Our Co-founder, Mr. Paddy Tan sharing his thoughts
April 29, 2019: BlackStorm Consulting was privileged to attend the event “Asian Uprising: Advanced & Innovative Strategy in Asia” held on 29 April 2019 and organised by Middlemarch Capital. Many media partners and individuals from diverse backgrounds had attended this distinguished event. Our co-founder, Mr. Paddy Tan was also cordially invited as a guest speaker at this conference.
Other speakers include Dr. Kongkiat Hirankerd, Mr. Pankom Kaewmuan, Mr. Vichate Tantiwanich, Mr. Apakorn Suwansak, and Mr. Poramin Insom (From left to right)
During the event, Middlemarch Capital LLC, together with Middlemarch Capital Japan, announced the launch of their 3 funds (Another Sky PE, Skytree Fund and Shiodome Alpha Fund) and the strategies to be in place for investment.
Outlook
Mr. Apakorn Suwansak, CEO of Middlemarch Capital LLC and Middlemarch Capital Japan, addressed the recent global market conditions and the outlook of Asia. Investments for short and medium term, in general, will be affected due to the global economic factors such as trade wars between USA and China, European economic recession and other ecopolitical issues faced by the emerging markets. However, by assessing the growth rates of Thailand and the whole of Asia, the economies remain relatively stable and positive, even after going through the financial crisis in 2008. Coupled with technological advancement and innovation, Asia has become a favourable environment for business and investment opportunities.
Overview of the event at Anantara Siam Hotel
Investment Focus
Middlemarch Capital LLC and Middlemarch Capital Japan will be investing through the 3 funds to generate great returns in the long term.
Another Sky PE
The focus will be on investing in start-ups with interesting and innovative concepts for medium-long term. MOU was signed with Satang Technology recently to facilitate the expansion.
Skytree Fund
Green Technology will be the focus. The agreement was signed recently to invest in the research and development of Delphi Robotics.
Shiodome Alpha Fund
Investment technology will be concentrated. Derivatives and other sophisticated financial products are to be invested.
Our Views and Thoughts
In relation to the theme of this conference, Mr. Paddy Tan has shared some of his insights and experiences on glocalisation in Asia. He also mentioned some of the key factors to take note when comes to scaling.
Glocalisation refers to the adaptation of a product, service or offering that is developed and distributed globally to meet the local language, culture and other requirements of a target market. It is challenging and vital for companies and brands to understand and apply this principle when intending to expand into Thailand or any other parts of Asia due to the fact of fragmentation and diversity across the regions. Standardisation may not work well and can cause a misalignment in company image to the local cultural significance. As such, when adoption cannot be fully integrated, the purpose of scaling will be defeated and the business will slowly erode.
Other than glocalisation, business needs to pay attention to other factors such as market conditions, cash flow matters, internal controls, hiring, and partnerships. Many start-ups had overestimated their capabilities and overlooked on their flaws to scale by spending too much money, hiring too many employees or having too many early adopters. This resulted in premature scaling and eventually led to the failure of the business.
BlackStorm Consulting shares similar sentiments of identifying Thailand and the rest of Asia as a lucrative and thriving ground for businesses to grow and sustain.
Asia can be the next goal for businesses across the globe. This is attributed to the region’s rapidly evolving environment, extensive and diverse populations, a good source of new discoveries, high standards of convenience, reasonably affordable and competitive rates, and advanced infrastructure. Furthermore, it is well-connected to the rest of the world. The region is hyped with technological advancement and as an outcome, attracts more and more established companies and start-ups coming into this region willingly.
Firstly, Asia has become innovative and tech-focused in recent years. World-class technology hubs are growing in Singapore, Thailand, and other Asian cities. Advancing technology, government support, and tax breaks create an encouraging haven for business nurturing.
Mobile is also changing and advancing the business environment in Asia. The growth is mainly driven by mobile applications and improving logistics networks. With the increased access to mobile devices and improved networks in place, more opportunities are presented for businesses.
Secondly, Asia is a colossal market. Not only does the populations serve as a huge market of potential customers, but also it is a market of upcoming and untapped talents. The growing populations across Asia combined with the evolving technology implies a substantial pool of promising engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs. With a constant talent supply and large customer base, the opportunities in Asia can be limitless.
Thirdly, markets in Asia are still emerging. Contrary to established markets in the USA and Europe, a developing economy in Asia can leave more rooms for innovation and uniqueness. Start-up growth in Asia has also been growing at an astonishing rate as compared to the developed economies.
Lastly, major cities in Asia have a progressive infrastructure that helps setting up businesses easier. Accelerated growth in Asia requires a larger investment in economic and social infrastructures. Improvements in these areas are clearly demonstrated to reduce barriers and increase more business opportunities.
Conclusion
All in all, Asia presents great business opportunities for companies and start-ups. Success can be achievable by being flexible and adaptable, and leveraging on the acumen of trusted partners to ensure the approaches are well-executed.
In order to ensure the profitability of expanding into Asia, businesses should seek advice and guidance from partners that have the knowledge, experience and expertise in the markets.
Media Coverage
Videos
Articles
- Thai Mung News: https://bit.ly/2LfpCtA
- Konkao: https://bit.ly/2VbSh7D
- News Plus: https://bit.ly/2LiQ4m5
- Hooninside: https://bit.ly/2LiNI6P
- Thereporter: https://bit.ly/2vzmnT5
- Positioning: https://bit.ly/2IWvzd1
About BlackStorm Consulting
BlackStorm Consulting (http://blackstormco.asia/) is a regional growth consulting firm specialises in innovative scaling and technology deployment strategy in Southeast Asia. We help organisations scale through our extensive knowledge in venture building, business transformation and crisis management as well as our wide network of industrial connections. We encourage innovation by maintaining an ecosystem for our stakeholders to communicate and collaborate. Our clients and connections are internationally present and range from small and medium sized businesses, corporate, to government agencies.
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