"Indonesia is not of the scale of China and India. And some people argue that India and China are so vast that you can almost consider: North China, South China, East China and different parts of the world. But because Indonesia normally gets lumped into ASEAN, right? People think about, well, I don't want single country risk with a country of this size. And so that's where the differentiation came out. Nonetheless, this is our thesis. And we believe that the last 10 years have proven that thesis. So we...
"Indonesia is not of the scale of China and India. And some people argue that India and China are so vast that you can almost consider: North China, South China, East China and different parts of the world. But because Indonesia normally gets lumped into ASEAN, right? People think about, well, I don't want single country risk with a country of this size. And so that's where the differentiation came out. Nonetheless, this is our thesis. And we believe that the last 10 years have proven that thesis. So we continue to double down on that thesis. Again, we've invested in companies that are regional that come into Indonesia." - Adrian Li
Fresh out of the studio, Adrian Li, founder and managing partner of AC Ventures joined us in a conversation to delve into the dynamics of the venture capital scene in Indonesia. He commenced by tracing his entrepreneurial journey, which spanned from the United States to China, and ultimately to Southeast Asia, culminating in his transition to venture capitalist. From there, he shed light on the investment thesis of AC Ventures, their decade of investing that led to their recent successful raise of US$210m to their 5th fund. He provided an in-depth analysis of the entire venture capital landscape in Indonesia, discussing its evolution over time. To conclude, Adrian shared his vision for AC Ventures, focusing on their intensified commitment to nurturing startups in Indonesia and across the broader Southeast Asian region.
Episode Highlights:
[0:44] Quote of the Day from Adrian Li #QOTD
[1:16] Introduction: Adrian Li, Founder & Managing Partner, AC Ventures.
[2:27] How did Adrian start his career?
[4:36] Adrian’s first entrepreneurial pursuit till his move to China & then Southeast Asia.
[8:13] The origin story of AC Ventures.
[10:10] The three key things he looks for when evaluating investment opportunities.
[13:52] AC Ventures, their perspective on the Indonesian market and their investment thesis.
[17:35] Typical day for a VC like Adrian Li
[19:23] The red flags that Adrian Li watched out for in founders & startup teams.
[21:14] The startup class of 2021 vs the class of 2023.
[24:40] The Indonesia Venture Capital Report 2023 by AC Ventures and Bain & Co.
[25:22] How investors are adjusting their strategies to the Indonesian market.
[27:24] Investor preferences, unit economics and valuations on the Indonesian market.
[29:11] The challenges that the Indonesian startups face and how they are adapting to them.
[32:00] The verticals that are working in the Indonesian market.
[34:43] Indonesia's regulatory environment is supportive of startups.
[37:01] The exit landscape for startups in Indonesia.
[41:48] The Indonesia startup landscape after the ZIRP era.
[45:12] The one thing that Adrian Li knows that very few do about VC in Indonesia.
[47:38] In-country VCs vs regional VCs in Southeast Asia.
[49:43] How should investors perceive Indonesia as a single market like China & India?
[51:29] Can foreign entrepreneurs thrive in the Indonesia startup ecosystem?
[53:22] What does great look like for AC Ventures?
[54:24] Closing
Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig.
