Next Big Wave

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Jake Berber, co-founder and CEO of Prefer, a food tech company that creates coffee without using coffee beans.

Jake shares his journey from neuroscience to food tech, the innovative process behind Prefer's bean-free coffee, and the company's focus on B2B partnerships. He discusses the challenges of fundraising, the importance of finding the right co-founder, and the unique sales strategies required in Southeast Asia. The conversation also touches on sustainability, profitability, and the role of R&D in staying competitive in the food tech industry.

Be sure to check out Prefer: https://www.prefer.coffee/

And follow Jake's journey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeberber/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

0:00 Intro

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Geoff Ira, cofounder of TradeTogether - a risk tailored web 3 investment solution platform.

Geoff shares his journey from corporate banking to founding TradeTogether, a digital asset management company in the DeFi space. Geoff discusses the challenges and opportunities in the crypto industry, particularly in Southeast Asia, and emphasizes the importance of regulatory compliance and risk management. He also shares insights on startup growth strategies, the significance of mentorship, and personal well-being practices that help him navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.

Be sure to check out TradeTogether:  https://tradetogether.com/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

0:00 Intro

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with  Thibaut Briere, a French founder based in Singapore, who is building a startup focused on elder care called Glorius.

Thibaut shares his journey from engineering to marketing and finally to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities within the elder care industry. He discusses the business model of Glorious, a B2B SaaS solution aimed at digitizing elder care operations, and the importance of community and mentorship in the startup ecosystem. The conversation also touches on leveraging LinkedIn for B2B marketing and the realities of the founder's experience, including personal challenges and insights.

If you have an elderly loved one in Southeast Asia - check out Glorious: https://beglorious.co/

Be sure to check out Thibauts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibautbriere/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

0:00 Intro

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #singapore #saas #eldercare #startup #linkedin 

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Sandy Tiu, Founder of I Am Sustainable Studio.

In this episode, Tim interviews Sandy, the founder of I Am Sustainable Studio, who shares her journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship in the sustainability space. Sandy discusses the challenges of textile waste in the hospitality industry, the services her studio offers, and the importance of a circular economy. She emphasizes the need for a mindset shift in Southeast Asia regarding sustainability and the role of corporate responsibility in driving change. The conversation also touches on the personal challenges of being a founder and the importance of community and collaboration in achieving sustainability goals.

Checkout I Am Sustainable Studio: https://iamsustainablestudio.com/

Be sure to reach out to Sandy to be a potential co-founder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandytiu/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

0:00 Intro

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #sustainability #cofounder #sustainable #sustainablebusiness 

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Rajiv Lamba, Founder of SurveySensum.

Rajiv Lamba is an entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in market research. He discusses his journey from traditional market research to founding Neurosensum, a company that utilizes neuroscience to gain deeper consumer insights. He shares the challenges of conducting EEG studies, the importance of team culture, and how spirituality plays a role in leadership. Rajiv also reflects on his fundraising journey and the launch of SurveySensum, a DIY customer feedback platform. The conversation highlights the significance of purpose in business and the resilience required to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Checkout SurveySenum and take your B2B research to the next level: https://www.surveysensum.com/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

0:00 Intro

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #neuroscience #hiring #founder 

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Aurélien Vasinis, Founder of Kuration AI.

Aurélien Vassinis, founder of Kuration AI, discusses his journey as a founder and the importance of growth hacking. He shares his experience starting a business in Hong Kong and the challenges he faced. He also explains the concept behind Kuration AI and how it helps users navigate the overwhelming amount of information available online. The conversation covers topics such as remote work, personalized outreach, and the power of research in sales and marketing. In this conversation, Aurélien and Tim discuss the power of targeted outreach and the importance of creativity in growth hacking. They explore the use of LinkedIn ads for highly curated targeting and the potential for personalized ads in the future. They also touch on the benefits of NoCode tools like Kuration in unleashing creativity and problem-solving. Aurélien shares a growth hack involving a cold email campaign and the accidental omission of an attachment, which led to high response rates. They also discuss the effectiveness of monitoring competitor engagements and piggybacking on them for outreach. Aurélien mentions that Kuration is still working towards product-market fit and emphasizes the simplicity and Asia-focused approach of the tool.

