Christopher Quek

I ran restaurants and I also ran education student care outlets. But one of the very interesting things that went through in my career was that at that moment in time, there were quite a number of fellow entrepreneurs, whether they were running traditional businesses, they were running what we call e-commerce, digital businesses at that time.

I ran restaurants and I also ran education student care outlets. But one of the very interesting things that went through in my career was that at that moment in time, there were quite a number of fellow entrepreneurs, whether they were running traditional businesses, they were running what we call e-commerce, digital businesses at that time.

I noticed that they started coming to me and asking me for nuggets of information, advice on how they would look at things. And I just gave it. And soon be told, I guess that developed and evolved into something very interesting. I decided to start an incubator and it was supported by the Singapore government, where we gave out free government grants.

I noticed that they started coming to me and asking me for nuggets of information, advice on how they would look at things. And I just gave it. And soon be told, I guess that developed and evolved into something very interesting. I decided to start an incubator and it was supported by the Singapore government, where we gave out free government grants.

And it became a really fun journey, if I might call it, where I started to get involved very deeply in the startup ecosystem. In fact, over the last 10 years, when I was doing this incubator business, I think I advised easily over 1,500 startups. not just in Singapore, but all across Southeast Asia.

And it became a really fun journey, if I might call it, where I started to get involved very deeply in the startup ecosystem. In fact, over the last 10 years, when I was doing this incubator business, I think I advised easily over 1,500 startups. not just in Singapore, but all across Southeast Asia.

And soon after that, with going through that whole journey itself, it was really immense valuable experience learning from fellow founders and also giving them the advice that I learned from other founders. I realized that, hey, why not I just not just stop there? And in fact, running an incubator, you don't really make much money. And I was a little bit of a midlife crisis, if you call it.

And soon after that, with going through that whole journey itself, it was really immense valuable experience learning from fellow founders and also giving them the advice that I learned from other founders. I realized that, hey, why not I just not just stop there? And in fact, running an incubator, you don't really make much money. And I was a little bit of a midlife crisis, if you call it.

At about 35 at that time, I was asking myself, what should I do next? And... I guess the next natural progression was to become a fund manager, a venture capitalist. And so what I did was that I sold my inheritance and I got a family friend to help me start some initial seed capital.

At about 35 at that time, I was asking myself, what should I do next? And... I guess the next natural progression was to become a fund manager, a venture capitalist. And so what I did was that I sold my inheritance and I got a family friend to help me start some initial seed capital.

And today I'm living that vision that I went through, where I felt that I wanted to really, in the startup ecosystem, not only just advising startups, but investing into startups. And a lot of more things have actually evolved ever since, but I will leave Vince to ask me more about those aspects later on.

And today I'm living that vision that I went through, where I felt that I wanted to really, in the startup ecosystem, not only just advising startups, but investing into startups. And a lot of more things have actually evolved ever since, but I will leave Vince to ask me more about those aspects later on.

But I just wanted to give a little bit of background and up to today, now I'm a full-fledged venture capitalist. I don't do my incubator business anymore, but I'm very deeply involved with entrepreneurs, you know, trying to grow their companies. Whether is it a venture capital kind of business or whether it's a traditional business, I'm getting involved in quite a number of that.

But I just wanted to give a little bit of background and up to today, now I'm a full-fledged venture capitalist. I don't do my incubator business anymore, but I'm very deeply involved with entrepreneurs, you know, trying to grow their companies. Whether is it a venture capital kind of business or whether it's a traditional business, I'm getting involved in quite a number of that.

Yeah, Vince, I think just now when you were just mentioning and asking me about that, suddenly there was this whole flash of memories that just came back to me. So yes, you're right. So one of the privileges of being part of a family business is that you tend to get involved in two ways. Number one, you get to experience and see the business for yourself.

Yeah, Vince, I think just now when you were just mentioning and asking me about that, suddenly there was this whole flash of memories that just came back to me. So yes, you're right. So one of the privileges of being part of a family business is that you tend to get involved in two ways. Number one, you get to experience and see the business for yourself.

In the past, my father was not involved only just in Southeast Asia, not only just in China, but also in Europe, and specifically Russia. And I was very young that time, I think I was about 11 years old, that is about 35 years ago, when I went into communist Russia.

In the past, my father was not involved only just in Southeast Asia, not only just in China, but also in Europe, and specifically Russia. And I was very young that time, I think I was about 11 years old, that is about 35 years ago, when I went into communist Russia.

And it was just, Russia was just going through a very interesting economic boom at that point, where we took for granted McDonald's, KFC, and all these restaurants were just a dime a dozen across in countries where we live in. But when you talk about Russia, KFC, the first KFC outlet, it was mad. And during those years, you could easily earn 5 to 8 US million net profit per outlet.

And it was just, Russia was just going through a very interesting economic boom at that point, where we took for granted McDonald's, KFC, and all these restaurants were just a dime a dozen across in countries where we live in. But when you talk about Russia, KFC, the first KFC outlet, it was mad. And during those years, you could easily earn 5 to 8 US million net profit per outlet.