e27 has launched the call for participants for the AI Workflow Competition: SME Digital Leap, a programme designed to bring together builders and small businesses around a shared goal of designing agentic AI workflows that solve real operational challenges. Rather than focusing on building new AI products or startups, the initiative centres on applying existing AI platforms and models to create practical automation for real world SME use cases.

The programme connects workflow creators directly with SMEs that are seeking automation solutions, accelerating the adoption of AI where it matters most in everyday business operations. Participants will work across key business functions including sales, marketing, operations, HR, and finance, contributing to solutions that can be tested and used in real environments.

Advancing AI adoption through practical innovation

As AI becomes an essential driver of SME competitiveness, the competition is designed to bridge the gap between conceptual AI knowledge and real deployment. Participants will work on challenge statements submitted by SMEs, ensuring that every solution is grounded in actual operational needs.

The multi-phase programme includes curated learning opportunities, guided workflow development, and close collaboration with SMEs. Participants will receive mentorship and support throughout the development journey, with top solutions showcased at Echelon Singapore 2026 to enable potential SME pilot opportunities. The emphasis is on hands on learning in workflow automation and agentic AI, using real business problems as the foundation for development.

Also read: Beyond the hype: Why Echelon is evolving to drive Southeast Asia’s AI future

Who should join AI Workflow Competition: SME Digital Leap

This call is open to builders who want to deepen their AI capabilities while creating real world impact for SMEs. While anyone interested may express their interest, participant selection will be based on current capabilities and relevant experience to ensure the best possible match for the program’s goals.

What this is not: This is not a hackathon focused on building new AI-driven products or startups. Instead, the competition centres on using existing AI platforms and models to design agentic workflows that directly address real SME use cases. Tools such as n8n and Make are well suited for this work, alongside prompt-based agentic platforms that enable practical, deployable automation.

All experience levels are welcome. Selection will be based on current knowledge and past experience to ensure participants are well matched to SME use cases and collaboration tracks.

Click here to fill out the form for participants.

Call for partners and support

We are also seeking partners and community stakeholders to help provide the resources needed to support this ecosystem, including access to platforms and usage credits, as we work together to accelerate AI-driven SME digitalisation.

Interested partners and sponsors can reach out via email at engage@e27.co.

Also read: Exhibit smart, spend lean: Your Start Up Booth at Echelon 2026

Driving real world AI adoption for SMEs

By focusing on the practical application of agentic AI workflows to real SME challenges, the AI Workflow Competition: SME Digital Leap signals a shift towards outcome-driven AI adoption in everyday business operations. Builders are invited to apply their skills to live use cases, work closely with SMEs, and develop deployable automation solutions with real commercial relevance. With selected solutions progressing towards a showcase at Echelon Singapore 2026 and potential pilot opportunities, the programme offers a structured pathway from experimentation to real world impact.

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After nearly a decade of building a digital-first insurance business, Thai insurtech firm Roojai has closed a US$60 million Series C round co-led by Apis Partners and Asia Partners.

Earlier investors, including HDI International, Primary Group, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), also co-invested.

The new capital boost is earmarked for deepening Roojai’s presence in Thailand, accelerating growth in its Indonesian business, and pursuing strategic M&A to expand both vertically and geographically. In Sepetember 2023, the insurtech firm acquired motor DirectAsia Group from US-based small business insurer Hiscox for an undisclosed sum.

Launched in 2016 by CEO Nicolas Faquet, Roojai sells motor, accident, and health insurance products on a direct-to-consumer model. It has operations in Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Since its founding,

Roojai has risen from a niche online motor-insurance provider to a multi-line digital insurer offering health, personal accident, travel, and motor coverage. Over its close to ten years’ of existence, Roojai has secured multiple round of funding, including US$42 million led by HDI International in 2023 and a US$20 million from Primary Group, besides a US$7 million Series A round from IFC.

Also Read: Thai insurtech firm Roojai bags US$42M in fresh funding

Why this deal matters

In Southeast Asia’s insurance industry, long dominated by brokers, intermediaries, and complex distribution channels, Roojai’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) model represents a paradigm shift. Rather than underwriting the vehicle, Roojai underwrites the customer, using risk-based segmentation to tailor premiums more fairly.

This customer-centric approach enables faster service, transparent pricing, and flexible instalment payments — features that resonate strongly in markets where consumers increasingly demand convenience and value.

The backing from Apis and Asia Partners, both firms with a track record of investing in high-growth fintech and financial-services tech platforms, signals growing investor confidence in Southeast Asian insurtech. Apis in particular highlights the value of financial inclusion and access, while Asia Partners emphasises Roojai’s ability to deliver “responsible and inclusive insurance ecosystems.”

Moreover, Roojai’s expansion into electric-vehicle (EV) insurance and its ongoing embrace of tools for embedded insurance — integrating insurance offers directly into payment/checkout flows — position it at the intersection of mobility, fintech, and digital distribution. These align with macro trends across the region: rising EV adoption, growing digital commerce, and increasing demand for seamless, tech-enabled financial services. Asia Business Outlook+2Tech in Asia+2

What’s next

With fresh capital in hand and a scalable, technology-driven platform, Roojai now appears set for aggressive regional scaling. Its roadmap includes:

• Expanding further into Indonesia, leveraging previous acquisitions such as the comparison site Lifepal to build distribution reach.
• Deploying its digital infrastructure and embedded insurance capabilities to enter new markets or verticals across Southeast Asia.
• Exploring strategic acquisitions to broaden its product suite and strengthen underwriting capacity.

Also Read: Thai insurtech company Roojai acquires DirectAsia from Hiscox

For observers of the region’s fintech and insurtech sectors, Roojai’s success offers a strong signal: Southeast Asia is entering a new chapter where digital insurers — built on tech, data, and direct consumer relationships — can disrupt a traditionally broker-driven market. With growing capital inflows, changing consumer behaviour and rising demand for flexible, transparent insurance, the stage is set for players like Roojai to define the future of insurance across the region.

