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“Southeast Asia is experiencing unprecedented growth in its tech ecosystem, and Vietnam is at the heart of this evolution. With the SEA Venture Launchpad, we aim to empower promising startups by providing not just funding but also access to Antler's global network of advisors, enterprises, and investors. This initiative will fast-track their journey to becoming venture-backed businesses, addressing a critical need for speed and tailored support in the region's startup ecosystem.”
- ERIK JONSSON, PARTNER AT ANTLER VIETNAM
Antler, the world's most active early-stage investor, today announced its continued commitment to backing exceptional founders in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, despite challenging market conditions.
Strong Performance in Southeast Asia and Vietnam
In 2024, Antler closed 96 deals totaling over $12.5 million across Southeast Asia, maintaining a steady investment pace comparable to 104 deals in 2023, worth over $12.6 million. Over the past two years, Antler has completed 200 deals across the region, deploying a total of $25 million.
In Vietnam specifically, Antler deployed $2.2 million across 21 early-stage investments in 2024, maintaining consistent investment momentum following 19 investments in 2023 totaling $1.9 million. This brings the firm's cumulative investments in Vietnam over the past two years to 40 deals, with a total of $4.1 million deployed.
Launching the SEA Venture Launchpad to Accelerate Funding in Vietnam
Building on this momentum, Antler has launched the Antler SEA Venture Launchpad in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to provide early-stage startups with fast-tracked, tailored support and funding opportunities. The program is open on a rolling basis, offering startups up to $600,000 in early-stage funding and the tools needed to achieve early traction, scale effectively, and succeed in the competitive tech ecosystem.
The SEA Venture Launchpad offers a unique four-to-eight-week residency for teams with at least two co-founders, allowing them to co-locate and collaborate with Antler’s team and advisor network. Participants will work closely with investors from day zero, validate their business models using Antler’s proven frameworks, connect with potential customers, and pitch for investment. The program aims to position startups to secure their first institutional funding in as little as four weeks.
Continued Support for Founders
To further strengthen its support for founders from inception through growth, Antler continues to offer its recently introduced ARC (Agreement for Rolling Capital) initiative. This funding structure enables early-stage founders to secure up to $600,000, including initial investment, pro-rata follow-on, and ARC, within the first six to nine months of a company's lifecycle.
Focus on Early-Stage and AI-Enabled Startups
Antler's portfolio has shown strong traction across various sectors, from enterprise software to fintech, sustainability, and next-gen consumer technology. As AI in particular continues to reshape the technology landscape, Antler has observed a surge in founders leveraging it across various industries.
Erik Jonsson, Partner of Antler Vietnam, commented, “In today’s market, the ability to focus on building strong, sustainable foundations has never been more critical. Despite the challenging market environment, we’ve seen founders tackling some of the region's most pressing problems with innovative, capital-efficient solutions from Vietnam. With the latest capability of AI, we are excited to partner with founders who are using creativity and deep domain expertise to build businesses with strong, defensible moats. These founders aren’t just building companies—they’re laying the foundation for a more innovative and competitive Vietnam that can thrive on a global stage."
Antler's Commitment to the Future
With offices in this region including Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, and Kuala Lumpur, Antler is actively seeking exceptional individuals and early-stage startups to support from day zero through every stage of their growth journey.
Antler is the investor backing the world’s most driven founders from day zero to greatness. Founded on the belief that people innovating is the key to building a better future, we partner with people across six continents to launch and scale high-potential startups that address meaningful opportunities and challenges. Knowing that exceptional founders can come from anywhere with any background, we have offices in more than 30 cities around the world, including Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, and more. Our global community backs people from the beginning with co-founder matching, deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding. Fueled by a personal passion that goes beyond traditional investing, we have helped create and invest in more than 1,400 startups across a wide range of industries and technologies, with the goal of backing more than 6,000 by 2030.
For more information, reach out to vietnamscouting@antler.co
For all press enquiries: press@antler.co
