Discovery Ventures

Yango Group, a global tech company bringing advanced technology to local communities, has launched Yango Ventures, a corporate venture fund designed to empower promising startups across LATAM, Sub-Saharan Africa, MENAP, and other high-growth regions of the company’s presence. Yango Ventures aims to foster local innovation and entrepreneurial growth by providing both capital and leveraging its extensive experience and network, creating opportunities for startups to scale effectively. This support is designed to help them generate sustainable impact within their communities. "We’re more than a tech company; we are an ecosystem committed to empowering entrepreneurs worldwide. At Yango Group, we believe that technology is not just about innovation - it’s a catalyst for tangible progress. Through Yango Ventures, we’re sharing our expertise and network to help startups scale, thrive, and drive meaningful change in their communities. Our mission is simple: let people grow with us. By supporting local talent with the right tools and resources, we aim to foster sustainable business growth and contribute to resilient, inclusive economies across the globe," said Daniil Shuleyko, CEO of Yango Group. Yango Ventures focuses on early-stage startups, from Seed to Series B, in the O2O (Online-to-Offline), B2B SaaS, and FinTech sectors. While it starts with an initial fund of $20 million, the corporate venture fund is designed for scalability, with plans to expand its capital base in the near future alongside the growing entrepreneurial ecosystems in dynamic, high-growth markets. By investing in regions where Yango Group has a strong presence, Yango Ventures seeks to support tech-driven solutions that promotedigitalisation and stimulate economic development. The board of experts behind Yango Ventures comprises a diverse team with deep expertise in transforming B2B SaaS and B2C technology into impactful services across various industries worldwide. The team has successfully developed and scaled platforms and products in sectors such as mobility, entertainment, fintech, AI, and beyond, both within the company and externally. Yango Ventures is part of Yango Group's broader strategy to empower entrepreneurs and drive digital transformation globally. The company's approach combines cutting-edge technology, business expertise, and a commitment to local ecosystems, creating sustainable growth opportunities for people across diverse markets. Across different regions, we organise networking events for professionals to exchange ideas, partner with educational institutions and host events that give future innovators practical skills.

At Exhort Ventures, we believe that the foundation of groundbreaking innovation lies in the hands of extraordinary people. Our focus is on identifying and empowering relentless founders - those with the vision, expertise, and tenacity to build and execute on their promises. Our mission is to be the catalyst for early-stage success, leveraging our extensive community and experienced networks to connect founders with the resources they need. Our promise is to back only companies in which we truly believe, and we are committed to doing everything within our power to support them – during both the good times and the bad. Our Approach Deal Flow Generation: We engage with an extensive network of established investors from leading venture capital firms, with whom we have built trust and relationships over the years. Venture firms partner with us to provide the additional capital required to close a funding round, understanding that while we may contribute a smaller cheque, we offer an extensive network that founders can tap into. We also engage with startups at their earliest stages, helping them find strategic investors when they reach the right scale. Lastly, we offer a share of the deal-specific profits (carry) to those who facilitate introductions to founders. Strategic Co-Investments: We do not lead investment rounds; instead, we invest alongside top-tier VCs that have a strong track record and with whom we identify strong alignments. The nimble structure of our syndicate allows us to make decisions more quickly, bypassing institutional red tape. This approach helps founders close deals quickly, enabling them to focus on building their businesses. Community at the Core: Our long-term vision is to foster a community of LPs who are as invested in the success of our startups as we are. We are building a community of LPs comprising CEOs of established companies, founders, industry operators, lawyers, and seasoned investors. The cumulative insights and reach of our community unlock tremendous value for founders who want us on their cap table, not just as a provider of capital. Sector-Agnostic: We are not bound by investment constraints, which allows us to identify and capitalise on the best opportunities across all sectors. However, we prefer to invest in software and in non-capital intensive businesses where technology is at their core. Therefore, we tend to avoid areas like BioTech, MedTech and ClimateTech with large hardware components. Secular Themes We Favour Each theme below represents not only a significant market opportunity but also mirrors broader societal and technological trends, which we expect to persist and evolve over the next decade. Cloud-Native Software Disruption: The shift towards cloud-native software is disrupting incumbents entrenched in outdated legacy tech stacks. New ventures are demonstrating superior scalability and efficiency at