Jeremy Au discussed three key insights on Southeast Asia venture capital. First, he highlighted the "Series B Valley of Death," where local funds support pre-seed to Series A, and global investors focus on later stages, but Series B and C funding gaps force startups into aggressive cost-cutting or revenue expansion. Second, he emphasized the importance of timing in venture bets, arguing that startups must be positioned in the right economic window—neither too futuristic nor too late—illustrating with examples like AI-driven call centers in the Philippines and Vietnam’s emerging luxury goods market. Third, he discussed how VCs balance two roles—judging founder potential and adding value—to maximize the likelihood of building unicorns - where startups adapt and learn quickly using the Lean Startup and OODA loops, with examples from sectors like HR tech, AI call centers, and consumer goods. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/series-b-valley-of-death Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.