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When I founded my first company, I thought the secret to success was simple: work harder, longer, and never stop.

I was putting in easily 14-16-hour a day (including weekends), surviving on coffee and quick snacks, and missing out on time with family and friends.

I believed that if I just pushed myself enough, I could build something great.

The big challenge: Chasing big dreams without losing yourself

Starting and growing a company is one of the most exciting and challenging things you can do. You have big goals, customers to win over, and a team that depends on you.

The pressure feels enormous. It often seems like you have to be “on” all the time, ready to solve problems, make decisions, and push forward. But the harsh truth is that many founders end up burning out.

Studies show that over half of startup founders experience burnout every year, leading to poor decisions, lost productivity, and even the failure of their companies.

The challenge isn’t just about hitting milestones or raising money…it’s about figuring out how to keep going strong without running yourself or your team into the ground.

When founders burn out, it’s not just their own health that suffers; the entire company feels the impact. I realised that to build something truly lasting, I needed to find a better way.

What helped me turn things around

The biggest change came I started focusing on taking care of myself and my team.

Here are some of the key things I learned along the way:

• Talk and listen frequently and regularly

I made it a habit to check in with my team regularly—not just about work tasks but about how they were feeling. These conversations helped me spot when someone was overwhelmed before it became a crisis. It also built trust and showed my team that their well-being mattered. Sometimes, just knowing someone cares can make a huge difference.

• Set boundaries and encourage breaks

I started blocking out time for rest and encouraged my team to do the same. Taking breaks isn’t a sign of weakness…. it’s essential for recharging your energy and staying focused. We introduced “no meeting” times during a selected period of the week and encouraged people to take their full vacation days. These small changes helped everyone come back refreshed and ready to work smarter, not only harder.

Also Read: Employee burnout is real and why it needs to be taken seriously

• Trust and delegate to the right people

I realised I couldn’t do everything myself. Trying to micromanage every detail was exhausting and slowed us down. Instead, I learned to trust the right team members by clearly defining roles and giving them the authority to make decisions. Delegating tasks not only freed up my time but also empowered my team and helped them grow.

• Build support networks

Being a founder can be lonely. I joined groups of other founders where we could share struggles, advice, and encouragement. Having people who understand the unique challenges of startup life made a big difference in managing stress and staying motivated.

• Prioritise physical and mental health

Simple habits like getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and practicing mindfulness became part of my routine. These weren’t just “nice to haves” but essential tools to keep my mind sharp and my energy steady. I encouraged my team to do the same.

How to develop the “A team”

A company is only as strong as its people.

Over time, I learned that sustainable growth depends on creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and excited to contribute. Here are some strategies that helped us hire, grow, and retain great teams:

• Offer opportunities to learn and grow

People want to feel like they’re moving forward, not stuck in the same place. We invested time in doing continuous education and mentorship opportunities for people who wanted to build with us. We also made sure everyone had a clear mindset and constantly develop their skills to get to the next level. This is something that I can recommend founders to build as a culture in their own organisations.

• Create a culture of openness

We worked hard to build a culture where people felt motivated to share ideas, admit mistakes, and even appreciate other team members. This openness led to better collaboration and innovation. Tools like internal surveys helped us get honest feedback and address issues early.

• Make work meaningful

We made sure everyone understood how their work contributed to the company’s mission and impact. When people see the difference they’re making, they’re more engaged and willing to go the extra mile.

What I’m still figuring out

Even after all these changes, I’m still learning.

Balancing the urgency of startup life with the need for rest and reflection is an ongoing challenge. Sometimes I still feel the pull to hustle nonstop, but I remind myself that building a company is a marathon, not a sprint.

Also Read: How burnout changes founder’s ability for risk-taking

I’m also discovering the power of culture.

I’m working on embedding well-being into our company’s core values so it’s not just something I talk about but something everyone lives by.

A thought to leave you with

Here’s something to think about.

What if success wasn’t just about what you build, but how you build it?

Taking care of yourself and your team isn’t a distraction from your goals; it’s the key to reaching them and keeping them for the long haul.

When founders focus on well-being as much as growth, they create companies that don’t just survive, they thrive.

So, if you’re chasing big dreams, remember that you can build something that lasts by building yourself and your team up, not down. That’s the real win.

Additional reflections: Why this matters more than ever

In the startup world, the pressure to scale quickly and deliver results can be overwhelming.

According to Gallup, organisations with high employee engagement see 21 per cent higher profitability.

Up-skilling and continuous learning to the people who are willing to build and grow with you, are also critical.

The World Economic Forum reports that 50 per cent of all employees will need re-skilling by 2025 due to technological changes. Companies that foster a culture of learning not only retain talent but stay competitive.

Building a startup is a wild ride full of highs and lows.

By shifting how we think about work, leadership, and success, we can build companies that last—and lives that thrive.

That’s a journey worth taking.

If you want to chat more about bootstrapping or growing your business, just reach out.

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This might sound like a callout. But it’s really a call inward—to our team, and to any founder who’s ever needed to remind themselves what they’re fighting for.

For founders reading this, you know how important it is to align your team around a shared purpose. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when caught in daily challenges. Regular reminders about our core mission and why we started in the first place keep us aligned, resilient, and motivated.

Because when the road gets rough—and it will—what gets us through won’t just be funding or features. It’ll be our reason for fighting on.

“The most important thing a man can take into combat is a reason why,” 12 Strong, starring Chris Hemsworth.

That’s why I often try to bring the mission closer to home. Just last month, I asked a colleague: ‘Have you ever been scammed or misled? If you had a chance to do something about it, would you?’ He shared a story from his college days—he was young, in a foreign country, and had rented a small room. When he left, he returned it spotless, but the landlord refused to return his deposit. There was nothing he could do. No recourse, no fairness.

