Meet the judges of Startup Arena Pitch Battle 2022

The 2022 Tech in Asia Conference has kicked off at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, which means that we’re gearing up for our annual Startup Arena Pitch Battle.

This year’s edition, brought to you by Tech in Asia and East Ventures, will see six startups that tackle environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues battle it out on stage. Each startup will have 10 minutes – five for their pitch and another five for questions – to convince the judges and the audience of the value and viability of their solutions in order to win some exciting prizes.

See more: Introducing the six finalist startups of Startup Arena 2022

The winning startup will walk away with US$10,000, courtesy of East Ventures, along with US$50,000 of fee waiver credits from fintech unicorn Xendit. The winner will also bag insurance benefits from insurtech startup Fuse and a coffee machine from tech-enabled F&B firm Morning Coffee. Prizes from Amazon Web Services, Cariuma, and Wizly are also up for grabs.

As we eagerly await the Startup Arena Pitch Battle, here’s a look at the judges who’ll be deciding this year’s winner.

Yinwei Liang, East Ventures

Since 2019, Yinwei Liang has been with East Ventures, where he serves as principal and leads investments out of the firm’s Singapore office. Prior to joining East Ventures, Liang was an associate at Tiger Global Management and worked for Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority. He holds a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University.

East Ventures is a pioneering, sector-agnostic venture capital firm in Indonesia. It has backed some notable Southeast Asian companies, such as GoTo Group, Xendit, Carro, and Tech in Asia. Aside from supporting Startup Arena, East Ventures will also host a fireside chat at the conference, where we’ll learn about its ESG approach and how it supports emerging climate tech startups. The guest speaker for the event will be East Ventures partner Avina Sugiarto.

Dimitra Taslim, GGV Capital

Dimitra Taslim is vice president at GGV Capital, where he invests in areas related to Web3, foodtech, edtech, fintech, and small-business tech. He is actively involved with GGV Capital’s Evolving for the Next Billion podcast. Taslim has had previous experience as an entrepreneur, having built a digital wealth startup prior to joining GGV Capital.

GGV Capital is a global venture capital firm focused on multistage, sector-focused investments. Some startups in its portfolio include Grab, Fuse, and Ruangguru.

Tanah Sullivan, GoTo Group

Before joining Gojek in 2020, Tanah Sullivan worked for the World Economic Forum, as well as for the Canadian and Australian governments in foreign service and international development projects. She currently serves as the head of sustainability at GoTo Group, leading the organization’s efforts toward achieving its “Three Zeroes”: zero emissions, zero waste, and zero barriers.

GoTo Group was formed in 2021 by the merger of Gojek and Tokopedia. It is the largest technology group in Indonesia, combining on-demand, ecommerce, and financial services.

Edward Prawira Judokusumo, SMDV

Edward Prawira Judokusumo is principal at SMDV, a venture capital firm that is affiliated with Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas Group. SMDV partners with entrepreneurs who are building exceptional technology companies and supports their growth by providing venture investments, a strategic network, and mentorship.

Some startups that SMDV has backed include Waresix, Ula, and Warung Pintar.

Catch the 2022 Startup Arena Pitch Battle

It’ll certainly be an exciting time at this year’s Startup Arena Pitch Battle, which is slated for September 22 at this year’s Tech in Asia Conference. Our four judges will test the mettle of our six finalists and see who has what it takes to emerge as the champion of Startup Arena.

With US$225,000 worth of prizes in cash and kind for the taking, things are set to get heated. The conference may have already started, but it’s not too late to join us either virtually or in person. Get your tickets to the 2022 Tech in Asia Conference to see the Pitch Battle in action, hear from some of the region’s leaders and changemakers, and grow your network.

East Ventures is a pioneering, sector-agnostic venture capital firm in Indonesia, with over 250 portfolio companies across Southeast Asia. It is partnering with Tech in Asia to host this year’s Startup Arena Pitch Battle in search of the next big environmental, social, and governance startup at the 2022 Tech in Asia Conference.

Get your tickets to catch the Startup Arena Pitch Battle here.

This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.