Tech in Asia’s next era

14 years ago, Willis Wee, the founder Tech in Asia, invited me for kopi at a coffeeshop near Block 71, the birthplace of many Singapore startups.

He asked if I would like to join his company – I said no. I did join later, after Tech in Asia acquired SGE, where I worked as a tech reporter.

Fast forward to recent times, and Willis tried recruiting me again. The ask was bigger: he suggested that I take over the helm of Tech in Asia.

Once again, I said no.

Image credit: Tech in Asia

I thought of a thousand reasons why I shouldn’t take up this role.

But a couple things pushed me in the other direction. First, a mindset shift. Rather than trying to fill Willis’ shoes, I now value the journey more than the end result.

Second, I believe Tech in Asia still plays a vital role in the tech ecosystem, albeit one that has evolved with the times. And for the company to continue succeeding, it needs a different kind of leader.

And with that, I’d like to announce our transition plan:

• I will step up to lead Tech in Asia while continuing as editor-in-chief
• Willis and Maria, our COO, will step down from Tech in Asia by the end of this month
• Willis will step into an advisory role from April 1, 2026

Both leaders have brought Tech in Asia far. We’ve beaten the odds with a successful exit to SPH Media. Maria, a force of nature, gave up a lucrative job at Apple to join the company seven years ago during a tumultuous period. She stepped up as COO handling commercial strategy, partnerships, finance, and operations.

But both of them are zero-to-one builders, and their plunge back into the startup world benefits the ecosystem in the long run.

Not only that, this planned succession allows the next generation of Tech in Asia leaders to step up and tackle our next challenge: ensuring a successful integration to tap SPH Media’s ecosystem, while continuing to serve the tech industry.

With that, I’d like to talk about what you can expect from Tech in Asia in the coming months.

First, we will give our community access to the combined reach and influence that SPH Media has to offer.

This means access not just to the tech industry, which is Tech in Asia’s traditional base, but also the broader business community, consumers, and the government.

We’ve provided this via past and ongoing collaborations with The Straits Times, The Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao and more on events and amplification campaigns.

And starting from April, Tech in Asia will join forces with Lifestyle Media from SPH Media’s Content and Solutioning Division to form a new Features & Lifestyle Division (FLD).

This move extends our partnerships beyond Singapore’s flagship news titles, allowing our clients to reach consumers on a deeper level.

Second, we are broadening our scope to serve not only startups, but also enterprises. In fact, serving enterprises helps us better serve startups, because we will be in position to connect solution-seekers with cutting-edge technology.

This is why we are bringing the Tech in Asia Conference back to Singapore on September 15 and 16 this year with a focus on helping enterprises succeed in AI deployment.

We will continue our activities in Indonesia because we believe in its long-term future. It’s why we’re organizing the Asian Economic Summit on June 17 in Jakarta to bridge policy-makers with the business and tech communities.

And third, our subscription and media arms remain crucial. Our newsroom will deliver insights not found elsewhere, and we’re enhancing our database of tech companies to deliver more value.

Finally, we’re investing in AI-assisted content that’s useful – such as our news format, interview summaries, and Startup Spotlight series. We’re also working on content that’s authentic and human: our infotainment style format on social media is reaping dividends.

The plans I’ve described center on our mission to serve Asia’s tech industry. Just like how the coffeeshop at Block 71 has changed hands while still serving some of the same food, we will serve the ecosystem with the same heart under the next generation of leaders.

We look forward to your continued support.