BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner at Hustle Fund, joins Jeremy Au to examine how geopolitical shifts, demographic decline, and education policy are reshaping global talent and innovation flows. They explore Japan and Korea’s push into Southeast Asia, the unexpected impact of smartphone culture on fertility, and how political actions in the US are disrupting the university pipeline and research ecosystems. They also critique bureaucratic inefficiencies in tech transfer and reflect on assimilation policies, academic flywheels, and the cultural nuances behind talent mobility. 06:57 Japan and Korea face demographic urgency: Fertility rates in South Korea have dropped from 800,000 births in the 1980s to just over 200,000 in recent years. Corporate leaders are looking to expand into Southeast Asia through joint ventures and partnerships, viewing Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines as key markets. 12:25 Smartphones may be suppressing fertility: Shiyan references an article arguing that smartphone penetration is highly correlated with falling fertility rates. Despite strong family policies in Scandinavia, birth rates continue to decline. The theory suggests that digital bubbles reduce real-life interaction and desire to form relationships. 18:21 Immigration and assimilation face friction: The US excels at integrating newcomers through education and culture, but places like Singapore struggle due to uncertain work visa policies. Students who attend local universities often don’t know if they can stay, making long-term integration difficult. 27:41 Political interference weakens academia: Harvard has faced withdrawal of federal research grants, student visa suspensions, and potential taxation of endowments. Shiyan compares it to a "cultural revolution" for US academia, where the cancellation of research funding disrupts entire projects and damages long-term scientific work. 38:44 Academic tech transfer often fails: Jeremy critiques the inefficiency of Asian university IP portals. Unlike MIT's open-access system, some institutions limit what patents are visible and make it hard to search or filter. Feedback on the issue was ignored, revealing a culture of bureaucratic avoidance that blocks commercialization. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/talent-without-borders Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au breaks down the hidden risks in Southeast Asia’s edtech sector and early-stage startup law. He explains why edtech often fails to scale, how founder disputes emerge without early agreements, and why choosing the right jurisdiction like Singapore matters for survival. From investor alignment to taxation nightmares, this episode guides founders through the hard truths of building legally sound and scalable ventures. 01:00 Misaligned Edtech Incentives: “Kids use it. Parents, schools, or governments buy it.” Jeremy explains how edtech startups suffer from a split between the user and the payer, complicating both growth and retention. 03:49 Passion Subsidy and Investor Challenges: The sector attracts too many well-intentioned builders, creating a surplus of talent and capital but fewer underpriced investment opportunities. 10:57 Founder Agreements and Equity Clarity: Jeremy outlines how early documentation, even in a simple Google Doc, can prevent future equity disputes, especially when teams evolve before incorporation. 12:37 Tax Burden in the Philippines: He warns that taxing startups on gross revenue instead of profit creates startup-hostile environments and pushes founders to incorporate in more favorable places like Singapore. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/edtech-roadblocks Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Olzhas (Oz) Zhiyenkul, CEO and co-founder of Investbanq, joins Jeremy Au to share how his journey from post-Soviet Kazakhstan to launching a full-stack wealth operating system was shaped by hardship, global education, and the inefficiencies he witnessed firsthand across Asia’s financial sector. They discuss how legacy systems fail family offices, why most wealth managers still operate on Excel, and how Investbanq aims to empower rather than replace relationship managers. Olzhas also recounts building boats from garbage on reality TV, reflects on cultural shocks from the UK to Singapore, and maps out his long-term vision for a digital-native wealth future. 06:21 He originally planned to become a nuclear physicist: His passion for math and physics drove dreams of commercializing cold fusion, but advice from a successful uncle led him to pivot toward finance for greater career stability and impact. 09:55 He moved to Singapore to manage a proprietary trading desk: A job offer brought him to Singapore, where he was initially overwhelmed by the heat but impressed by the country’s legal, economic, and governance systems, eventually calling it home. 11:42 He rose to CIO of a fund before founding multiple ventures: After working across trading, fund management, and private banking, he identified widespread inefficiencies and started several businesses, including a software studio and wealth firm with co-founder Damir. 