Rising Giants Newsletter - N.13 Chy Sila, CEO and Founder of Sabay
Max & Dom chatting with the boldest and most inspiring entrepreneurs and investors in Cambodia ๐ฐ๐ญ Turn on ๐ก, tune in ๐ป, keep up ๐
Welcome to theย Rising Giant's Podcastย Newsletter by Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek.
If you enjoy our content,ย please subscribe to our post-interview Frontier Market newsletterย as we share our most recent podcast episode, as well as frontier market news, resources to help you become a better entrepreneur and investor, and job opportunities in the region!
In this episodeย we interview we talk with Chy Sila, one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Cambodia, who has been at the forefront of digital innovation in the country for the last two decades. He is known as the first Cambodian, to fully become adept at computer science, spurring a generation of new entrepreneurs that have followed in his footsteps.
We get into:
๐พ The immense challenge of starting an internet business in Cambodia in the 2000's, when internet connectivity and developer talent was limited.
๐ฎ His viewpoint on the key trends impacting media and technology in Cambodia; video on demand, freemium gaming, subscription content etc.
๐ฐ Opportunities for investing in emerging founders and a variety of evolving business models in Cambodia; dairy, e-commerce, publishing etc. ย
๐ง ย Want to learn more about Sabay in Cambodia?
Read about Chy Silaโs journey to becoming one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Cambodia.
Learn more about Sabayโs digital reach and the different business verticals they operate in.
How Sabayโs Secure Settlement Network (SSN) is Cambodiaโs answer to Stripe and the banking blockchain system in the country.
๐ง Find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Play, and Anchor!
๐ย Venture Capital Deal Flow Highlights in Southeast Asia
Sequoia Capital India announced at the end of March that it closed a second seed fund at $195 million to back promising entrepreneurs across India and Southeast Asia.
Jambox Games raises $1.1M to publish mobile games in India and Southeast Asia. The funding shows that emerging regions are also benefiting from the growth of gaming and the availability of capital in games, which is is now supported by dozens of game-focused venture capital funds
Indonesia edtech CoLearn gets $10M in Series A led by Alpha Wave Incubation and GSV Ventures. he round also included participation from returning investors Sequoia Capital Indiaโs Surge and AC Ventures.
Philippines fintech startup Plentina announced it has closed a $2.2 million seed round, co-led by former Tableau executive and ClearGraph chief executive officer Andrew Vigneault, Unpopular Ventures and DV Collective. Other participants included JG Digital Equity Ventures (JGDEV), Amino Capital, Canaan Partners Scout Fund and Ignite Impact Fund.
Singapore-based fintechย Hashstacs Pte Ltd (STACS)ย announced today it has raised $3.6 million USD in pre-Series A funding. The company develops blockchain platforms that can work with financial institutionsโ existing infrastructure, and its core technology is also used in GreenSTACS for environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments.
๐ฐย Frontier Market Start-Up and Venture Capital News
๐ฐ๐ญย Cambodian banks โunder siegeโ from fintech revolution.
๐ฑ๐ฆย Whatโs next for Laos growth strategy?
๐ง๐ฉย 4 Bangladeshi startups among Accelerating Asiaโs 11 high-potential startups.
๐ป๐ณย Tim Draper-backed Draper Startup House acquires Hatch Ventures Vietnam.
๐ฒ๐ฒ EU adopts new round of sanctions on Myanmar after Feb coup.
๐ต๐ญย The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines creating $5M venture fund for local startups.
๐ Knowledge Base: Entrepreneur and Investor Learning Resources
In this weekโs newsletter, we wanted to switch things up a little bit. Weโve received feedback from readers that we should include resource videos to better explain some of the more advanced concepts around startups especially in frontier markets. We hope that this weekโs video will help in explaining startup funding and how it works.
Startup Funding Explained: Everything You Need To Know:
Additional Resources To Check Out:
๐ย Forbes released their 2021 30 under 30 for Asia.
๐ฅ What you can earn at a Southeast Asia startup.
๐จย The merits of bottom up investing.
๐จโ๐ป The founder dating playbook - the process of finding your perfect co-founder
๐ฅย Hot Global Topic:ย How the cryptocurrency DOGE has gone from a joke to being worth more than Ford.
๐จ๐ผโ๐ปย Frontier Market Job Opportunities
International Finance Corporation (IFC) is hiring for an Investment Officerย in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Grab is hiring for an Associate / Senior Associate, Strategic Projects in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Heineken Companyย is hiring for aย Senior Finance Strategic Control Analystย in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
WWF is hiring for aย Conservation Program Director in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
UNย is looking forย Internship - Human Rights (Country office)ย at their Cambodia country office.
๐ฃ Help Spread The Word!
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๐ง About Rising Giants
The Rising Giants Podcast was created in November 2020 by Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek after realizing that there were a limited number of resources available for insight into the local startup and investor ecosystem in Southeast Asia.ย ย
Our mission is to talk to entrepreneurs and investors in the worldโs most rapidly evolving frontier markets to help understand what it takes to have bold ideas and build the business disruptors of tomorrow. Through our personal exploration of these landscapes, we dive deep in our interviews withย inspirational individuals learning about their career journeys,ย ideas, and insights into the marketsย of developing startup ecosystems, and expanding on why they see their business and the region as a "rising giant