GADFLY: In the absence of predictions, an overview of 2017’s Asian tech industry
I’m not feeling quite bold enough to make predictions about 2018. After all, a year ago I didn’t get why bitcoin was worth $1,000 (yeah, I know), or why Pokemon Go was so exciting. Instead, here are a few of my observations about the Asian technology industry over the past 12 months. Last December, I predicted that 2017 might be the year of the Southeast Asian start-up. This wasn’t some incredible feat of Nostradamus. It was kind of obvious, with a few unicorns in gestation or already born, and Asean home to more than 600-million people and nine growing economies. Yet the concern I had then still persists, namely that a few countries are attracting most of the money and this will need to change. While Indonesia almost caught up with Singapore in terms of deals and funding this year, the rest of the region remains way behind. Data from CB Insights up to September 6 show Malaysia, in third place, attracted less than a quarter of the money that leader Singapore received. Some of those ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.