"I recently had an experience where one of our companies was acquired by an Abu Dhabi incorporated business. I expected this to be a very seamless process, but it's been months and the transaction is still not done. There's a KYC requirement that is kind of above and beyond any other KYC we've ever seen. This is a small company, so this poor founder is running around to all these angels and small funds saying, 'I need this 9th level of KYC.' We've gone back and forth with the lawyers, asking, 'Hey, what's your goal? Instead of just trying to check every box, how do we get this done?' But they're like, 'No, this is just required.' So, I think there's a mismatch between the marketing message and the actual on-the-ground reality of how you do business." - Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund" - Shiyan Koh
"Every Singaporean dreams of buying a home in Johor Bahru and renting out their Singapore residence. It makes sense when you consider the broader picture. Singapore boasts a strong capital stack, advanced technology, and a highly skilled workforce. Meanwhile, Johor is rapidly developing its infrastructure. Together, the synergy between the two regions is greater than their individual contributions, creating a compelling alternative for multinational corporations. These companies, previously focused on Vietnam and Indonesia within the China Plus One strategy, might find a combined Johor-Singapore industrial park especially attractive, given that many MNC headquarters are based in Singapore.” - Jeremy Au, Host of BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast." - Shiyan Koh
"It's one thing to have the marketing message, but it's another thing to actually execute against that. I recently had an experience where one of our companies got acquired by an Abu Dhabi incorporated business. I expected this to be a very seamless process. But it's been months, and the transaction is still not done because there's some KYC requirement that is kind of above and beyond any other KYC we've ever seen. This is like a small company, and so this poor founder is running around to all these angels and small funds to be like, 'I need this 9th level of KYC.' We've gone back and forth with the lawyers, been like, 'Hey, what's your goal? Instead of just trying to check every box, what's your goal? How do we get this done?' And they're like, 'No, this is just required.' So, I think there's a mismatch between the marketing message and the actual on-the-ground, like how do you do business." - Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund" - Shiyan Koh
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks with Jeremy Au on Singapore: Johor Special Economic Zone, US anti-China reverse CFIUS, and regional trade diversification with Shiyan Koh.
Keywords: Singapore, Johor Special Economic Zone, US Anti-China Reverse CFIUS, Regional Trade Diversification, Shiyan Koh, Singapore, Malaysia, VC, Thought Leadership
