If VCs won’t invest, then maybe the general public will

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Hello reader,

This year has been all about finding a way to make things work despite unideal circumstances. It has not been an easy year but you can bet it’s been one of constant learning.

I’ve always been more of a realist than an optimist – some may even say I’m cynical – and yet I’ve been able to, more or less, see the silver linings in the many clouds that have drifted into my path this year.

Maybe it’s just a survival mechanism – better to do what you can and hope for the best than to spiral into despair, right? At any rate, we can always choose to focus our sights up and forward instead of down at our navels.

That’s what Indonesian startups are doing, apparently. Some may circumvent slow VC funding by listing on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and raising funds from retail investors instead.

Read on to find out more.

Today we look at:

• Indonesian startups seeing the IDX as an option for much-needed capital
• Line Man Wongnai’s new acquisition
• Other newsy highlights such as the latest financial figures of a couple of Singapore-based startups and TikTok Shop’s partnership with Atome in Malaysia

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No rice? I’ll take the noodles then

Image credit: Timmy Loen

There are a few things in life in which you can accept no substitutes. But for the rest, fixating on something to the point of “all or nothing” can be ruinous.

You also lose all negotiating leverage. We can all afford to be a little more open-minded.

That’s how Indonesian startups are thinking, at least. Amid a reluctant VC funding landscape, many may turn to IPOs to get the cash they need.

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