That feeling—that kind of helplessness isn’t unique to young renters—it’s baked into many broken systems. I couldn’t go back in time and help him, nor do I know enough about real estate to start (yet) a real estate platform, but I used that moment to bring him into the mission—because while we’re not solving housing, we are tackling the same kind of imbalance.

We’ve seen the hype cycles—blockchain, AI, and before that, growth hacking. It’s tempting to follow momentum. But hype fades. When the noise dies down and pressure sets in, only teams grounded in purpose keep showing up. Only teams that remember why they started keep going.

Also Read: The long game: How trust-based marketing creates sustainable growth in education

Purpose is your mental armour. It’s what stays when metrics disappoint, when the team is stretched, when you’re debugging something at two am asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?”

And for us, that answer has always been clear: rebuild trust in a space broken by many brokers and ‘comparison’ platforms.

These players often present themselves as helpful guides, but what they really do is muddy the waters. We’ve heard stories of people leaving thousands of dollars on the table, thinking they had actually compared and found the best offer.

A 2021 report by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority highlighted concerns about certain price comparison websites showing sponsored listings more prominently than better-suited products—creating the illusion of impartiality while nudging users toward providers who paid for placement. In one case, Compare the Market was fined over £17 million for using contract clauses that prevented insurers from offering lower prices on rival platform.

Brokers selectively push lenders that give them higher commissions—even if those options are objectively worse for borrowers. In fact, a 2024 class-action lawsuit against United Wholesale Mortgage alleges this exact practice: borrowers were steered into higher-cost loans, allegedly to benefit brokers and lenders at the borrower’s expense. The case involves hundreds of thousands of mortgages—UWM issued over US$39 billion in loans over three years, almost entirely through brokers who referred nearly all their business to them.

The issue isn’t unique to loans. In real estate, agents who represent both the buyer and seller—known as dual agency—have long faced criticism for conflicts of interest. In Singapore, the regulators had the foresight to ban it to prevent abuse since 2010, even though decades of loan brokering regulation exist in the US and UK, the loan brokering industry remains unregulated here.

Also Read: Leading through transformation: How CMOs and CEOs must evolve in the AI era

In insurance, some brokers push policies that pay them better commissions rather than what fits the client.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Supreme Court is weighing whether car buyers were misled by brokers who steered people into loans that paid them better, not ones that served the borrower best.

These are not just industry problems—they’re why we felt something needed to change.

When COVID-19 happened. Businesses rushed to seek financing. Homeowners looked to refinance. I saw peers cherry-picking clients, raising fees, prioritising those with bigger loan sizes. And I thought: Do I want to be deprioritised just because my loan is smaller? Should I pay a broker fee on top of all that—just to be seen?

That was the moment it became personal.

We started FindTheLoan because we saw too many SMEs and consumers misled, confused, or overwhelmed when they could least afford it. Our goal wasn’t just to digitise the process—it was to make it fairer.

This isn’t just about code or clean UI. It’s about restoring dignity in a system that forgot who it’s supposed to serve.

Every time we write a line of copy, push a product update, or debate a feature—we’re not just building a tool. We’re standing up for something.

That’s why this article exists. As a reminder to us and to other founders.

Because when you go into battle—features help, capital helps, but only your reason keeps you standing. And that reason, for us, is clear. If you’re building something today, ask yourself: do your team know why?

—

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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In Southeast Asia, startup growth is often measured in headcount: “we scaled from 20 to 200 in a year”, “we’re now in five countries with 300 CX reps”.

These milestones are celebrated like revenue achievements. But in 2025, this definition of scale is evolving and in some cases, becoming increasingly irrelevant.

As AI becomes cheaper, faster, and more effective, the startups scaling through people instead of intelligence are locking themselves into an operational trap. Because the next wave of growth in SEA won’t be about headcount. It’ll be about agent-count.

The headcount illusion

To illustrate how efficiency can vary dramatically, some external analyses have used revenue per employee as a rough proxy for operational leverage. While it’s not a formal metric used by the companies themselves, it offers useful directional insight: 

• Grab reported US$291,718 in revenue per employee as of Q4 2023.
• Sea Ltd, the parent of Shopee and Garena, posted US$208,293 per employee on a trailing twelve-month basis.

At first glance, these are solid regional benchmarks. But contrast them with US-based peers:

• Asana, a mid-stage B2B SaaS platform, generates US$406,100 per employee.
• Uber, a direct business model peer to Grab, earns an astonishing US$1.46 million per employee.

While business models, market size, and stages of growth apply, the data does suggest a structural divergence between SEA and US companies. Many US tech companies are operating with far greater efficiency. Why? They are leaning into AI-first workflows and automation much earlier in their growth curve. From intelligent routing and dynamic pricing to AI-based sales enablement and customer support, their focus is not just on scaling teams but on scaling capabilities.

Also Read: Invest in women, accelerate progress: Why gender equality matters now more than ever

SEA, by contrast, still relies on the legacy playbook of “more markets = more hires”. It’s human-heavy, cost-inefficient, and quickly becoming obsolete. 

The cost no one talks about

Founders often justify team expansion with the phrase: “Talent is still cheap here.” That’s only half true. While wages in markets like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia remain lower than the US or Europe, the hidden costs of labor such as onboarding, churn, supervision, miscommunication are adding up fast. This is especially true as inflation persists, and currency volatility affects purchasing power, and talent expectations continue to shift post-pandemic.

Many of these teams remain stuck doing routine, low-impact work.

According to Salesforce, the average sales rep spends just 28 per cent of their time actually selling. The rest? Updating CRMs, sending repetitive emails, data entry, chasing internal approvals. That’s nearly US$68K per rep annually wasted on tasks that could easily be automated.