17:45 Investbanq was built after failed attempts to digitize wealth management: Disappointed by market solutions that only solved narrow problems, he built a modular operating system with BPMS, CRM, portfolio management, and client reporting, integrated across workflows. 26:50 On reality show Meet the Drapers, he chose discomfort over comfort: During a survival challenge with ex-military participants, Oz gave up the warm seat on a garbage-built boat to join his team in freezing water, valuing full effort over taking the easy role. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/olzhas-zhiyenkul-legacy-systems-broken Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Henry Motte-de la Motte, CEO of Edge Tutor, and Jeremy Au reconnect two years after their last conversation to discuss how global tutoring has evolved. They examine the rise of AI in education, differences in learner motivation, and how human connection and structure remain critical to learning. They explore Edge Tutor’s expansion into 30 countries, the decision to stay focused on English and math, and how demographic and economic shifts are transforming education into a premium service. Their conversation also touches on the societal role of parenting, immigration, and childcare policy as key levers to address falling birth rates and education equity. 02:03 AI expanded fast but motivation gaps remain: AI tools help motivated learners but most people, especially K-12 students, need structure and accountability that only human tutors provide. 03:11 Edge Tutor scaled to 30 countries to manage market risk: The company grew from 6 to 30 countries including North America, South America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific to avoid overdependence on any single market. 04:10 English and math make up 80 percent of tutoring demand: Despite requests for other subjects, Edge Tutor remains focused on English and math, which dominate global tutoring spend. 05:05 AI works better for adult learners than K-12 students: Adults often use AI tools effectively when motivated, while K-12 learners benefit more from a consistent human relationship for emotional and social learning. 06:29 Scheduled sessions with human teachers drive learning: Learners tend to skip self-paced AI tools but show up when sessions are fixed and prepaid with real tutors, just like gym or personal training. 13:42 Falling birth rates are driving premium education: With fewer children, parents concentrate resources, creating demand for small-group or 1-on-1 formats and AI-enabled human tutors, especially in wealthy families. 22:30 Immigration and childcare policies affect national birth rates: Countries like France maintain higher birth rates through subsidized early childcare while Spain increases immigration to balance aging populations and support their social systems. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/henry-motte-de-la-motte-tutors-or-technology Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Ilya Kravtsov, Co-Founder of Ringkas, joins Jeremy Au to unpack the rise and fall of Indonesia’s lending wave, the ripple effects of the eFishery scandal, and the hard lessons founders must absorb to build sustainable startups. They examine how early hype misaligned business models, how fraud damages more than just a company, and why radical transparency is key to long-term leadership. Ilya shares how Ringkas scaled without lending, why developer partnerships unlocked bank adoption, and how he carefully built a diversified cap table to preserve founder control. 03:00 Indonesia’s VC ecosystem matured: In 2012, only three VCs wrote 20,000 dollar checks and most people used BlackBerrys. By 2021, founders raised 5 million dollar pre-seeds with no product.  05:24 Lending distorted metrics: Startups wrongly recorded loan disbursements as revenue and used inflated valuation multiples on their loan books. 08:27 Growth hacks vs. fraud: Ilya draws the line at legality and disclosure. He says growth hacks are common and acceptable only if transparent. 13:32 Ecosystem fallout from eFishery: Ilya dismisses the defense that fraud was standard practice. He says many founders now face reputational damage, blocked financing, and collateral damage from one high-profile failure. 14:10 Ringkas avoided lending: Rather than lend directly, Ringkas built infrastructure between banks and developers. 17:38 Banks adopted due to volume: Traditional banks opened up to Ringkas under pressure from digital banks and low mortgage penetration.  20:41 Cap table strategy: Ilya capped investor ownership below 10 percent, preferring a wide base of angel and neutral investors.  Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/ilya-kravtsov-truth-over-hype Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Mohan Belani, Co-Founder of e27, and Jeremy Au reflect on what it means to be a tech leader, startup founder, and modern dad raising Generation Alpha. They explore how parenting rewires identity, the mental load of fatherhood, and how decision-making feels like startup building in a world flooded with information. They discuss the tension between being an attentive partner and a present parent, how childhood memories shape parenting choices, and how to raise children with curiosity and resilience in an AI-saturated future. 01:22 Becoming a father changed how they saw themselves: Both Mohan and Jeremy share how fatherhood wasn’t just a lifestyle change, it rewired how they viewed their purpose, relationships, and future selves. 04:03 Parenting choices are shaped by childhood memory: Disagreements on toys, schools, and routines often trace back to each parent’s own upbringing and unspoken childhood needs. 06:41 Too much parenting data creates anxiety: With Google, AI, and peer pressure, small decisions like which stroller to buy feel high stakes. They learned that many choices are symbolic, not essential. 18:14 Startup skills helped them approach parenting: They used frameworks, product-thinking, and planning cycles, treating the transition to parenthood like building a company. 24:27 They prioritized marriage over parenting perfection: Both couples intentionally put their relationships first, believing that strong partnerships make for better parenting despite outside judgment. 34:00 Preparing kids for an unpredictable future: Rather than fixate on grades or jobs, they aim to instill values like resilience and curiosity to navigate a world dominated by AI and shifting norms. 50:06 Curiosity is the most important trait to teach: They agree that teaching kids to ask questions and stay open-minded matters more than pushing achievement or obedience. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/mohan-belani-fatherhood-in-the-ai-era Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Dr. Gerald Tan, founder of Elite Dental Group and the first Singaporean dentist to graduate from Harvard Business School, joins Jeremy Au to share how dentistry blends science, art, and entrepreneurship. They explore his journey from being one of 30 students in NUS Dentistry to leading an AI-driven public health initiative and surviving a devastating fraud by trusted business partners. Gerald unpacks how AI is reshaping oral health diagnostics, how public and private dental sectors have evolved in Singapore, and why legal protections alone aren’t enough in business. His story is a powerful look into what it means to lead with resilience and foresight in healthcare. 01:25 He chose dentistry after a biology teacher’s influence and secured one of 30 spots at NUS Dentistry: entry was highly competitive with over 900 applicants 10:19 Singapore’s public dental sector has improved significantly: however, private clinics remain more agile in adopting cutting-edge technologies 11:53 Private dental practices leverage AI for 3D imaging, smile reconstruction, and robotics: public clinics face slower tech adoption due to red tape 15:10 Gerald leads a national AI project to screen elderly oral health via smartphone photos: the tool supports Singapore’s Healthier SG initiative and preventive care agenda 20:04 He bought a retiring dentist’s practice to found Elite Dental Group: the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted patient volumes and highlighted business model vulnerabilities 25:41 A joint venture with ex-bankers collapsed after they forged financial documents and fled to China: Gerald relied on contract clauses to unwind the deal but says trust is more important than paperwork Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/gerald-tan-tooth-tech-betrayal Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jiezhen Wu, leadership coach and community builder, joins Jeremy Au to explore how identity, leadership and parenting intersect in shaping purposeful careers. They trace her journey from nonprofit work and Harvard to coaching C-suite leaders across Asia. Together, they reflect on living by design rather than default, the trade-offs of relocating from the US to Singapore, and the internal clarity needed to define true success. Jiezhen unpacks how becoming a mother reshaped her professional lens, why Southeast Asia holds untapped potential for leadership development, and how frameworks can guide but not dictate growth. The episode blends candid stories, cultural nuance and practical reflection for anyone navigating career and life transitions. 01:29 Identity evolves across life stages: Jiezhen shares how becoming a parent, moving countries and shifting careers reshaped how she introduces herself and lives more intentionally. 04:28 Leadership coaching creates systemic impact: Coaching senior leaders unlocks broader ripple effects across organizations, communities and even family systems. 