This week, the 60/40 Podcast tackles some of the biggest existential questions for the startup community: How does AI change the process of building startups, for early stage and late stage companies? What is AI's impact on VC fund economics? What is the current state of fundraising in Southeast Asia?

Tune in to hear Hsu Ken Ooi, Managing Partner of Iterative Capital, discuss these topics and more with Prashanth and Maria.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introductions

01:08 Is the rise of AI-driven, small companies true?

08:40 The human vs. AI edge in building startups

13:56 Tech talent at risk of replacement by AI

24:18 When capital still matters

29:30 The impact of AI-native companies on VC funds

39:34 State of LP fundraising in Southeast Asia

48:46 Trump's April 2 tariffs in Asia

57:00 Grab/GoTo acquisition rumors

Give us feedback or nominate topics & speakers at [email protected]

60/40 is co-hosted by: Prashanth Ranganathan, Peter Bithos, and Maria Li. Special thanks to our guest, Hsu Ken Ooi.

A podcast by Tech in Asia, a member of The Business Times.

[Bahasa is used in this episode] Building AI often feels like an expensive challenge, but Irzan Raditya, Co-Founder & CEO of Kata.ai, believes it starts with something simpler—culture.

In this episode of Spill the T, he shares how AI can transform businesses through small shifts and why Indonesia needs its own 'Gojek moment' for AI-driven solutions. Irzan also reflects on a decade of building a startup, revealing key lessons, innovations, and strategies for long-term growth.

Tune in for a deep dive into the future of AI and entrepreneurship!

In this episode of the 60/40 Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the recent drama surrounding Chocolate Finance, a fintech company in Singapore.

They discuss the rapid rise of the company, its innovative product offerings, and the subsequent fallout due to marketing miscalculations and customer trust issues. The conversation also touches on the broader implications for the fintech industry, the role of influencers in shaping customer behavior, and the regulatory landscape.

Finally, the hosts explore the current state of China's tech scene and Malaysia's ambitions in the AI and semiconductor sectors, concluding with reflections on the future of these markets.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the 60/40 Podcast

01:22 The backstory to the Chocolate Finance drama

03:50 Understanding Chocolate Finance's product

13:10 The challenge of instant liquidity

22:50 Challenges of frequent flyer promotions

28:50 The dangers of finfluencers and homogeneous population

36:06 The one thing that Chocolate did wrong

41:51 The rise of China's Seven Titans

51:55 Malaysia's AI and semiconductor industry potential

Give us feedback or nominate topics & speakers at [email protected]

60/40 is co-hosted by: Prashanth Ranganathan, Peter Bithos, and Maria Li. Special thanks to our guest, Aleksey Mironenko

A podcast by Tech in Asia, a member of The Business Times

With special guest Raghav Kapoor, founder & CEO of SmartKarma

(0:00) Why 60/40

(1:20) India's NSE - is the market correction overblown?

(13:40) Trump tariffs in China - are there any winners?

(24:00) TSMC in the US - why now?

(32:30) Jack Ma is back! What does it mean for China's tech industry?

(37:50) Exciting times for Singapore's SGX - new measures to support the SGX and what else should be done

Drop us a line at [email protected] to share feedback, suggest topics, or nominate speakers!