Checkout Kuration and take your B2B research to the next level: https://www.kurationai.com/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Hsu Ken Ooi, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Iterative.

Tim and Hsu Ken discuss their experiences as founders and the qualities that make a successful co-founder. They emphasize the importance of low ego, shared values, and a passion for learning. They also discuss the challenges of finding the right co-founder and offer advice on how to increase the chances of a successful partnership. They highlight the value of making oneself valuable and increasing the surface area of potential co-founders. 

 Hsu Ken also shares his journey from being a co-founder to becoming a venture capitalist (VC) in Southeast Asia. He explains that he became a VC out of frustration with the lack of support and development for founders in the region. He started Iterative, a VC firm, to bridge this gap and support founders in Southeast Asia. In this final part of the conversation, Hsu Ken discusses the concept of growth hacking and shares examples of unconventional strategies. He emphasizes the importance of thinking outside the box and doing things that don't scale, even if they may seem embarrassing or unconventional. He also talks about the challenges of building a company and the need to hire the right people and create a framework for experiments and bets. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the VC model in Southeast Asia and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Sunny Khurana, the founder of Spark.

Sunny Khurana, the founder of Spark, shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He talks about the pain points in the dating industry and how Spark aims to solve them by connecting people through common interest activities. The app focuses on creating connections, not just matches, by providing experiential dating opportunities. 

Sunny discusses the challenges of scaling the app and the growth strategies they are implementing. He also mentions their target audience of high net-worth individuals and their plans for expansion into other markets. Spark is creating an experience-based economy for dating, targeting both singles and couples. They aim to provide a variety of curated experiences to help couples maintain the spark in their relationship. The app will offer a wide range of activities, such as salsa dancing, candle making, and cooking classes, that couples can easily book. 

Tim and Suny also discuss the growth hacks being used and the growth hacks that could be used to take Spark to the next level.

Checkout Spark: https://spark.love/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #dating #tinder #datingapps 

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Nathan Roestandy, founder of NAFAS.

Nathan Roestandy, founder of NAFAS, discusses his journey in building an air quality startup in Indonesia. He shares how his background in manufacturing and product design, combined with his observations of air pollution in China, led him to start NAFAS. 

Nathan explains the lack of air quality measurements in Indonesia and the opportunity it presented for his business. He also discusses the different approaches to air quality measurement in developed and emerging markets, and how NAFAS is providing a solution for both indoor and outdoor air quality. Nathan shares the challenges he faced in working with the government and the strategies NAFAS used to grow its customer base. He also talks about the company's fundraising efforts and its expansion into the Middle East market.

Checkout NAFAS: https://nafas.co.id/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #indonesia #airqualityindex #jakarta #saas

If you're a founder looking to scale your startup join us: https://nextbigwave.co/

In this episode of Next Big Wave, Tim Grassin speaks with Tarun Jain, co-founder of Waxwing AI

Tarun shares his background in entrepreneurship, including starting a social enterprise and working in IoT. He also discusses his experience as a growth hacker and remote worker while pursuing his passion for scuba diving. 

They then dive into the details of Waxwing AI, a platform that helps users go from idea to action in just three minutes by providing personalized plans and workflows. Tyrone explains how the platform reduces the time and effort required for marketing teams to execute projects. They also discuss the differentiation of Waxwing AI from other AI models and the company's journey in terms of funding and user acquisition. 

Tim and Tarun also discuss the growth hacks Waxwing used to build the company. They also share trends and common growth hacking ideas that all founders should be using.

Checkout Waxwing: https://www.waxwing.ai/

Here are the key segments for today's episode!

#NextBigWave #startups #southeastasia #aistartups #ai #growthhacking