The case for AI-first reams

At FlashIntel, we build AI agents that replace repetitive sales and CX workflows such as dialling, scheduling, qualifying, even holding full voice conversations with prospects.

In one deployment with a mid-sized SEA company, replacing part of their SDR function with AI agents led to:

• 3x more meetings booked
• 40 per cent reduction in OPEX
• Zero training time for new agents (they scale instantly)

And unlike humans, agents don’t take breaks, don’t churn, and work across time zones with perfect compliance.

This isn’t a hypothetical future. It’s already working across Japan, Singapore, and parts of the Philippines where we’re deploying multilingual agents that blend cultural nuance with automation scale.

Why SEA is vulnerable but also poised to leapfrog

Here’s the paradox: SEA’s lower labor cost makes it tempting to delay AI adoption. Founders think, “Why automate when I can hire five more reps?”

But that’s a trap. Because while you’re adding headcount, global competitors are adding compute. And the next time you go head-to-head in a sales cycle or fundraising pitch, they’ll win on margins, not muscle.

Also Read:AI for the real world: SEA’s cost-efficient playbook is winning investors over

That said, SEA also has a unique opportunity to leapfrog.

• It’s home to high-context, high-friction customer environments, making it the perfect testbeds for AI agents that handle nuance.
• Governments like Singapore are actively supporting AI up-skilling, retraining, and digital transformation.
• And founders here are often more adaptable, operating in resource-constrained environments that reward creativity over brute force.

From vanity scale to smart scale

So what should SEA founders do?

• Audit your org: How much of your OPEX is tied up in repetitive human workflows?
• Run agent pilots: Test AI agents in low-risk areas like lead qualification or appointment setting.
• Reframe success: Stop measuring your growth in headcount. Start measuring it in output per human or output per agent.
• Retrain, don’t replace: Empower your existing team to supervise, manage, and enhance AI agent workflows.

The shift isn’t about firing people. It’s about replacing the parts of their job that are low-value so they can focus on what matters: closing deals, building relationships, and thinking strategically.

Final thought: 10 smart agents > 100 average hires

If your 2025 strategy still relies on building large teams, you’re building yesterday’s company.

The best SEA founders are rethinking scale—not by adding more people, but by multiplying their effectiveness. It’s not about working harder. It’s about building an AI-first team that scales smarter.

Because the next SEA unicorn won’t be the one with the biggest team. It’ll be the one with the smartest agents.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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The widespread adoption of generative AI is dramatically changing the software development landscape. Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT now assist developers in generating code, automating documentation, and reducing the time needed to test and deploy.

While this has sparked concern about the future of developer jobs, the reality is more nuanced. AI is not replacing developers; it is redefining what development looks like. And for CEOs and executive teams, this shift requires a proactive transformation in how organisations are structured, how products are built, and how leadership guides innovation.

AI accelerates execution, it doesn’t replace human judgment

Generative AI is exceptional at automating repetitive tasks. It can generate boilerplate code, run unit tests, and optimise snippets quickly. However, these outputs lack a deep understanding of product context or user intent. Software development is not only about writing clean code; it is about solving complex problems, designing scalable systems, and delivering value aligned with business goals.

Developers provide critical insights that AI cannot replicate, such as understanding customer needs, prioritising functionality based on product vision, and making architectural decisions that support long-term growth. Human judgment, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration remain irreplaceable in the software lifecycle.

Faster development requires operational realignment

AI tools are significantly accelerating development cycles, enabling teams to move from ideation to prototype in a fraction of the time. But this technical efficiency is only meaningful if the rest of the organisation can keep up. Many companies still operate under outdated delivery models—with slow stakeholder approvals, fixed sprint lengths, and rigid release plans.

Also Read: Vibe coding: Why Singapore needs more tech built for joy, not just utility

As coding becomes faster, decision-making must also speed up. CEOs must reexamine how teams are structured and how feedback flows across departments. Empowering product owners, reducing process friction, and adopting lightweight documentation are essential steps in matching the pace of AI-driven delivery.

Developer roles are evolving, and so must hiring strategies

AI is not eliminating developers; it’s changing the nature of their contributions. Entry-level engineers now have access to powerful copilots that help them deliver value earlier in their careers. Senior engineers are focusing more on architecture, AI supervision, and integrating components across systems.

In addition, new roles such as prompt engineers, AI quality reviewers, and AI workflow architects are emerging. These shifts require companies to rethink how they hire, train, and manage talent. Technical skills alone are no longer sufficient: critical thinking, product intuition, and AI fluency are now essential for modern development teams to thrive.

AI-driven development requires CEO-led strategic change

Successfully adopting AI is not just about tools or processes—it’s about leadership. CEOs must drive a company-wide mindset shift toward AI integration.

This includes investing in team education, updating key performance metrics, and embedding experimentation into the development process. Up-skilling is especially important—not only for developers, but also for designers, QA testers, and product managers.

Leadership must also define clear guidelines for ethical AI usage, data governance, and intellectual property protection. Without executive-level sponsorship, these changes risk being fragmented or misaligned. CEOs need to lead this transformation with clarity, speed, and a long-term vision.

Also Read: Decoding roles: A guide to the varied job titles within a VC firm

What CEOs risk by maintaining the status quo

Organisations that resist change or treat AI as an optional enhancement are at risk of falling behind. AI is levelling the playing field—startups and lean teams are now able to build and iterate at speeds previously reserved for enterprise-level companies.

If your team still relies on slow approval cycles, rigid silos, or outdated delivery frameworks, AI won’t be your competitive edge—it’ll be your competitors’. The threat isn’t that AI will replace your developers; it’s that teams who embrace AI will outperform yours in speed, experimentation, and market responsiveness.

Conclusion

AI is transforming software development at every level—from how code is written to how teams are structured and how products go to market. Developers remain essential, but the expectations placed on them are changing. CEOs must recognise that this is not a temporary trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how value is created through technology.

To stay ahead, leadership must guide this transformation actively, with a clear strategy for talent, process, and innovation. The companies that thrive will not be those with the most AI tools, but those with the strongest alignment between leadership vision, team agility, and technological integration.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Southeast Asia’s startups are rewriting the playbook on team building. In 2025, remote-first work and AI tools are no longer just pandemic measures; they’re strategic game-changers. From Manila to Ho Chi Minh City, founders say the shift isn’t just about where people work, but how and why.

In this human-centric transformation, flexibility and empathy are as important as tech.

Driven by cutting costs and winning talent, many SEA startups now view remote-first as a deliberate growth strategy. A recent analysis finds that 74 per cent of CFOs worldwide plan to permanently move at least five per cent of their workforce to remote roles, and SEA companies report 15–30 per cent savings in rent and overhead when they scrap the office.

One founder observes that without an HQ to maintain, “remote-first can free up budget for product, hiring, and growth”. These savings are often reinvested in people and tech: better hiring tools, stronger pipelines, and up-skilling with AI.

Key benefits of remote-first:

Wider talent access across SEA, big cost cuts, and more flexible schedules. For example, Rainforest, a Singapore-based e-commerce platform, has built distributed teams in Malaysia, China, Taiwan, the Philippines and beyond. As CEO, JJ Chai notes, being “remote-first” lets Rainforest tap diverse skills and local market insight while staying lean and agile.

Opportunities:

Remote-first means hiring beyond borders, remote-friendly hubs like Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia now top global nomad charts. Your new engineer or marketer could be anywhere in SEA (or the world), fluent in asynchronous tools and eager for flexible work.

Pitfalls:

Time zone gaps and isolation can loom. Burnout is real, one study found 76 per cent of employees feel job burnout at least sometimes, and 63 per cent of SEA workers report chronic stress. Without care, “always-on” expectations may creep into a remote culture.

Building trust and clarity

A true remote-first culture isn’t just working from home (WFH); it’s a mindset. Teams replace oversight with autonomy and outcomes.

For instance, one SEA fintech ditched endless Zoom calls in favour of a simple daily Slack check-in: “What did I do yesterday? What’s today’s focus? Any blockers?” This ritual cuts meeting fatigue and lets staff focus on results.

Across startups, the secret is documentation and asynchronous collaboration. Notes, shared task boards, and backlog docs become the single source of truth. As a tech leader put it, remote work requires new accountability: instead of tracking hours, we measure outcomes.

“Did you hit your milestones? Did you document your process? These became our metrics for success,” says Nicola Sahar, former CEO of a remote healthcare startup. He stresses that remote hires must be “adults”, i.e. experienced, proactive people who own their work. He shares that his own output jumped 30–50 per cent working from home, thanks to fewer interruptions. But he warns that remote work needs “clear, documented guidelines” for process and decision-making.

Also Read: How to retain local talent as global demand for remote tech workers surges

In practice, successful teams lean on tools (Slack, Notion, Jira, Miro, etc.) not just for chat, but to record plans, decisions, and feedback asynchronously. This way, everyone – across cities or time zones – is aligned on goals and feels supported.

Talent without borders

Remote-first lets SEA startups think regional (or global) from day one. Without an office constraint, a Jakarta startup can recruit a Bangkok engineer, and a Singapore fintech can hire a Manila designer. This vastly expands the talent pool and brings in varied perspectives.

It also changes hiring priorities: many companies now screen for communication skills and self-motivation, not just tech chops. For example, Rainforest notes that recruiting across Asia yielded employees who “understand Western consumer trends” and local supply chains, a combination that its old, more local hiring couldn’t match.

Governments are even catching up. Malaysia and Singapore now mandate formal requests for flexible work, and co-working chains like Malaysia’s WORQ make it easy to plug in near home or transit hubs. These trends signal that SEA is embracing new work styles.

Digital nomad visas and hot-desking communities across Malaysia and Indonesia also help – they keep remote workers connected to real communities rather than isolated at home. This bridge between online and offline can be vital: even the most committed remote company admits some things need face time. High Five’s founder still schedules occasional in-person retreats for brainstorming and bonding, which is indeed the biggest challenge to replicate online.

Balancing tech and wellbeing

Even as they adopt AI and remote tools, SEA founders still talk a lot about people. Many leaders are conscious of the fact that there’s a major report of mental health struggles, like anxiety or burnout. They understand that entrepreneurship’s pressure can be soul-crushing without support.

This is why empathy is a byword in hiring and management. Teams often build in flexibility (no-strike zone at night, no-email weekends) and share EAP resources or peer-support groups. The goal is to empower, not exhaust, the team.

Also Read: How to manage your remote team?

Remote work can improve well-being, giving people more time with family, room to exercise, and freedom from long commutes. Every team member now enjoys “more time for what matters most” (home-cooked meals, gym sessions, family time) thanks to remote hours. But the responsibility should also be noted: without central oversight, managers must be intentional about connection.

Weekly one-on-ones, social chats on Slack, and transparent feedback keep remote staff feeling seen. Coworking events or occasional hackathons (even virtually) are used to nurture a sense of belonging. In other words, leaders steer remote cultures with human care, recognising burnout signals and ensuring people get breaks and social support.

Key risks to address:

Isolation, “always-on” fatigue, and loneliness. A Slack or WhatsApp culture can blur work boundaries, so smart teams enforce unplugged hours. They also remember: async work doesn’t mean “no check-ins.” Regular video calls or team huddles (even brief) help employees decompress and feel valued. Flexible policies, such as no-questions day offs or mental health days, are now common at progressive SEA startups.

