

We also talk about how the importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in Southeast Asia, and we discuss how investors, governments, and businesses can all play a role in making this happen.

The region has already started to be hit by climate change and rising sea levels.

"How do we continue living? How do we protect health? How do we protect arbitrations? How do we protect cities too, but also how do we protect nature? Our agricultural assets, food production, etc. It is a lot of money to be lost. But also, I believe, and I think with Atlas Capital, and my partners, we all believe together, that there's a lot of money to be made, helping all this infrastructure to adapt to climate change, as well."

So if you're interested in learning more about climate tech opportunities, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

In this episode, we discuss:

The challenges and opportunities of climate tech in Southeast Asia
Why the local climate tech scene is still in its infancy
The quick opportunity in technology transfer from Europe, U.S.
The companies that Atlas Capital is backing
The importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in the region

If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

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