The VC with the E - entrepreneurial - factor

Check out our top articles for the week. [Read from your browser]( Top Stories of the Week Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Sunday newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only premium content and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. Hello {NAME} Recently, I noticed a key difference between tech startup ecosystems in the West and the East: the type of investors. VC partners in Asia largely come from investment banking while those in the US and Europe are mostly founder-led VCs. Experience does make a difference. While investment bankers will look at the numbers, those with an entrepreneurial background can offer a different solution to a founder’s problems. The right advice in the toughest of times can make or break a startup, especially in its early days. This is why startups seek investors with founder experience. One such VC firm is Febe Ventures, whose name is a shortened form of “for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.” Collectively, its partners have built over 30 companies and backed over 200 startups. Olivier Raussin, Febe’s co-founder and managing partner, offered hope to frantic founders who might be facing a gloomy future amid this tech winter. Despite going through a bleak period himself, he steered Brazilian wine startup Evino back to growth. “After many painful decisions and lessons, my previous company didn’t just survive. It managed to completely turn around and found a path to healthy growth,” says Raussin. Because of this experience, he feels confident telling founders that a reversal of fortune is possible. Even hearing such a story can motivate and inspire change in founders. In the end, a company is as strong as their founders at the early stages. -- [Collin Furtado]( journalist at Tech in Asia  --------------------------------------------------------------- TOP STORIES THIS WEEK 1️. [Founder-focused VC offers hope to startups facing end of the runway]( Singapore-based Febe Ventures launched its second fund and plans to invest in B2B software, marketplace, health, and sustainability startups. 2. [Zalora forges new identity as ecommerce enabler, seeks growth beyond marketplace]( Between 2022 and 2023, the gross merchandise volume of third-party brands using its fulfillment and last-mile delivery solutions grew over 300%. 3. [Sea’s upbeat outlook on Shopee drives enthusiasm, but can it deliver?]( The Singapore-based firm ended the year with over US$8 billion in cash, short-term investments, and other liquid securities. 4. [Why women can’t just ‘lean in’ their way into equal pay]( Ever felt a nagging voice of self-doubt? Here’s why that might not be your self-esteem speaking, but the echo of a biased system holding you back. 5. [Asian tech feels the heat as regulators bare teeth]( In China, domestic and external challenges have reordered national priorities, with politics trumping the economy. 6. [Southeast Asian tech undergoes a funding and playbook reset]( Tech funding plummeted by 30% in 2023, driving the region's ecosystem to adapt to a new reality. 7. [Tether CEO wants to break Microsoft, AWS, Google’s hold on cloud computing]( The crypto firm behind the world’s largest stablecoin wants to revive the same tech used by Napster that broke the music business in the late 1990s. 8. [Surviving the funding game: how timing can make or break your startup]( Industry realities, economic conditions, and market volatility can affect the time gap between funding rounds. 9. [VC funds tracker: Orient Growth, Cactus Venture, others add $184m in new funds]( Fundraising is difficult. To make things easier, we have compiled a detailed list of the most recent VC funds for our subscribers. 10. [Southeast Asia’s top-funded tech companies in the last decade]( As investors in Southeast Asia race to back the next industry leader, which tech firm will claim the region's funding crown? --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA REGIONAL FOUNDERS MEETUP: SINGAPORE  Experience a bigger and better Founders Meetup on April 24 We took the best of our 2023 Founders Meetup series and injected it into our all-new agenda this year. But don’t just take our word for it - join us at Hopscotch on April 24 to experience the excitement firsthand. Here’s a sneak peek: Get the secret sauce from esteemed VCs on navigating the tech winter and have exclusive face time with them to find solutions to your funding challenges. Hurry - due to overwhelming demand, our early bird tickets have been snatched up in record time. [Secure your ticket now before it’s gone!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- WHO'S HIRING  You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. [logo] [HRGA (Infokes Indonesia)]( at Dealls Bandung, Java, Indonesia IDR 4,000,000 – 7,000,000 [logo] [Junior Graphic Designer]( at Ematic Solutions Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [logo] [Associate Product Manager (Platform)]( at Moladin Digital Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Head of Growth]( at YOUVIT Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Marketplace Specialist]( at Scout.inc Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 6,000,000 [logo] [Senior Front End React Developer]( at MyConnect Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 14,000,000 – 22,000,000 [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. 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