A tech-enabled, human-led future

AI and remote work tools are transforming how SEA startups operate, but the winning edge still comes from people. As JJ Chai of Rainforest explains, they’ve used AI to boost output without cutting headcount, doing “a lot more with the same team size and less investment”.

He expects basic AI skills (like using ChatGPT) will become as universal as Excel proficiency. Yet the “human layer of judgment” remains irreplaceable: founders know that machines can help draft content or answer customers, but a team’s creativity, empathy and trust can’t be automated away.

In Southeast Asia’s fast-evolving startup scene, then, remote-first is a means, not an end. By combining smart tools with intentional culture, founders are rethinking leadership for the AI era: inclusive hiring, clear communication, and an uncompromising focus on well-being.

The region’s entrepreneurs seem to agree that ambition and balance must go hand in hand. With that people-first philosophy steering their remote-first experiments, SEA startups are well-positioned to thrive in the age of AI, together.

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In the early days of building BioChromatographix international (BCI), I stood at a familiar crossroads – one I have seen many biotech innovators reach. We had something powerful in our hands: a scientific breakthrough with the potential to shift how virus purification was done. The data was strong. The technology, sound. But the question that kept me up at night wasn’t about the science, it was about the market.

Would anyone use it? Would it fit into the complex realities of biomanufacturing? Could we scale it in a GMP environment, and would procurement teams see its value?

Far too often in early-stage biotech, science is pursued in a vacuum, without anchoring it to the market’s needs, constraints, and realities. That’s a lesson I learned not in a single moment, but over years of navigating the trenches of pharmaceutical commercialisation. It is what shaped how we built BCI from the ground up – not just to innovate but to resonate.

My name is Chervee Ho, CEO and Co-Founder of BCI. I was born and raised in Malaysia and later moved to Singapore to pursue my career in the Life Sciences industry. After graduation, I worked in several multinational pharmaceutical companies, where I learned to bridge science with market commercialisation strategy. That experience grounded me, but it was the desire to make a deeper impact that led me to co-found BCI.

Startups are born from bold dreams and mine was no different. I knew that if I wanted to see more science make it into the hands of the people who need it, I couldn’t just support innovation from the sidelines—I had to be in the arena. Building a company from scratch is a leap of faith. It’s risky, uncertain, and demanding. But it’s also incredibly meaningful. I dared greatly because I believed that science with purpose can and must change the world.

More than that, I wanted to build something bigger than myself. A place where diverse skills and perspectives come together, where everyone feels part of a larger mission, and where talent isn’t just hired—it’s cultivated. I believe in growing the people we bring in, helping them stretch beyond what they thought possible. Because when individuals grow, the company grows with them.

This article is a reflection of that journey. It’s about the lessons I’ve learned, the people I’ve worked with, and the belief that biotech success doesn’t come from science alone—it comes from commercial clarity, courageous decisions, and building teams that dare to dream, build, and lead.

Where scientific ingenuity meets market reality

Scientific founders in bioprocessing often excel at solving deep technical problems. They know how to build, test, and validate cutting-edge technologies like monolithic chromatography columns. But commercialising these technologies is a different challenge altogether.

Time and again, I’ve seen brilliant scientists design elegant solutions for purifying plasmids, AAVs, or exosomes—only to face silence from the market. Not because the products lacked innovation, but because they lacked positioning. Without a commercialisation strategy, even the most advanced tools struggle to move beyond the lab bench.

This disconnect is more common than most realise. In a field driven by data and precision, commercial development is often treated as a secondary function—something to address later. But by then, it’s often too late.

Also Read: Asia’s biotech boom: Innovation, investment, and a new era of discovery

Commercial thinking isn’t just sales, it’s strategic direction

Commercial leadership isn’t about handing out brochures or setting price points. It’s about ensuring the product is built for a real need, fits within existing workflows, and delivers value that resonates across technical and procurement teams alike. It involves:

• Understanding competitive landscapes and market entry barriers
• Anticipating customer pain points and operational requirements
• Shaping product features with adoption and scalability in mind
• Building compelling value propositions that speak to stakeholders at every level

These were the questions we asked from the very beginning. Not as an afterthought, but as a guiding principle.

Building with the end user in mind

When we began developing our Next-Generation Monolithic Chromatography Media, we knew we weren’t just building a product—we were crafting an experience. We created AXISFLOW, our flagship product portfolio designed to set a new standard in virus purification. AXISFLOW wasn’t just about advanced chemistry—it was about commercial usability, designed to meet the demanding needs of pDNA, AAV, LV, mRNA, VLP, bacteriophage and exosome purification at scale.

That meant thinking about the small things that often go unnoticed: the clarity of our documentation, the compatibility with downstream workflows, the design of our packaging, and the training materials customers would need.

We also factored in the critical requirements of GMP manufacturing environments. From the robustness of our materials to the reproducibility of our column performance, everything was designed to integrate seamlessly into highly regulated bioprocessing settings. That foresight helps de-risk our technology for customers navigating compliance demands.

We knew that designing for GMP isn’t just about meeting standards—it’s about building trust. Collaborators need confidence that your innovation can scale safely, reliably, and in compliance with regulatory expectations.

Choosing the right collaborators is so essential. Whether it’s pilot facilities, beta testers, or co-development partners, working with strategic allies who understand both science and commercialisation makes all the difference. Collaboration isn’t just about access—it’s about alignment. Are you solving the same problems? Do you share a vision for impact? Are roles and expectations clear from the start? Having this clarity enables smoother execution, better problem-solving, and stronger relationships.

Collaboration also includes working alongside partners who bring different expertise to the table. Scientists, marketers, regulatory experts, engineers, and customer-facing teams each see different angles of the same challenge. Leveraging that diversity requires thoughtful communication, mutual respect, and a commitment to a shared goal.