exceptionally low costs, delivering value to customers. We view the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence applications as complementary to software companies rather than disruptive. Generative AI Integration into Human Workforces: We are at the infancy of the development of generative AI, but its integration into human workforces is set to redefine productivity, creativity, and efficiency. By automating routine tasks and improving decision-making, generative AI can augment human skills and significantly boost productivity. There are numerous ventures in this space, and it is essential to navigate carefully, as the lasting impact of these innovations over the next decade is still to be determined. Digitalisation of Payments: With economies becoming more digital, the demand for secure, efficient, and adaptable payment solutions is soaring. This trend is especially relevant in emerging markets transitioning from cash to digital and in developed economies focusing on digital efficiency. The evolution of fintech, along with the adoption of blockchain and other technologies, promises to further revolutionise how transactions are conducted. HealthTech and Aging Demographics: Advancements in medicine have considerably extended average lifespans, leading to an aging population. This demographic shift presents unique challenges and opportunities. While we don't invest in Medtech (or medical hardware), we favor HealthTech solutions that aim to address critical aging-related issues, such as remote patient monitoring and personalised medicine. By leveraging AI and other technologies to deliver health-related services, HealthTech can offer more proactive and predictive care models, thereby reducing healthcare costs and enhancing the quality of life. Evolving Cybersecurity Industry: Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, with new threats and challenges emerging as technology advances. With the increasing digitisation of assets, the proliferation of connected devices, and the sophistication of threats, there will continue to be a growing need for advanced security solutions to protect our data and privacy. E-Commerce Solutions: The rise of e-commerce is reshaping consumer behavior, with a shift towards the convenience of online shopping. We are particularly interested in businesses that are changing consumer behavior and spending patterns. The ongoing evolution of e-commerce platforms, including the creator economy and integrations with social media, is creating new opportunities for brands to engage with consumers and enhance their experience. Our Investment Process Having a rigorous investment process can help filter through the noise, but it can also hinder your ability to identify non-obvious opportunities. We assess each deal on its own merit, acknowledging the following considerations: Founders: We invest in people – relentless, domain-expert leaders obsessed with solving real problems. We prefer founders that are deeply rooted into the problem they are solving and offer a unique perspective. Markets: We favour large and rapidly growing addressable markets. Though we also like niche, inefficient, and fragmented markets if they have much lesser competition and if we identify opportunities to expand into adjacent markets. Business Models: We favour capital-efficient businesses that leverage technology for rapid scaling. Our support extends to innovative business models, as well as proven models from other industries that can be effectively replicated across various geographies and verticals. We love enterprise solutions, embedded into workflows, that have short sales cycles and high contract values. Traction: We generally don't invest in ideas, we actively seek evidence of market validation. This means we look for clear indicators that the product not only solves a problem but also that it has garnered genuine customer enthusiasm and approval. Deal Terms: We play the long game, ensuring every term aligns with the potential for stellar returns. In early-stage deals, we focus on company ownership and pro-rata rights, which are the two single contributors to enhanced returns. When a company does really well, you want to own as much of it as you can. Why Now is the Time From a macroeconomic perspective, the era of cheap money is over... or at least for now. The balance between capital supply and demand has shifted back to investors, allowing us to benefit from lower valuations, less competitive deals and better terms. The following points are also structural tailwinds benefitting Australian investors. Aussie Ecosystem Boom: The Australian tech scene has exploded over the past decade, fuelled by record VC funding, government support, and a wave of experienced founders stemming from some Australia’s most successful startups – think of Canva, Airwallex, Safety Culture and many others. Global Solutions: The Australian market is small but is fertile ground for experimentation before going global. Global markets are now more interconnected than ever and we champion startups that think beyond borders, building products that can grow into enormous global markets. Undervalued Gems: Australian startups are often priced attractively compared to global peers, presenting a unique chance for higher return multiples. Early Mover Advantage: The Australian ecosystem is still young but at an inflection point, offering exponential return opportunities for early investors. The market is not as crowded and competitive, allowing you to handpick some of the highest quality deals.

