Why Southeast Asia Should Be in Your Expansion Plans

Written by Lydia Koh

Southeast Asia has been touted as the next new frontier for startups looking to expand internationally. In case you have some reservations, here are some articles that could help guide your decision to grow your business in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia’s accelerating internet economy

Google Temasek Southeast Asia e-Conomy report 2018

Google and Temasek (Singapore’s sovereign fund) issued their third “e-Conomy SEA” report, which forecasts that the region’s digital economy will triple in size and reach US$240 billion over the next 7 years (2025). This is an increase from the US$200 billion predicted in earlier reports, as they observe that the region is taking much less time to get there, having already achieved a third of the target with 8 years to go.

Here is TechCrunch’s summary of the report: https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/18/google-report-southeast-asias-digital-economy-to-triple-to-240-billion-by-2025/

Accessing Southeast Asia from Singapore

Have no idea where in Southeast Asia to call your home base? German Accelerator has set up its Southeast Asia office in Singapore, and these are just some reasons why:

Reaching the next billion internet users in Southeast Asia via Singapore: https://www.edb.gov.sg/en/news-and-resources/insights/innovation/reaching-the-next-billion-internet-users-in-southeast-asia.html

5 Reasons Why The World’s Tech Firms Are Moving To Singapore: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexcapri/2018/09/21/5-reasons-why-the-worlds-tech-firms-are-moving-to-singapore/#4ea2a3422aa0

Planning your next steps

These two articles share best practices when considering expansion into a new region such as Southeast Asia:

A Guide To Southeast Asia’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanmoed/2018/07/12/a-guide-to-southeast-asias-thriving-startup-ecosystem-heres-what-you-need-to-know/#583cd0376e18

Best Practices for Breaking into A New Overseas Market: https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/blog/ppn/best-practices-for-breaking-into-a-new-overseas-market

Want to check out the competition?

Look into Tech in Asia’s list of 50 startups and tech companies in Southeast Asia who have raised the most money from investors, and read about stories of six promising global startups that have set their sights on using Singapore as a springboard into the Asia-Pacific region.

Happy reading!