Entrepreneurs are one of

humanity’s greatest catalysts

for

positive change.

OUR WHY

It's our guiding belief that entrepreneurs are catalysts for positive change that drives the team to support and invest in startups from across the region. For us it’s not just about financial returns. At Accelerating Asia we focus on profitability, growth and impact.

Licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Accelerating Asia’s early-stage VC fund focuses on pre-Series A startups with untapped potential that are 6-18 months away from institutional funding.  

While most angel investors and startup programs in the region focused on ideation-minimum viable product stage startups, and venture funds focused on solid product-market fit, startups with a robust product at early stages of customer traction are often overlooked. That is where Accelerating Asia comes in. Our accelerator and venture capital model are designed to support pre-Series A startups to fast-track growth and drive success, unlocking the potential in them so startups and us can grow together.

Our Mission
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Invest in the region's best pre-Series A startups.
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Give Founders access to investor networks, funding, resources, opportunities and the resources they need to scale.
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Partner with governments, development organisations, MNCs and impact investors to implement programs and build the ecosystem.
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Have a positive impact on the world by investing in startups contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.
The Accelerating Asia Story
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Building next gen unicorns

Finding themselves unemployed, after the successful corporate accelerator they ran closed down in Singapore, Craig and Amra realised there was a need for an independent, homegrown VC accelerator for Asia run by Founders for Founders out of Singapore. Since Craig and Amra had that first Accelerating Asia meeting in a random room at a coworking space, we've grown to a core team of over 10 that has invested in 50+ startups and to have our very own office HQ in Singapore.

view our story
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Our dedicated team

Meet the people behind the magic, our core team and advisors. Our diversity is our strength with a team of  Investors, Entrepreneurs in Residences, Program, Operations and Marketing staff designed to assist our Limited Partners, support our startups growth and deliver high-quality programs.

Craig Bristol DixonCraig Bristol Dixon

Craig Bristol Dixon

Co-Founder and General Partner

Craig Bristol DixonCraig Bristol Dixon

Craig Bristol Dixon

Co-Founder and General Partner

Amra NaidooAmra Naidoo

Amra Naidoo

Co-Founder and General Partner

Amra NaidooAmra Naidoo

Amra Naidoo

Co-Founder and General Partner

Alex MillerAlex Miller

Alex Miller

Entrepreneur in Residence

Alex MillerAlex Miller

Alex Miller

Entrepreneur in Residence

Swami SekarSwami Sekar

Swami Sekar

Venture Partner

Swami SekarSwami Sekar

Swami Sekar

Venture Partner

Nikki TorresNikki Torres

Nikki Torres

Multimedia Designer

Nikki TorresNikki Torres

Nikki Torres

Multimedia Designer

Keefe MontalboKeefe Montalbo

Keefe Montalbo

Operations Manager

Keefe MontalboKeefe Montalbo

Keefe Montalbo

Operations Manager

Bettina GamboaBettina Gamboa

Bettina Gamboa

Program Manager

Bettina GamboaBettina Gamboa

Bettina Gamboa

Program Manager

Christopher TeeChristopher Tee

Christopher Tee

Program Manager

Christopher TeeChristopher Tee

Christopher Tee

Program Manager

Jillian CasillanoJillian Casillano

Jillian Casillano

Program Administrator

Jillian CasillanoJillian Casillano

Jillian Casillano

Program Administrator

Zwe Nanda

Zwe Nanda

Executive Assistant
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Zwe is a dedicated executive assistant for both GPs known for his punctuality and precision in task completion. With an MBA from NIDA (Thailand) and prior experience as an operations officer at an international company, Zwe brings a strong foundation of knowledge and expertise to his role. Originally from Myanmar, he enjoys playing computer games in his leisure time and relishes teatimes with friends.

Outside of work, Zwe's passions include football and swimming, reflecting his active lifestyle and commitment to staying fit.