Our passion is to help entrepreneurs grow, win and stay in the game to achieve their own dreams. FOUNDERS BACKING FOUNDERS Swift Ventures is the fund that we wish existed when we were starting out -- a low-ego, sincerely helpful firm led by former founders who get it. With decades of company-building experience, Swift provides relevant and practical “garage-to-IPO” building and scaling expertise. While our firm is new, our team has been having fun going for it together as co-founders since 2006. We have “in the trenches” experience at building companies through every stage including IPO and acquisitions. We know what it’s like to be on top of the world one day and dealing with an existential crisis the next. We have rung the bell and know that getting there can be absolutely brutal on our bodies and relationships. Our mission and passion are to help entrepreneurs grow, win and stay in the game to achieve their own dreams. We are guided by the belief that there is no higher calling than creating something of value to the world from scratch. But overcoming the haters, incumbents and the status quo isn’t for everyone. The name “Swift” comes from our shared experience that while there are many paths to build great companies – the best entrepreneurs have the ability to build, learn and iterate faster than others think is possible. INVESTMENT FOCUS We invest in AI and Automation companies with B2B business models. Typically, we are looking for companies that have an early compelling product with positive revenue and retention signals. More than any focus or pedigree we value Founders that are bold and that have a high Do:Say ratio (and expect the same of ourselves)

We are happy to invest in companies with nothing but an idea and a founding team. We have a lot of experience as investors and founders taking companies from this stage to the next level. We also invest at the Seed Stage. We partner and invest in companies with strong mission driven teams. We have a track-record of being founders ourselves. That is why we always are happy to work with each team the way that fits them the best. We’re happy to be hands-off investors and let you do what you know best. We’re comfortable jumping into the deep end and dealing with problems head-on and spend time with you in the challenges that you face. Region: USA, Nordics Initial Ticket: 200k€ - 1M€ Company Stages: Pre-Seed, Seed Participation type: Lead + Co-Lead + Follow Follow-on Investments: 50% of the Fund Investment Themes: Theme-focused, Generalist Failup Ventures is happy to lead pre-seed and seed stage rounds but we are also comfortable co-leading with other investors. We know where we can bring value and we also can follow in rounds where we are not the leading institutional investor. We like to invest in the following 5 themes, but we also invest in other sectors:Future of Work Future of Consumption Dynamic Marketplaces Digital Infrastructure Commercial Climate Tech We want to partner with entrepreneurs who are defining tools and ways of working of the future, to power a new wave of efficiency and happiness at the workplace for the next generations. The pandemic accelerated the change in how we work. As of Spring 2022, 58% of Americans have the opportunity work from home at least one day a week. 35% percent have the option to work from home five days a week. When people have the chance to work flexibly, 87% of them take it. These dynamics apply widespread across demographics, occupations and geographies in the US. This represents a tectonic shift in where, when and how Americans want to work and are working. Currently companies are using tools that were not built for this purpose of serving full-time remote employees, hybrid employees and dedicated onsite ones or a combination of these possibilities. Companies are still defining the guidelines and standards to how they want to structure the future. Trying to kill off remote policies has been met with backlash from employees and companies have had to backtrack on such plans. If companies were to go back to fully on-site arrangement, they would risk losing up to 39% of the workforce. The current breakthroughs in artificial intelligence provide new opportunities to improve efficiency at the workplace. As is also apparent in the current movements in the AI and Machine Learning industry that these tools are here to stay and assist the workforce. All companies from smaller to enterprises are starting to find new ways of using these tools to improve efficiency at work. Startups and smaller companies have always been innovative and unique in their ways of working. However changes will now be happening on all levels from SMB’s to schools to S&P500 companies. We do not know what work at blue collar or white collar job looks like in 5 to 10 years. We don’t know how hiring will change for that modern workplace. We see new key indicators for employees such as well-being as a metric that employees are looking for in their evaluation of employers. These changes present terrific opportunity for new companies to provide value for SMB and enterprise companies. We at Failup Ventures have always been excited to support flexible and innovative ways of working that can offer a competitive edge. This provides a huge opportunity for new software providers. There is opportunity for pioneers who can introduce new methods of working and tooling for this. After companies start adopting sustainable standardised ways of working, the next wave of companies can start building customised tooling for this market which will be huge. We also want to know how the meaning of work will change in the future. Jobseekers are paying attention to other factors beside the money: healthcare, well-being, in person experiences and a sense of purpose. We hope to see solutions that address these factors in the evolving job market. As is also apparent in the current movements in the AI and Machine Learning industry that these tools are here to stay and assist the workforce. All companies from smaller to enterprises are starting to find new ways of using these tools to improve efficiency at work. We want to support companies defining this wave for the next version of work.

