All That Glitters: A Glimpse Into Southeast Asia’s Golden Age is a 46 pages report. In this report we attempt to gaze into the crystal ball and see what the next decade holds for us. We’ll be exploring the top verticals that we foresee will power economic growth in Southeast Asia, the difficulties that startups in the region will have to tackle, and how they can be overcome.

1. 2020 REPORT
All that glitters:
A glimpse into
Southeast Asia’s
golden age
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2. Tech in Asia Conference 2020 Report All that glitters: A glimpse into Southeast Asia’s golden age 22
Contents
Introduction
Methodology
Powering the next decade
Logistics and transportation
Ecommerce
Fintech
Others
Challenges
Covid-19 and changes in user behavior
Funding
Human capital
Conclusion
Endnotes
Contents
03
04
06
07
11
15
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23
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31
35
39
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44
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3. Tech in Asia Conference 2020 Report All that glitters: A glimpse into Southeast Asia’s golden age 3Tech in Asia Conference 2020 Report All that glitters: A glimpse into Southeast Asia’s golden age 3
Introduction
Southeast Asia is about to enter its golden age.
While the decade is off to a bumpy start
because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the
region is on the brink of a new era, one
that holds promise of economic growth
and technological innovation.
It has seen the rise of 11 unicorns
in the last decade, and more are
expected to emerge in the coming
years. At least US$7.7 billion was
invested into Southeast Asian startups
in 2019 alone, highlighting the fact
that investors are taking note of how
promising the region is.
It has a population of over 655 million
people with a median age of 30.2 years
- a youthful, productive workforce that’s
eager for new technology, experiences,
and opportunities. Additionally, as
Southeast Asians earn more and gain
exponentially higher discretionary
income, this creates an opportunity
for businesses looking to scale.
Southeast Asia is also ripe for
disruption. Countries like Indonesia
and Vietnam are emerging markets,
which means new businesses can
develop solutions to existing problems.
Consumers in the region are mobile-
first, if not mobile-only. This opens
new avenues for the growth of a digital
economy.
With numerous tech unicorns in
its stables, Southeast Asia has the
opportunity to outpace the rest of the
world in areas like digital payments and
smartphone-based businesses.
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4. Tech in Asia Conference 2020 Report All that glitters: A glimpse into Southeast Asia’s golden age 4Tech in Asia Conference 2020 Report All that glitters: A glimpse into Southeast Asia’s golden age 4
However, the path ahead will be a rocky
one. Covid-19 has had a significant
impact on the region’s economic
growth: Many businesses have been
forced to close their doors, and many
more are struggling to stay afloat.
Pandemic aside, Southeast Asian
startups still need to grapple with
other concerns, such as funding,
talent acquisition, and changes
in user behavior as well as address
various infrastructural, social, and
cultural barriers to unlocking the
region’s potential.
This report is Tech in Asia’s attempt
to gaze into the crystal ball and see
what the next decade holds for us.
We’ll be exploring the top verticals that
we foresee will power economic growth
in Southeast Asia, the difficulties that
startups in the region will have to tackle,
and how they can be overcome.
PREVIEW COPY

5. If you’d like the full report,
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of Asia’s tech and startup ecosystem. Join us online from
October 19 to 22 to discover the trends and developments that
will lead us into Southeast Asia’s golden age.
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