10:08 Parenting clarified her values and time choices: Her decision to integrate work she loves with being present for her children guided her career shift and focus. 14:10 Returning to Singapore aligned purpose and place: While the US offered development, Asia felt like home with stronger roots and a clearer sense of impact. 19:09 Flexible playbooks work better than fixed plans: She encourages leaders to replace rigid five-year plans with adaptive playbooks that evolve with life’s seasons. 20:42 Success requires clarity and courage: Coaching often helps people articulate what they truly want and take steps toward it instead of staying stuck or self-sabotaging. 28:31 Tools are useful when customized to the individual: Jiezhen uses coaching frameworks, leadership dialogues and self-designed models like the Possibly Playbook to support reflection and change. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jiezhen-wu-playbook-over-plan Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Vikram Sinha, CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, speaks with Jeremy Au about his personal journey, the power of distribution, and why AI is not just another wave of telecom innovation. They retrace his career from selling mobile plans to leading a successful merger, discuss why distribution is still the biggest driver of growth in emerging markets, and unpack how AI must be localized, inclusive, and protected from bad actors. Vikram explains why telcos should stop blaming regulators, focus on customer experience, and build sovereign infrastructure to stay competitive. He shares how his leadership is shaped by integrity, purpose, and prioritizing people over process even when facing fear and uncertainty. 01:33 Career pivot from engineering to business: Vikram switched paths after his mother's passing and landed his first job at Coca-Cola while selling mobile plans during a summer break. 09:16 Learning integrity through a mistake: A personal audit error at Coca-Cola taught him to separate mistakes from dishonesty and to lead with transparency. 13:56 Distribution is telecom’s real advantage: Vikram used FMCG distribution playbooks to build direct rural reach in India, Africa, and Indonesia. 19:01 4G fulfilled 3G’s promises, AI will fulfill 5G’s: He believes AI paired with low-latency 5G will unlock scalable breakthroughs in health, education, and productivity. 25:47 Early AI investment is essential: Vikram urges telcos to move beyond comfort zones and lead national infrastructure efforts to ensure sovereign digital capability. 26:57 Customer experience over excuses: Telcos must stop blaming regulators and instead deliver seamless service that earns long-term user trust. 44:06 Brave leadership in a merger turnaround: Despite industry odds, Vikram led a successful telco merger by focusing on mission, mindset, and team strength. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vikram-sinha-signal-to-scale Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Pav Gill, ex-APAC Head of Legal at Wirecard, joins Jeremy Au to share how he uncovered one of the largest financial frauds in Europe. They discuss Pav’s early career shift from traditional law to fintech, the moment red flags at Wirecard became undeniable, and how an internal whistleblower’s plea led him to launch a covert investigation. Pav reveals how management retaliation escalated into threats, fake HR cases, and even potential physical harm. With support from his mother, he connected with investigative journalists, leading to Financial Times exposés and Wirecard’s collapse. Pav reflects on the limits of legal privilege, the challenges of systemic fraud, and how founding his governance startup, Confide, helps companies act on misconduct before it spirals. 03:00 Pav joined Wirecard for Fintech exposure: He left a low-paid legal role at GoBear and was attracted by Wirecard’s billion-dollar scale and regional autonomy. 07:00 Subsidiary financials didn’t match reported earnings: Pav noticed Asia’s books were consistently late, loss-making, and inconsistent with group-level EBITDA claims. 08:15 A junior employee blew the whistle to Pav: She feared for her life and refused to carry out forged transaction requests, trusting him as a neutral legal party. 13:00 Pav found fake invoices and logos in inboxes: Wirecard staff had blatantly doctored client documents—indicating round-tripping and money laundering. 17:30 Management shut down the investigation and targeted him: Pav faced office intimidation, HR setups, and was asked to travel to Jakarta under suspicious pretext. 33:35 Pav’s mother connected him to journalists: She contacted Clare Rewcastle Brown, who referred them to the Financial Times and helped spark public investigations. Pav Gill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavgill Confide Platform: https://www.confideplatform.com Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/pav-gill-exposing-the-lie Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts