On the brink of Grab’s landmark public listing, what should founders know about exits?

It’s an exciting time for exits in Asia’s startup scene.

Super app Grab is sitting on a US$40 billion valuation as it approaches its public market debut and Gojek and Tokopedia are finalizing an US$18 billion merger ahead of a potential public listing. In India, merchant platform Pine Labs also recently completed its US$45 million acquisition of fintech platform Fave. The newsroom folks here at Tech in Asia have been working in overdrive for a few weeks now to cover these developments.

Something all these deals have in common (besides the big dollar amounts) is that they were all many months or even years in the making. A lot of thought and planning no doubt had to go into the respective processes. It’s not like Grab co-founders Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling woke up one morning and found a SPAC in their morning coffees.

That said, building for a future exit shouldn’t just be an aspiration reserved for the tech giants of today. Founders of startups big and small should always have this mindset if they hope to make such landmark deals in the future.

There are a lot of obstacles in the way to a successful exit. / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Some founders might say that they’re content to manage their companies indefinitely. But that changes entirely as soon as investors are brought in – which is increasingly common with the rise of fundraising deals in the region. As investors come on board, founders are obligated to provide an attractive return on investment to their benefactors; something an exit could provide.

But how does one achieve the ideal exit?

In the latest episode of Tech in Asia Explains, we hear from Qiming Venture Partner’s Helen Wong, Bento founder Chandrima Das, and Catcha co-founder and group CEO Patrick Grove as they take us through the various aspects of the company-building and exit processes.

The Grab, Gojek-Tokopedia, and Fave deals on their own are already big news, but they might just be the tip of the iceberg. Tech in Asia analysis indicates that 37 tech startups across China, India, and Southeast Asia are reportedly planning for an IPO this year. It’s not really hyperbole to say that the Asian exit scene is set to explode in 2021.

There’s quite literally no better time to check out Tech in Asia Explains: Exit Opportunities. If not now, when?

While you’re there, don’t forget to go through our other Tech in Asia Originals too – there’s a variety of interesting and useful topics.