We also invested early in intellectual property—filing patents that would not only protect our innovations, but signal to partners and investors that we’re serious about long-term value. IP isn’t just a legal asset—it’s a strategic one. It gives you leverage in partnerships, safeguards your differentiation, and reinforces your credibility in the eyes of stakeholders.

And equally important choosing the right people to join your team. Having commercially minded scientists, adaptable engineers, and business development professionals from the outset ensures you’re building with purpose. A great idea needs great execution—and that means having a team that understands both science and market dynamics.

These decisions—on manufacturing, collaboration, IP, and team—don’t just enhance usability. They accelerate adoption. And in an industry where every delay can impact a customer’s production timeline, that speed matters.

The power of being commercially prepared

Today’s bioprocessing landscape is evolving rapidly. The rise of gene therapies, mRNA platforms, and personalised medicine is shifting how biologics are produced—and purified. Speed, scalability, and regulatory readiness are now as critical as performance.

In this dynamic environment, startups must think beyond product innovation. They need a commercial mindset that informs how the product is designed, how it is tested, how it is introduced to the market, and how it will grow.

Also Read: Is a career in biotech right for you?

Being commercially prepared means anticipating customer requirements early, aligning with purchasing and operational expectations, and being ready to scale manufacturing to meet demand. It’s about having a clear roadmap, aligning your product vision with operational feasibility, and equipping your team to navigate complexity from day one.

Startups that embed commercial readiness into their DNA stand out. They build solutions that are easier to adopt, easier to trust, and ultimately, easier to scale. And that preparation opens doors to better partnerships, faster revenue, and stronger investor confidence.

It’s not enough to ask, “Does it work?” The real question is, “Will customers choose it—and keep choosing it?”

Lessons from experience

My background in pharmaceutical commercialisation gave me a front-row seat to what happens when promising therapies meet market complexity. I’ve worked on cross-border launches, market access strategies, and lifecycle management plans. And I’ve seen how even the best innovations can falter without a commercialisation plan.

Those experiences shaped how we built BCI. My co-founder, Scott Wheelwright, Chairman & CTO brought decades of manufacturing and regulatory expertise. I brought the market lens—asking what the customer journey would look like, how to position ourselves credibly, and how to scale sustainably. It was this blend of science and strategy that became our foundation.

 The strength of diverse leadership

Being a female co-founder in biotech has given me a unique vantage point. There’s something powerful about building in spaces where you’re not always expected—and using that perspective to bring empathy, creativity, and resilience into leadership.

I’ve always believed that innovation thrives when diverse voices are at the table. Commercial leadership, too, benefits from this diversity—of thought, background, and approach. It pushes us to see gaps others miss, and to build solutions that reflect the complexity of the world we serve.

Embedding commercial thinking: A timely reminder for biotech founders

If you’re a scientist building a biotech startup, here’s what I encourage you to consider:

• Don’t treat commercialisation as a phase. Make it a mindset.
• Partner with someone who brings commercial depth—not just to sell, but to shape.
• Choose your collaborators wisely—and be strategic about how you work together.
• Select a founding team that brings balanced perspectives in science, operations, and commercial execution.
• Invite market conversations early. The sooner you engage real users, the better your product will become.
• Protect your innovation with a strong IP strategy. It’s part of your commercial foundation.

Also Read: How biotech is changing the global agriculture game for investors

And if you’re someone who loves the business side of biotech—strategy, operations, customer engagement—know that your skills are not only relevant, but essential. The future of our industry depends on it.

Turning innovation into impact

We set out to do more than build chromatography media. We set out to build a company that could navigate both the science and the system—where innovation meets implementation.

Our AXISFLOW portfolio is a reflection of that mission—engineered for efficiency, built with purpose, and ready for the real world of biomanufacturing.

As someone who enjoys writing, reading, sharing, and growing with others in the field, I hope this piece adds perspective to your journey. Commercial thinking isn’t a barrier to science—it’s what helps science thrive beyond the bench.

Let’s bring more ideas to market by building commercial strength from the very beginning.

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Startups are born out of ambition and necessity — lean teams, limited resources, and aggressive goals. As a result, hustle culture dominates early-stage life: late nights, overflowing spreadsheets, and never-ending to-do lists.

I’ve been in operations for over 15 years, and I get it. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Hustling harder doesn’t scale. Automating smarter does.

In my work at Riche Mentor, I help professionals and founders eliminate hours of manual work through simple, smart workflow automation — often using tools they already have access to like Excel, Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable.

And the ROI is immediate: What took days now takes minutes. What caused burnout now becomes repeatable. What seemed like chaos becomes a system.

The common startup trap: Tool paralysis

Ironically, startups — especially tech founders — have access to an endless buffet of tools. Yet many are stuck in “tool paralysis”: trying dozens of platforms, switching constantly, and spending more time onboarding than executing.

My philosophy, which I dive into in my book The Difference Between Monkey and Man is Tools, is simple: Tools aren’t meant to complicate your work. They’re meant to liberate your time.

You don’t need a dozen premium subscriptions to scale operations. What you need is a clear workflow — built with intention and clarity — using tools that actually fit your business stage and team capacity.

Where most founders waste time

Whether I’m working with a solopreneur or a startup team of 10, I repeatedly see these bottlenecks:

• Endless copy-pasting between sheets, CRMs, and reports
• Weekly manual updates for dashboards and sales trackers
• Inefficient onboarding or project tracking systems cobbled together with emails and PDFs
• Founders doing work that can and should be delegated to systems

The fix? Build workflows that don’t need you. If your presence is the glue holding everything together, you’re not building a company — you’re babysitting a task list.

What automation actually looks like (and doesn’t)

Let’s clear up a common misconception: automation doesn’t mean you need to code or hire a developer.

Real-world automation looks like this:

• An Excel dashboard that auto-updates when you enter client data
• A Notion CRM template that sends follow-up emails with one click
• Google Forms that feed directly into a project tracker with no manual touch
• Airtable bases that alert you when key tasks are due

None of this is rocket science. But it is game-changing.

