I’m Singaporean, born and raised.
Hi everyone, Gideon here. In the long term, I look forward to contributing to the SME and startup space in Singapore as an Enterprise Singapore Scholar after completing my Economics & Management course at Oxford. In the meantime, I hope to immerse myself in the regional startup ecosystem before entering university.
Thus far, interning at Saison Capital and volunteering at Shaper Impact Capital and UNDP Cambodia’s Bluetribe Incubator has enabled me to confirm and nurture my interest in this space. VC work is mostly about information acquisition and processing. Outside work, I enjoy swimming, running, and watching movies.
I came from a STEM background, was heavily involved in science research, and previously wanted to be a clinician researcher. Business, startups and VC was something at the back of my mind, a close second behind STEM. As you can probably tell, things are quite different now.
Founders are often driven, energetic, and excited about the problem they are solving. Naturally, I find it fun to meet and work with them‒ their energy rubs off on you. Besides that, I love the constant exposure to new ideas and innovation. Working with startups provides the opportunity to get a peek into the future.
I love that Accelerating Asia and the team cares about impact. While I intrinsically enjoy being part of the startup and VC ecosystem, investing with an impact lens gives additional value and meaning to our work. As I join their open and friendly team, I hope to learn and contribute as much as I can.
I’m looking forward to helping with and gaining insights into working with Limited Partners. When asked about VCs, most people would think about capital deployment and startup due diligence. I am interested to learn more about the other side of the table: how VCs work with LPs.
Moreover, I hope to get a behind-the-scenes look at the operational machinery of an accelerator program. In particular, I am excited to see how Accelerating Asia works, given its unique structure with an accelerator, fund and consultancy service.
I have received this piece of advice from multiple people I respect: constantly find ways to add value to others, and do so without expecting anything in return. Take the step to approach, meet, and get to know people in the ecosystem. In each interaction, think of how you can help or value add, not of what you can gain. This would allow you to learn and form authentic relationships. Over time, you would naturally find yourself embedded into the ecosystem.
Accelerating Asia invests in startups with scalable technology solutions and revenue generating business models that combine purpose with profit.
In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of startups and the terms of the investment including the merits and risks involved. Prospective investors should not construe this content as legal, tax, investment, financial or accounting advice.
