When Southeast Asian decacorn Grab announced that it was going public earlier this year, everyone in the region’s tech and startup ecosystem took notice. What was interesting about the news was that Grab opted to go about the process in a slightly different way than the usual initial public offering route – it decided to list through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

And Grab isn’t the only one choosing to do this. Despite having been around since the 1990s, SPACS really took off in 2020, with a record 248 of them making their debuts in the US that year. On top of that, a fair number of these blank-check firms have their eyes on Southeast Asia.

However, the trend has raised several questions. Why are SPACs so popular now? Why the interest in Southeast Asia? And are SPACs here to stay or are they just another bubble waiting to burst?

In this episode of Tech in Asia Explains, Bridgetown 3 Holdings nonexecutive director Samantha Ghiotti and Tech in Asia industry analyst Simon Huang peel back the layers on the world of SPACs.

Tech in Asia Explains is a Tech in Asia Originals series that dives into the latest trends in the tech and startup scene, getting insights from leading personalities from within the industry.

Catch the rest of Tech in Asia Explains here.