Antler VC Cast

In this episode, we talk about the evolution that has taken place in the Indian startup ecosystem, gaps in the market and verticals that Indian founders should focus on for the future.To discuss more, we are joined by Rajiv Srivatsa, co-founder of Urban Ladder, an online furniture company that raised over 100 million dollars in venture capital from Indian and international investors such as Ratan Tata and Sequoia Capital. Prior to starting Urban Ladder in 2012, Rajiv spent over a decade working with a number of multinational corporations, including Infosys, Cognizant, and Yahoo. Currently, Rajiv is the country head and a Partner in India for Antler. [11:58] Rajiv explains the type of entrepreneurs that emerge from a corporate vs a startup.[17:27] Rajiv shares his candid views on the Indian entrepreneurs' mindset towards risk and failure. [32:59] Rajiv shares about the verticals in India that are forward looking in this post-COVID and recession world.Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we talk about creating a platform that produces learning outcomes, the importance of building an impact-centric business, and the growth of EdTech industry with the application of AI and adaptive learning.To discuss more, we are joined by Aditi Avasthi, Founder and CEO of Indian headquartered EdTech company Embibe. Embibe is an AI driven edtech platform that uses AI and analytics to carve out personalized learning programs for students and has raised over $190 million since its launch in 2012. Investors include Kalaari Capital, Lightbox Ventures, and Reliance. [03:03] Aditi dives into the vision of Embibe of creating a no regrets future for every child.[15:51] Aditi shares the 3 layers of the ever evolving EdTech industry and how we should look at each layer.[17:10] Aditi shares about designing a solution for the student's success and what needs to change.Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we talk about what makes a 'good' vs ‘great founder’, the importance of networking, and the growth of Rotten Tomatoes with the evolution of the entertainment industry.To discuss more, we are joined by Patrick Lee, Co-Founder of Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes has been around for over 20 years and is the entertainment website focused on movie reviews and news. Patrick is also a serial entrepreneur who has started six startups across the U.S., China and Hong Kong. His companies are largely focused in the technology and entertainment space targeting consumers.[11:41] Patrick shares why he thinks that he sold Rotten Tomatoes too early and how he steered the business as the market crashed and they had to go through 9/11.[23:05] Patrick dives into his journey as a serial entrepreneur with six companies under his belt and the balance he has created between nature and nurture that keeps him going.[31:20] Patrick shares his views on entertainment and consumer gaming and where he sees it going.Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we talk about the traits founders need to have to build a business in this new normal, the changing shape of industries in the post-COVID world, and Sequoia's outlook and forecast as they make new investments.Abheek Anand, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital joins us to give us his insights. Sequoia is a venture capital firm that has backed companies like Apple, Google, Dropbox, Airbnb, Whatsapp and Zomato.[15:40] Abheek explains the shift caused by the inflection points in markets, which he broadly categorises as an accelerated shift from physical to digital. [22:52] Abheek shares how Sequoia is supporting its portfolio companies by helping them set expectations in the absence of perfect information.[27:51] Abheek advises new founders to focus on the very simple question, "why now"? That question is really asking why my business deserves to exist today and not five years ago? What's new? Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we will be talking about the evolving consumer behaviour especially in times of COVID-19, future of e-commerce platforms in SEA and the best ways to adapt to the changing business environment in digital age.To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Roshni Mahtani, Founder and CEO of theAsianparent, a digital content and community platform for all things related to parenting. It reaches over 30 million moms monthly in the region and the content is adapted for each market and is available in 13 different languages.[8:19] Roshni shares the changes in spending patterns of parents on both essential and non-essential items during this period of lockdown.[14:16] Roshni shares the shifts in mindsets and the huge win for emerging South East Asia platforms which are here to stay even post-Covid.[24:14] Roshni dives into her journey and her early days of starting theAsianparent. Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we will be talking about ideation process, customer acquisition and using different marketing tactics to disrupt telecommunications one customer at a time.To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Abhishek Gupta, Founder and CEO of Circles.Life, mobile virtual network provider that is leading the telecommunications space. Since its launch in 2016, it has rapidly grown in the Telco space in Singapore. They operate as a digital Telco, meaning the only support channels available to its customers are live chat and email.[15:58] Abhishek Gupta shares how having control of technology can effectively improve services.[29:21] Behind the bold marketing strategies, Abhishek Gupta reveals the simple ideas and points they wish to prove.[39:08] Without titles in the company, Abhishek Gupta reveals how it helps the company and goes along with their missions.Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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This is our first remote taping for our podcast. We are living in extraordinary times and this is officially Day 2 of what Singapore calls the circuit breaker month. It’s not called a lockdown, but a circuit breaker to flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19. In this episode, we will talk about the steps businesses can take to navigate through these uncertain times and why this is still a good time for investors and entrepreneurs in this region.To discuss more, we are joined by Nick Nash and Oliver Rippel, the Founding Partners of Asia Partners. Asia Partners is a growth equity firm focussing on investments in technology and tech-enabled companies in South East Asia.[06:52] Nick takes a wider and longer view, exploring SEA’s golden moment and sharing his founding thesis.[09:10] Oliver explains the gap in series C.[12:02] Nick shares what they look for on a highest level, and how they learn from other tech companies.[15:41] Nick shares how can we plan for a crisis like this.[16:28] Nick dives into how a crisis can cause an acceleration of the inevitable.[19:00] Oliver breaks down how companies can get through recessions and crisis through creating shareholder value and adopting a customer-oriented approach.[22:03] Some practical steps to take in order to provide great value to customers in the long run.[25:24] Nick extends the support for entrepreneurs, as they approach challenging levels.[28:40] Asia Partners is open for business.[38:12] What is the rhinoceros model of companies? We look at how Singapore is a role model for many other nations.Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we will be discussing what it takes to be the founder of an impactful business, the future of content creation and education and the thought process behind creating valuable content.To discuss more, we are joined by Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas Daily. He is the founder and CEO of the Nas Company and is most well known for creating his unique, entertaining and engaging one-minute videos – all 1,000 of them. He is also the author of the book Around the World in 60 seconds. Nas is now based in Singapore and creates content on everything from politics to travel and environment [13:53] Nas shares the secret behind getting people to listen to what one has to say.[17:40] Jussi and Puja share with Nas a humorous story about being called “ugly”.[24:30] Is Tik Tok just a “Fad and Phase”? Or does it actually provide value to users?Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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In this episode, we will be talking about balancing sustainability and profitability in business, the PropTech space in Asia and the importance of getting guidance and coaching along every step of the way when growing your business. To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Steve Melhuish who is the Co-Founder and former CEO of PropertyGuru, an angel investor, advisor to startups and venture partner with Wavemaker, Singapore. [04:45] What can we do to use our time and money productively that will make the world a better place for the future generations? [24:57] How to find the right Co-Founder for aspiring Entreprenuers? [44:25] Believing in your idea and taking the first step Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

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