Oscar

Oscar

Investor Relations
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Versatile and easygoing professional with an open-minded approach to challenges, Oscar possesses a ChFC®/S title and extensive experience in wealth management. He brings a comprehensive understanding of financial and capital markets, coupled with a proactive attitude towards client success.

Jillian Casillano

Jillian Casillano

Program Administrator
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Jill provides support for partnership programs and occasionally assists with the flagship program. She assumes responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day administrative operations of programs the organization is involved in, ensuring their seamless execution and success.

Jill received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from Adamson University in 2017, and was a Dean’s list recipient and a licensed Psychometrician since 2018. She is someone who likes to seek out new challenges, and is also quick to adapt to a new environment. She previously worked as a guidance associate which helped her develop effective communication and collaboration skills, since she worked with various departments in accomplishing the guidance office’s programs and projects for the school year.

When not at work, she enjoys spending time with friends, engaging in various activities, or simply relaxing at home watching movies or series.

Christopher Tee

Christopher Tee

Program Manager
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Chris is an experienced program manager who is passionate about connecting individuals with opportunities and scaling initiatives sustainably. He started his career in competitive international recruitment and admissions, and has more recently managed a portfolio of industry relationships spanning 12 sectors from Financial Services to Non-Profits. Developing thoughtful relationships and asking difficult questions that drive innovation, shift perspectives, or solve problems are core motivators in his work as he enjoys finding solutions in the unlikeliest of places. Outside of work, you’ll find Chris in a café catching up with friends or reading about commercial aviation.

Bettina Gamboa

Bettina Gamboa

Program Manager
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Bettina Gamboa is a change and impact enabler by heart. Prior to Accelerating Asia, she began her stint in supporting startups through executing startup development programs at IdeaSpace Foundation, the largest startup support organisation and accelerator in the Philippines. The pursuit of meaningful work and being a catalyst for change are at the core of everything she does.  Alongside program development, she finds her niche in startup events hosting, having hosted over dozens of workshops, networking events, and demo days since she stepped into the startup space.

Keefe Montalbo

Keefe Montalbo

Operations Manager
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Keefe oversees the admin operations, and provides administrative support within the team and company. He is able to learn & adapt to new things, and develop & maintain high standards for his work. He likes to stay organized, likes to be on time for organised events, work-related or otherwise.


Keefe graduated from De La-Salle College of Saint Benilde in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Multimedia Arts. He has also previously worked as a multimedia designer and a project coordinator for both international and national clients/companies.

Yolanda Lee

Yolanda Lee

Serial Entrepreneur
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Nurul Jihadah Hussain

Nurul Jihadah Hussain

Founder The Codette Project
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Liza Noonan

Liza Noonan

ASEAN Director CSIRO
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Jenn Villalobos

Jenn Villalobos

Chief Digital & Technology Officer Prudential Life Assurance Thailand
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Jamie Hodgson

Jamie Hodgson

Business Standards Analyst B-Corp
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Christine Amour-Levar

Christine Amour-Levar

Philanthropist, Adventurer, Entrepreneur & Author
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Mike Brown

Mike Brown

Director Primal Video
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Krish Sridhar

Krish Sridhar

Founder & CEO KNOW
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Jamie Camidge

Jamie Camidge

Co-Founder Empat Kali
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Jenn Villalobos

Jenn Villalobos

Chief Digital & Technology Officer Prudential Life Assurance Thailand
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David Ng

David Ng

Partner - Consultant CFO & Executive Coach Authentic Solutions
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Nikki Torres

Nikki Torres

Multimedia Designer
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Nikki, our dedicated multimedia designer in the marketing team, specialises in graphic design, video, content, and everything in between. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde and recognized as a Dean’s List awardee, Nikki demonstrates flexibility and precision in delivering top-notch videos, animations, and designs. Her extensive portfolio includes successful collaborations with national and international clients, showcasing her expertise in content and branding.

Beyond graphic design, Nikki is also a skilled fashion designer. Outside of work, she finds joy in traveling, yet paradoxically, she equally delights in staying at home to indulge in binge-watching TV series and Korean Dramas.

