Xendit has launched a free database that includes over 150 active venture capital firms in Southeast Asia, which aims to facilitate connections between founders and potential investors.

The database features firms that invest in Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Indonesian VC firm Init 6 is included in the database.

It is intended to help first-time founders, experienced entrepreneurs, and community builders identify and contact investors.

Xendit said the resource will be regularly updated to maintain its relevance. The initiative is accessible without any fees.

🔗 Source: Rexi Christopher

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Southeast Asia’s venture ecosystem is navigating a significant funding winter after years of explosive growth

The new VC database launches during a challenging period for the region’s startups, with funding hitting a three-year low of $4.56 billion in 2024, a steep 42% drop from the previous year 1.

This represents a stark contrast from the market’s peak years when venture capital “dry powder” had surged up to 11 times in just six years, signaling extraordinary investor interest in the region 2.

The decline is part of a multi-year trend, with 2024 marking the third consecutive year of funding contraction across Southeast Asia despite the region’s strong fundamentals 1.

Startups now face heightened investor scrutiny, with VCs demanding clear profitability roadmaps and realistic valuations before committing capital, a significant shift from the growth-at-all-costs mindset that previously dominated 3.

This funding database therefore arrives at a critical moment when founders need more efficient pathways to identify the right capital partners in a much more selective investment landscape.

2️⃣ Regional funding imbalances persist despite growing investor diversity

Singapore continues to dominate Southeast Asia’s funding landscape, capturing 68% of all regional venture investment in 2024 despite representing only a fraction of the region’s population and economic activity 1.

This concentration persists even as the ecosystem has matured significantly, with the number of active investors in private equity transactions growing to 124 in 2017, representing a 45% increase from the previous five-year average 4.

While the database covers firms investing across Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, these markets face significantly different funding environments despite their large populations and growing digital economies.

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