Are you ready to expand in APAC? Let me advise you

Asia Pacific (APAC) is a geographic area that includes much of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania, and has become a key driver of the global economy. APAC is a vast region, home to over 4.3 billion people, which is roughly 60% of the global population, and it includes some of the fastest growing economies in Asia.

Where to set up your hub?

Australia

Australia is a large, culturally diverse nation that offers many business advantages to growth-minded companies: Low unemployment, robust exports and a stable financial system.

IP protection in Australia is strong and extends to a wide variety of areas, including trademarks, designs, patents, copyrights and plant breeders’ rights.

The country’s trade, investment and culture links with countries in the Asia-Pacific region are long-standing and deeply rooted. Important trade agreements are in place with vital markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, Malaysia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Singapore

Singapore was listed by The World Bank as the second-best country for ease of doing business: low barriers to trade and a pro-business, pro-enterprise outlook.

Singapore was ranked the third least corrupt nation in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.

Singapore is a technology hub promoting knowledge-based and research-intensive industries. By 2025 Singapore is expected to reach $700+ million in revenue related to the Internet-of-Things (IoT).

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has an open economy, a simple tax system, and a strategic location that provides companies with a gateway into mainland China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Hong Kong taxes are among the lowest in the world, and the tax regime is simple and predictable. The profits tax rate is the
same for foreign and local companies – a low 16%.

Hong Kong is a leader in Asia in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Stringent laws regulate patents, copyrights, trade marks and registered designs.

Startups, SME's and new businesses can apply for up to $1,000,000 HKD funding per project (approx US$130,000).

The Hong Kong government will match the startup or SME funding on a 50/50 matching basis for both the Mainland China Programme and the new ASEAN Programme.

Malaysia

Malaysia is certainly not lagging in the entrepreneurial world of start-ups. Malaysia launched The Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint as a national initiative to transform Malaysia into a digitally driven, high income nation and a regional leader in digital economy.

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) expanded the tax incentives for Venture Capital in 2022. It includes the provision of up to five years of tax exemption period for registered VCs, or the remaining life of the fund, whichever is shorter.

Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF) offers loans for start-ups and SMEs to fund working capital needs, fixed asset purchases, and other projects.The minimum loan amount is RM50,000 (~US$12,000) with different financing caps and percentages based on the type of expenditure.

Vietnam

Vietnam expanded its government startup funding at State and provincial/city level to support startups that will be exempted from the entire cost of land leases for 50 years.

The tech sector dominates the startup ecosystem in Vietnam, and specially in Fintech. There were 123 startups in Vietnam in 2020 compared to just 44 in 2017.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in particular have developed a robust ecosystem for tech startups.

Thailand

A new Income tax exemption on investment in Thai startups (the "Royal Decree") was approved in 2022 in cases where the funding for the startups is provided directly or indirectly through Venture Capital (VC), Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), or private equity trust (PE Trust). These tax benefits are effective for ten accounting periods until 2032. To qualify for waivers, investors must hold shares in those startups for at least two year.

In addition to this measures, there has been Government funding up to ฿5,000,000 for SMEs, entrepreneurs & startups, up to ฿10,000,000 for individuals with innovations, & up to ฿40,000,000 (~US$1.2M) for entities that innovate.

Indonesia

In recent years, the explosive growth of Indonesia’s startup scene has grabbed global headlines. Its capital city, Jakarta, ranks third on Startup Genome’s 2021 “Emerging Ecosystems” with a combined startup valuation of US$ 34 billion.

Innovation arises from the creation of bankable solutions to resolve two long-standing problems: geographic and financial disconnectivity.

INA - Indonesia Investment Authority aims to grow its assets under management to $20 billion in co-investment with foreign investors in 2022 ($5billion raised and $1billion invested already in 2021) .

Let me Contribute to your Success in the Region

Working side by side with you to develop the best strategy to implement innovative solutions for real, lasting change in APAC. Helping with advice that will lead you forward to productive and valuable decisions, move your organisation further and faster, and ultimately make your big ideas real.

Strategy Consulting

Business Modelling

Strategic Planning

Option Analysis

Business Plan Preparation

Financial Modelling

Commercialisation Strategy

Market analysis and insights

Go to market Strategy

Unique Value Proposition for customers

Validation of Products and Services

Marketing strategy and execution

Growth Strategy

Expand footprint

Expand through the internet

Forming alliances and partnerships

Research & Development

Organisational strategy

Investment Strategy

Corporate strategy

Investor relations

Merges & Acquisitions

Governance structure

Capital Investment

Jose Herrera Perea

®© ROI.Partners acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands upon which our Australian teams operate. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and future, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.

®© ROI.Partners acknowledges Māori as Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa and ngā iwi Māori for the land upon which our New Zealand teams operate. We recognise the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of New Zealand, tēnā koutou katoa.