Martin Tang, Co-Founder and Partner at Genesis Alternative Ventures
As an alternative fundraising tool, venture debt has gained traction in Southeast Asia. Singapore-based Genesis Alternative Ventures, which launched its second fund with a target of US$150 million in August, is one of the leading companies in this space. Japan’s Aozora Bank is one of Genesis’s investors.
Genesis was co-founded by Martin Tang, who has strong business development professional skills in corporate finance, working capital, venture debt, private equity, and financial modelling. Before founding Genesis in 2018, Tang was Vice President at DBS Bank and previously held the Associate role at Standard Chartered Bank. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Curtin University.
Tang speaks at Echelon Asia 2022, to be held in Singapore from October 27-28.
In this conversation, Tang shares why offline events like Echelon are crucial for the region’s startup ecosystem.
Excerpts:
Offline events are making a comeback. Do you think they are relevant in the new post-COVID era? Why?
Offline events are coming because they are relevant and fill our innate need to connect with each other. We have all missed the spark of inspiration from seemingly causal conversations over lunch, waiting at lift lobbies or the water cooler.
How startup events like Echelon are important when the world is going through a tough investment climate. What do you expect from Echelon?
Events like these are even more important during tough times because there is strength in unity. There is an African proverb: “‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’. When people get together, we can encourage each other to keep going and provide support.
I look forward to many meaningful conversations leading to collaborations during the event.
How does Genesis help its portfolio companies tackle the current crisis? Have you become more prudent and cautious when it comes to investing?
In addition to deploying capital to our portfolio companies, we constantly value add by making strategic introductions to expert networks, other founders and investors.
Also Read: ‘Economic crises become less important when investing with a longer-term mindset’: Qin En Looi
We are laser-focused on ensuring that companies have sustainable businesses with strong unit economics. Some CFOs are grateful to us for helping them enforce financial discipline. We continue to seek potential portfolio companies to add to our stable actively.
Many Japanese investors are now turning their focus on Southeast Asia. Is it because Japan’s potential has already been tapped, or does SEA present better opportunities?
Japanese investors have always been focused on Southeast Asia — in construction, infrastructure, automotive, etc. The potential in Southeast Asia is huge, and investing in the startup ecosystem here is an extension of their thesis.
How do Japan’s startups tide over the current crisis compared with their counterparts in Southeast Asia?
I believe it would be the same as any other startup in SEA: Cut costs, raise capital, preserve cash flow, and ensure strong unit economics to tide over this turbulent period.
Why sustainability and climate tech are important in Southeast Asia?
It is not just important for Southeast Asia but for everyone in general. While making a return is important for all businesses, doing it sustainably is equally important.
Also Read: Nothing can truly replace the offline element of community building: Yinglan Tan
The opportunity for climate tech in Southeast Asia is a large one, given our vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Most major cities here are coastal ones and, therefore, vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change. So it has gone from merely being a buzzword to something in urgent need of action.
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Echelon 2022 aims to provide intimate and focused discussions on key topics and business matching services to facilitate business-driven connections during the two-day event. e27 will curate and invite key stakeholders of startups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem enablers to drive towards fruitful business outcomes at Echelon. The event will be co-located with SWITCH at Resorts World Sentosa from 27 to 28 October 2022.
We are looking for top-notch speakers for the 2022 edition to join our line-up of speakers, such as Steve Melhuish (Co-Founder, PropertyGuru), Yinglan Tan (Insignia Ventures Partners), Looi Qin En (Saison Capital), Aaron Tan (Carro), Aaron Sharma (Scaleup Malaysia), Carmen Yuen (Vertex Ventures), Shao-Ning Huang (AngelCentral), and Grace Sai (Unravel Carbon).
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