Antler Pours $5.1M into 37 Southeast Asian Startups

Antler, a global early-stage VC firm headquartered in Singapore, has announced its largest pre-seed investment round to date, committing $5.1 million to 37 startups across Southeast Asia. The portfolio encompasses a wide range of sectors, including AI, B2B SaaS, fintech, and healthcare, addressing various regional challenges.

Antler’s recent commitment to backing Singaporean startups, including BorderDollar, Buildas, CapGo, EigenAI, Emerge, Finna, Glorious, Just Ping, Levit8, Mailpass, OmiConvo, Rapida.AI, ReelBlend, SmartViz, and XFLO, shows its confidence in the tech scene of Southeast Asia. 

This investment round is crucial for Antler since it is the highest number of pre-seed deals in a single round in the region and the VC’s largest pre-seed investment round to date.

Jussi Salovaara, Co-founder and Managing Partner Asia at Antler expressed its aim to support early-stage startups in Southeast Asia, particularly those focused on verticalized AI and industry 4.0. Salovaara also highlighted the importance of addressing the pain points and transforming data and models into tangible products. Antler aims to assist founders in establishing robust foundations for sustainable business models, supporting long-term innovation within the global tech ecosystem.

Antler’s investment in Malaysia has suggested its strategic expansion into the Malaysian market by partnering with sovereign wealth fund Khazanah. 

Looking ahead, the tech landscape in Southeast Asia will witness notable shifts, particularly in the verticalized AI and Industry 4.0. Anticipated as the second wave of AI startups, there is a growing trend towards developing AI solutions tailored to specific industries such as media, customer lifecycle management, and LLM integration. 

Similarly, the rise of Industry 4.0 technologies is driving transformative changes across various sectors, including construction, transportation, and healthcare, with startups like COEX and Seafoody leading the charge in implementing innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, a new wave of startups is emerging, focusing on hyperlocal solutions with global scalability, targeting key sectors like e-commerce, fintech, productivity, and travel to capitalize on the region’s diverse market landscape and cater to specific local needs while maintaining the potential for global expansion.

Winnie Khoo, Partner at Antler, emphasized the transformative potential of predictive AI in Southeast Asia, noting the opportunity for startups to embrace a new paradigm of hyper-localization and global ambition. This shift demands founders to reimagine product possibilities that cater to diverse local markets while harboring seamless scalability across global platforms.

With a record-breaking number of over 5,000 applications received in this funding round, Antler continues its steadfast support for early-stage startups worldwide. Since its inception in 2018, Antler has remained committed to backing over 1,000 startups globally, underscoring its belief in the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to shape a better future.

Also Read:

• Antler Elevate Fund Raises $285M to Propel Growth-Stage Startups
• Antler to invest in over 30 startups in Indonesia this year
• Google Cloud and EnterpriseSG Announce Accelerator to Fuel AI Startup Development in Singapore
• Techstars Launches Accelerator Program in Japan with Mitsui Fudosan and JETRO