At Riche Mentor, I often turn a process that used to take six hours per week into one that takes 30 minutes — sometimes less. And that extra time? It’s reinvested into strategy, growth, or even just space to breathe.

Also Read: How AI and automation can shape the future of farms

The three principles of workflow sanity

For any startup team looking to regain time and sanity, here are 3 principles I swear by:

• Document before you digitise

Don’t rush into buying tools. First, map out your process on paper or whiteboard. Know what you need to track and why it matters. Only then pick the tool that fits.

• Automate the routine, not the human

Not everything should be automated. Keep your creativity and customer conversations human. But automate everything that’s predictable: data entry, reminders, status updates.

• Build systems that train people

If your system is so complex that only you understand it, it’s not a system — it’s a trap. Build workflows that are simple enough for a new team member to learn within a day.

You don’t need to be a tech founder to build smart workflows

Many of my clients aren’t coders or engineers. They’re marketers, HR professionals, solopreneurs — people drowning in inefficiency. What they share in common is a desire to work better.

I wrote my book as a wake-up call. The real separator between survival and scaling isn’t just passion — it’s leverage. Tools give you that leverage. Not because they’re flashy, but because they free your mind for better work.

Final thoughts

If you’re a founder building something important, don’t burn yourself out trying to “do it all.” Step back and ask: What can I systemise? What can I automate? What can I teach a tool to do for me?

That shift in mindset is what takes you from fire-fighting to future-building.

And in case you’re still unsure, just remember: The difference between monkey and man is tools.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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It’s often said that AI will not replace people, but people who know how to use AI will replace people who don’t. In this sense, AI is surprisingly like the tractor. The tractor did not replace farmers, but farmers who knew how to use the tractor replaced those who did not.

Many such examples abound throughout the history of technology. Computers did not replace animators, but animators who knew how to use computers replaced those who did not.

This brings us to an important realisation: It’s in this age of AI that people matter more than ever.

Is your organisation or startup making its people feel valued, so that they will stay, be motivated, and help you succeed? Or are you treating them as interchangeable cogs in a wheel?

What are some of the things a leader can do to ensure that the people in their organisation are valued?

Create emotional safety

Ensuring a nurturing work culture is not a matter of having bean bags and foosball tables around. It is about creating emotional safety. This requires an environment where all perspectives can be floated without fear of career or interpersonal repercussions. Even something blasphemous like “I don’t think we should spend so much on AI” should be acceptable.

“This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

If you’ve ever said this, or a variant of this, around a meeting table, you have landed a blow to the psychological safety of your teammates. They will never again feel safe enough to express their true opinions on something. Groupthink will soon pervade your organisation. Everyone will consolidate in the direction of the wrong goals like the proverbial lemmings. And your organisation will soon join the ranks of many that failed and entered the ash heap of history.

Also Read: Startup investment in SEA sees modest uptick from May, but still trails 2024

I once worked with a highly resourceful junior employee who was full of great ideas. But she soon lost interest in coming up with those ideas, because she found that the leaders of the company were regularly ridiculing her ideas and not even considering them worth exploring. Soon, she left the company. While this is anecdotal, this is a scenario that will sound sadly familiar to many readers.

Having free kombuchas in your pantry will not provide the psychological safety your employees seek. Having secure leaders who invite diverse opinions will.

Reward results, not the clock

It’s true that organisations, particularly in their startup phase, often require long hours. The world ain’t gonna change itself, after all. But let the work dictate the hours, not the other way round where work expands to fill the time.

Do not fall into the old bureaucratic trap of watching the clock and penalising those occasions when someone is genuinely unavailable. Stop calling it a half-day when your employees leave at 6pm. Better still, let them bounce at 4pm when they have to, such as for their kid’s school game or to take their pet to the vet.

In short, don’t be one of the stuffy bureaucrats we hear about in dystopian science fiction. Let each employee’s results dictate how they are rewarded (or not).This is particularly important at a time when more teams are remote, and more organisations tap into fractional and freelance talent.

According to Singapore’s Business Times, a third of employers are increasing their reliance on contract and flexi-work hires. This makes it increasingly vital for employers to trust their fractional and freelance workers to deliver results without micro-management.

Adding a further layer of complexity is that these collaborations are often across geographical boundaries. Considering vast time differences, leaders should get used to an asynchronous way of working, where some workers will do their part when other workers are fast asleep.

Also Read: How blockchain can help combat ongoing fraud in the Halal food industry in SEA

Enable training opportunities

With AI looming large, your employees are not going to acquire the necessary skills by telepathy or osmosis. Help them find training opportunities to equip themselves for AI, Web3 and other emerging spaces.

Just as an example, sponsor courses for them, and get them paid plans for AI tools such as Midjourney and Dall-E. Invite guest speakers. Organise networking events for professionals with relevant skills.

In South East Asia, governments are making it easier to find AI training opportunities. Vietnam launched its “AI for All” initiative in April 2025 to train not just students but also working professionals and even senior citizens in AI.

Singapore announced in May 2025 that it will make 800 training opportunities and 500 new projects available to train AI professionals. Thailand’s National AI Committee announced in May 2025 that it is aiming for AI literacy for 10 million people and to produce 90,000 AI professionals and 50,000 AI developers in two years.

Whichever option you pursue, the fact remains that you need to cultivate new skills in your employees so that your organisation is future-proof. Remember the meme where one person asks, “What happens if you teach new skills to your employees and they leave?” and the other person replies, “What happens if you don’t, and they stay?”

Conclusion

By creating emotional safety for all your people to express their true feelings, rewarding them for their results and not for the sheer number of hours they put in, and facilitating training opportunities, you will be able to recruit, nurture and retain winning teams that help you not just survive but thrive in the age of AI.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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