Khosla Ventures invests in companies that are bold, early and impactful. The firm was started in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to provide venture assistance to entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., Khosla Ventures invests in a range of areas including AI, climate, sustainability, enterprise, consumer, fintech, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics and frontier technology.

We are a global venture capital team powering tech & innovation from Southeast Asia. About us Golden Gate Ventures is a South-East Asian venture capital firm founded in 2011 that brings together knowledge and experience from Silicon Valley with passion and ambition for Southeast Asia. For over a decade we’ve proudly backed some of the region’s most audacious founders and companies behind Southeast Asia’s incredible growth story. Headquartered in Singapore with offices in Indonesia and Vietnam, we’ve launched 4 funds, have US$250M AUM, and invested in 70+ companies with 9 unicorns across our portfolio. Our Mission is to Empower the Audacious, through Human and Financial Capital. We believe in empowering founders who are risk-takers, who dare to challenge the norms, and who leverage technology to change the way the world works. 70+ companies funded $250m in AUM $1 billion+ portfolio financing Top 5 of SEA funds by KPMG What we do We fund and learn from the audacious. From product development, to technical strategy and growth hacking techniques, we’ve helped and learned from over 60 startups in our portfolio. We practise diversity to breed innovation. Our team and networks hail from different cultures, disciplines and experiences. We are a mix of former founders, marketers, heavy metal drummers, yoga instructors, martial artists, and financiers. We put founders first. We have a solid track record of identifying opportunities before their times, and work with founders on their long-term vision and strategy. How we investWhere do we invest? We focus on Southeast Asia - and have invested deeply across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. We have also invested in startups around the world expanding to Southeast Asia. What do we invest in? Startups addressing technological opportunities that arise out of the growing consumer class in Southeast Asia, which includes everything from consumer apps to B2B SaaS services. We invest heavily in machine learning tools to explore markets, uncover trends and gather market intelligence to identify next big bets. How do I pitch? Preferably through an introduction - from a founder in our portfolio to an investor in our network. Or find us at an event and give us your best 60-second pitch. We’ve been pitched in elevators, escalators, and even taxi queues! How we helpFounder Community: We’re very selective on the founders we invest in (we have a lower acceptance rate than Harvard). As a founder in the portfolio, you’ll be plugged into a network of other founders across different stages through chat groups, online webinars, portfolio dinners, yearly summits, and business development trips to other countries. Regional Expansion: With investments across more than seven countries, we have local partners in each country, from fellow CEOs to LPs to corporate investors. We co-invest with local investors to tap local expertise and help open new networks. Network and Fundraising: We’ve built a deep global network from Southeast Asia to Silicon Valley with corporates, governments and conglomerates. Our Partners hail from across three continents with a rich global network open to our portfolio. Strategy and Coaching: Many of the firm’s partners have founded their own startups, including in Silicon Valley. Our advice comes from decades of experience and data-driven insights. We’re constantly learning from our portfolio and share learnings and best practices with all our founders. Recruiting: We know you’re raising money to hire great talent and we help source that talent for you. Our events plug us into great communities, our brand helps senior executives confide in us that they’re looking to make a jump, and our newsletters help us promote your needs to thousands of potential hires.