Swami Sekar

Swami Sekar

Venture Partner
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Swami Sekar is a Technologist, Investor and Serial Entrepreneur. He co-founded Winimy AI, a multi-award winning Voice and Conversational AI company to build the future of Brand-Customer Engagement.

Swami Sekar has worked as a Venture Capital Investor at Intel Capital and held leadership roles in Sales and Business Development at Intel and VMWare. He was recognised as one of 100 Leaders of Tomorrow by St. Gallen Symposium in 2010. Swami Sekar has been recognised as a Young Leader at World Cities Summit (Global initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of National Development, Singapore), joining a network of global leaders & change-makers from diverse sectors who shape the global urban agenda. Swami Sekar holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Alex Miller

Alex Miller

Entrepreneur in Residence
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Alex Miller is an entrepreneur and former CTO of GetCraft.com, South East Asia's Premium Creator Network.  Originally from New York City, Alex got his start in NYC's Silicon Alley in 1999. Later, he spent 10 years in Beijing where, as Product Manager for Advertising, he helped Renren.com go from $5m to $50m in annual advertising revenue and achieve an IPO on the NYSE.

Since then Alex has cofounded 4 startups in video, marketing technology and chat.  He has worked as an Entrepreneur In Residence at 500 Startups in San Francisco as well as Head of Product at creadits.com in Singapore.

Amra Naidoo

Amra Naidoo

Co-Founder and General Partner
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In founding Accelerating Asia in 2019 with co-founder Craig Dixon, Amra became the first female founding general partner of a venture capital firm in Southeast Asia. 

This unique perspective has helped Amra steward Accelerating Asia into one of the top startup accelerators in Asia (the portfolio has now crossed US$600 million in valuation). For example, Amra has frequently championed startups that make a social impact, including gender-lens investments, which make up 50% of the portfolio. With her support, Accelerating Asia has also implemented other pioneering initiatives, such as a Code of Conduct to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. She has also assembled a Gender Advisory Committee to ensure that Accelerating Asia remains at the forefront of these issues. Under her leadership, Accelerating Asia’s startups not only transform their industries, but affect change while doing so.

Craig Bristol Dixon

Craig Bristol Dixon

Co-Founder and General Partner
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Read Craig's articles here

Craig founded Accelerating Asia in 2019 with co-founder Amra Naidoo. With his extensive startup investment experience, including over 100 startup investment rounds, Craig oversees Accelerating Asia’s Venture Capital fund which invests in pre-Series A startups. Under his leadership, the Accelerating Asia portfolio has now crossed a US$600 million valuation from startups all over the region, including Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and most recently, Middle East and North Africa. Craig frequently shares his expertise on venture-building and startups as a sought-after speaker in Asia and through articles shared on the Accelerating Asia blog (accessible here).

Craig holds an MBA from the University of Maryland/HKUST.

Mike Brown

Mike Brown

Director Primal Video

Krish Sridhar

Krish Sridhar

Founder & CEO KNOW

Jamie Camidge

Jamie Camidge

Co-Founder Empat Kali

Jenn Villalobos

Jenn Villalobos

Chief Digital & Technology Officer Prudential Life Assurance Thailand

David Ng

David Ng

Partner - Consultant CFO & Executive Coach Authentic Solutions

Yolanda Lee

Yolanda Lee

Serial Entrepreneur

Nurul Jihadah Hussain

Nurul Jihadah Hussain

Founder The Codette Project

Liza Noonan

Liza Noonan

ASEAN Director CSIRO

Jenn Villalobos

Jenn Villalobos

Chief Digital & Technology Officer Prudential Life Assurance Thailand

Jamie Hodgson

Jamie Hodgson

Business Standards Analyst B-Corp

Christine Amour-Levar

Christine Amour-Levar

Philanthropist, Adventurer, Entrepreneur & Author

Want to build Accelerating Asia?

Be a part of our team or portfolio by working with us or joining an Accelerating Asia program.

Disclaimer

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.

DRAG