Canvas Ventures Launches to Support Thai Startups onto the Global Stage

Canvas Ventures, a multi-family venture capital office, officially launched with a focus on early and growth-stage startups in deep tech and creative tech. Tailoring solutions for the Asian market, the firm aims to take Thai startups onto the international stage to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

Led by Pun-Arj Chairatana, former Executive Director of Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA), it targets megatrends like deep tech, creative tech, climate change, and LGBTQ+ sectors. With a strategic emphasis on cultural and creative industries, inclusivity, and human rights, Canvas Ventures aims to drive economic and societal impact in Thailand. 

Pun-Arj Chairatana highlighted Thailand’s innovation ecosystem’s vast potential for global influence. He emphasized that Canvas Ventures aims to be more than just a financial supporter, offering strategic guidance, resource access, and expertise to aid portfolio companies in scaling and navigating complex markets. 

With its philosophy of “Crafting every dot of imagination,” Canvas Ventures focuses on deep tech innovations infused with creativity. It leverages a collaborative investment approach through its dynamic network of co-founders, board members, and visionary investors.

With offices strategically located in Bangkok and Paris, Canvas Ventures aims to facilitate international collaboration in technology and innovation. While maintaining strong ties with Chinese tech companies, the firm adopts a collaborative investment approach, linking Thailand with the broader European and global tech landscapes. 

Alix Andlauer, a prominent French entrepreneur and managing partner at Canvas Ventures, envisions Thailand as a startup hub for bold ideas that can transform regional and global markets. 

Pun-Arj Chairatana said the firm plans to invest in startups at various stages of development, particularly those in Series B, across Thailand and Asia. The firm’s investment focus spans megatrends such as green tech, silver aging, creative economy, pink economy, and deep tech, with deal sizes ranging from $500,000 to several million dollars. 

Pierre Jaffe, a Canvas board member, highlights the upcoming collaboration between Canvas and French Private Equity and VC, which will focus particularly on deep tech applications in aviation, aerospace, and security. 

This collaboration aligns with the Thai government’s strategic agenda to position the country as a pivotal player in the region’s future economy. Gavin Vongkusolkit, another board member at Canvas and a key figure in Thailand’s creative sector, emphasizes the potential growth of the orange economy, which encompasses the creative industries, particularly in Asia. Recognizing Thailand’s strong service and tourism sectors, Canvas Ventures envisions the country’s ascent as a global innovation leader.

Canvas Ventures is keenly eyeing the LGBTQ+ industry, which is expected to reach $3.7 trillion by 2025 and become a premier global investment hub for the pink economy. Additionally, the creative economy is projected to reach $2.6 trillion by 2025. 

Despite the challenging investment landscape marked by high-interest rates, Canvas Ventures remains bullish on sectors like AI, healthcare, finance, climate tech, and aerospace, signaling a promising outlook for startups in Thailand and Asia.

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