5 amazing women founders in Asia

We’ve all heard of the success stories in China, Japan and Singapore. But what about the other countries that aren’t necessarily in the media’s spotlight? From an Indian woman who tracks the availability of piped water through SMS, to an eco-ethical fashion startup in The Philippines, let’s zoom in on the emerging gems of this vibrant continent!

Hooi Ling Tan
Country: Malaysia
Company: GrabTaxi (MyTeksi)
Position: Co-Founder

With companies like Uber and Easy Taxi, Southeast Asia is flooded with ride booking companies. Yet Malaysia-based GrabTaxi is gaining traction and was recently named one of Southeast Asia’s unicorn startups, with an estimated billion-dollar valuation.

A former McKinsey consultant, Hooi Ling Tan co-founded GrabTaxi with Anthony Tan, one of her classmates at Harvard. Their aim was to connect customers directly to taxi drivers via a mobile app. So they worked together on a business plan and were the runners-up in Harvard Business School’s 2011 Business Plan Contest. Launched in 2012 in Malaysia, the app is now available in 21 cities across the region. The company has raised USD 340 million in funding so far.

Nabilah Alsagoff
Country: Indonesia
Company: Doku
Position: Founder and COO

Launched in 2007, DOKU is Indonesia’s leading e-payment solutions provider. The company’s COO, Nabilah Alsagoff, had 15 years of experience in developing customer-centric marketing concepts, IT services and sales programs for diverse companies and industries.  She graduated from Murdoch University in 1990 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Comparative Literature.

Alsagoff came up with DOKU right after the Bali terrorist attacks in 2002 when she was working on a tourism website. A Malaysian company was servicing payments for transactions, so Alsagoff formed a similar concept for Indonesia. With a client list that includes names like Air Asia, Sinar Mas Land, Oppo, VIVA news portal, and Indonesian Idol, Doku is arguably one of the top companies in the region for online payments. It has also partnered with financial service brands including VISA, Mastercard, Mandiri, e-Pay, and BRI. A promising venture!

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz
Country: The Philippines
Company: Rags2Riches
Position: Co-Founder

Rags2Riches, Inc. is a for-profit social enterprise based in Manila, Philippines. The team’s mission is to create eco-ethical fashion and home accessories out of up cycled scrap cloth, organic materials and indigenous fabrics, by working with artisans living in the poor communities across the country. Since 2007, Fernandez-Ruiz and her team have trained 900 people in the business, mostly women who reside in one of the Philippines’ biggest dumping sites.