Koichi Saito (KK Fund), Mameaw Sapprasert (500 Startups), Michael Smith Jr (SeedPlus), and Champ Suthipongchai (Creative Ventures) to discuss theses and strategies for seed funding at Echelon Thailand 2017. Read on to find out more.
As more technology advancements are developed, more startups are built, which means that more funding is needed. With the Asian startup ecosystem being a growing, thriving community, there is no lack of investment interests from individuals and groups.
Seed funding is essential for business growth. Startups require seed funding for many purposes including hiring key personnel, development of the product, and marketing – without it, most startups will fail at the early stage. It is also the hardest money for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to get, as only a few investors are bold enough to risk cash into new businesses that are sometimes merely ideas.
Fortunately for startups (and technology advancement globally), the recent years have seen the rise of venture capital seed funding, pumping life (and cash) into the growing number of early-stage startups in Asia.
Join the discussion with speakers Koichi Saito of KK Fund, and Mameaw Sapprasert of 500 Startups, Michael Smith Jr of SeedPlus, and Champ Suthipongchai of Creative Ventures, as they talk about seed funding at Echelon Thailand 2017. Hear from the region’s top investors as they discuss ideas and strategies for handling seed funds, analysing opportunities, and making profitable decisions, and get insights that you can use to help you grow your investments.
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Echelon Thailand 2017 is a tech conference (May 15-16, Bangkok) and year-long digital platform attracting international speakers, founders, investors and professionals.
Register for your Echelon Thailand access pass now.
New in 2017 is Echelon Thailand’s digital platform. Get immediate access to exclusive insights, participate in discussions and engage with the speakers and fellow attendees directly on Echelon’s digital platform, the moment you register (accessible from the Ecosystem page). What’s more, the digital platform will be accessible all-year even after the conference, so kickstart your Echelon experience today and embark on a year-long journey of discovery.
About the panelists
Koichi Saito is the Founder and General Partner of KK Fund, leveraging his experience in the internet sector, finance expertise and investment experience at PE and VC fund. He previously worked at IMJ Investment Partners as Director, and was responsible for IMJ’s startup investments across Southeast Asia such as iMoney, Bukalapak and Zipmatch. Prior to IMJ, Koichi worked at Private Equity Fund founded by George Soros, and was engaged in several corporate and hotel acquisitions. Koichi holds a MBA degree from IE business school in Spain.
Mameaw Sapprasert is the Associate Director of 500 Startups Thailand, responsible for sourcing, screening, and analysing deals, as well as providing post investment support and relationship management. Prior to 500 Startups, she was Money Market Assistance Dealer of Bangkok Bank where she also served her internship. Mameaw holds a MSc degree from Imperial College London.
Michael Smith Jr. is a Partner at SeedPlus,  as seed-stage venture firm investing in early stage companies. Prior to SeedPlus, he has served as the Chief Technology Officer for HOOQ (SingTel), where he was key in driving product and technology decisions that powered premium online video content service, and  Director of Global Tech Initiates for Yahoo!, where he oversaw acquisition of startups and partnerships in SEA. Michael has also helmed technology-led expansions across the region for Spuul and BEA Systems (later acquired by Oracle) and is a WebLogic alumnus who currently calls Singapore home and has been actively involved in the Asian start-up community over the past ten years.
Champ Suthipongchai is a founding partner of Creative Ventures, the first Thai venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Creative Ventures brings together South East Asia business partners with US founders, focusing on infrastructure technology that are solving secular trends within healthcare, industrial, and agriculture sector. Also the Chief Strategy Officer for SHARP Thai City Electric, Champ is currently based in San Francisco, CA.
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Feature image credit: enciktep / 123RF Stock Photo
The post Seed funding takes centerstage at Echelon Thailand 2017; KK Fund, SeedPlus, 500 Startups, and Creative Ventures as panelists in Venturecon appeared first on e27.
Source: e27
