U.S. VC Tapping Into Opportunities in Asia

nice to have you here with Creedy and myself. UM, how are you and tell us a bit about your company and what you're focusing on. Hi, everybody, Yes, thanks for having me on today. Partiment ventures fund and in my history my explains American VC working with the Asian markets. I have over forty investments with two unicorns and as a fund founder to Angel networks, investment clubs and venture firms, the last and partner of the largest medical center of

their innovation arms. UM, I work with a lot of Asian markets. I am the officials partner to the Cream government like see over a thousand deal on your the basis and a biased fifty plus probably investment deal. Uh, and so that's what I do at Pulam Adventures. Um Dan talked to us. First off, I am just reading your bio here. First off, you are a fellow Texan, so shout out from me as while I grew up

in Dallas. And I'm also seeing that you were uh formerly the managing director of the Rice Angel Network, which also I was an intern on Angel Network. So this is I'm I'm learning so much about you were bonding on the radio. This is great, but I really want to ask you. Sorry, Yeah, that's incredible. It was incredible. And on top of that, just the cherry on this pretty great Sunday that I think is that we're both Asian American, which I think is is pretty cool. Like

I said, bonding on the radio, folks, you're seeing it live. Um. But one of the questions I really want to ask you is what one of the hurdles are for I say, Asian Americans getting into the space because of course this is a growing space that's very very fast, especially all across the country, or the challenges that you see. Absolutely, you know, one of my passions is really putting more Asian American executives, you know, woman executives at the top

level of finance and venture capital. UH. And so I have actually a media platform called Identity and Veiled, which is a passion project, and out of that we have interviewed countless Asian American woman executives and hearing their stories and putting it out there to inspire so many other women. You know what I'm hearing One of the common denominators

is there was no mentor before me. I was a one that broke that glass feeling, and so putting those stories out we truly helped to inspire and empower more Asian American woman to get into these executive positions. As you know, there's a huge star, a huge absence of that here. Well, what's interesting to you write? And Diane, we talked about this that we know by having diversity on boards UH and in senior management, it can impact

positively a company's top and bottom lines. By excluding people in your management, if you will, or in the investment decision making process, you know, or by ignoring markets UH and being and not being as inclusive, you know, you really are missing out on opportunities absolutely, And you know, actually, did you know females we make a path of population here are actually the highest performer that comes up no surprise,

financial performance on venture capitals, on entrepreneurship. So it's it's a really great deal. I think there should be more women at the top levels in the executive position. So why isn't there? Is it? You know? I know people say pipeline issue. We had a great guest yesterday's talked it's it's not just about you know, necessarily just general pipeline.

There's there's things deeper than that. There's so many reasons. Um, you know, we need more champions out there, not only opportunities, but I think organizations like there are many organizations out there that are helping what you call accelerators think pink and how of sence opportunities to create these pathways for a woman. And I really think we have to go hand in hand and work with the executive existing there and also create a more opportunity to um surrounding these

women with these stories. And that's what we do at Identity and vales actually uh and so really getting the stories out there, and it's also seeing the most excellent out what you're doing. And we're seeing that even in the eventual world. For example, you know, less than two percent of women are VC back in these billion dollar universe, right, less than one pervent goes to bipod people of color. That a woman, it's a It's an incredible statum. We

hope to change. And that's why I'm here today. We'll talk to us about this kind of two way street. I think we have about thirty seconds here talk to us about this two way street here in investing in Asian markets, but also American VCS funds benefiting from foreign investments. It kind of works both ways, right, So you know, how can BC American USBC films benefit from foreign investment.

A key role of VC firms provide portfolio companies expertise that works to prepare for that exit you know, I PR acquisition and so a lot of these foreign investors will provide access I'm sorry, UH, companies that will invest in provide access and generate better opportunities for the company. You know, Asian markets are leading tech economies or the

top I think top for China, Japan, India, Singapore. They provide really problems and sustainable and state UH investment destinations and some of the inventors that come out of that, obviously will be tax location, cash grants, employment for foreign investors to continue expanding, but more for the demand of goods and manufacturing produced by these economies of scale will

also strengthen these industries. But lastly, American diseases have access to other large economies in Asia, you know, Asian economies of economies or or the Tiger economies rely on their surrounding countries to both stronger investment economies. Diane. We recently caught up by Alan patrick Off. He's been in the venture capital space for fifty years. Love talking about him in investment. It's early investor in Apple Computer when it was still Apple Computer, not just Apple. UM. You mentioned

that you've made over forty investments, including two unicorns. UM tell us where you're investing, where you find the opportunities, and I know you're doing it in a diverse and inclusive way. Yes, absolutely so. The last one I did was a medical fund, UH, and currently we are investing in actually very multiple industries that really consumer now tech UM as COVID in the pandemic open a window of opportunity. UM. That was really what we invested in closed at the

last one. So and in actually in Asia markets, for example, the leading ones that we're boxing on right now is biotech, biotech c It's interesting that you mentioned biotechs. I was about to say, Hey, talk to us about the tech, especially in Asia where a lot of that big tech

innovation is merging. Hey, it's actually been a big sticking point in terms of the relationship between the US and China in particular, talk us a little bit about how you find those opportunities, those those diamonds and the ref Absolutely well, you know, just for the sheer numbers, Asia dominates the top ten countries in the world with the highest tech expertise, right Korea, Japan, Singapore, in China, uh And so you know, really it's how do you get

into these markets? Is I'm actually an official US partner to the Korean government agents, so we will focus on meeting over thousands of deals and face space. I've probably done over fifty maybe deals in terms of advising them

on how to give investments in the US markets. And so if you're a VC trying to get into the US market, it would be great if you get boots on the ground, right, it's having a life on the very best deals in that Asian market and the vcs in Asia, you know, they always have firsthand access, so get those partnerships and teams locally in that region. For example, Sequoia Capital China is a great example of how they funneled capital into the Asian market and they invected there

into the into the startupstrate. It's usually owning large states and the type footbal Chinese. So this position is for example, made for vatable foreign venture capital. Now I'm curious what are the challenges that come with bringing that foreign investment into the United States, because it can't be easy in a country that's already seeing so much talent, so much kind of deals being attracted from around the world. Where the challenges that are involved in that process, you know,

there are a lot. For example, even in the medical let's just keep it easy and right the terminal terminology of what stage are you when it's different, right, valuations can be different, um, and then there's a lot of regulatory issues that we have to deal with as well. So it's always great to be have we've found a ground build a team there as we have and are continue doing so. So it's interesting, So, well, what what

might be surprising. You mentioned that you're a U S partner to the Korean government agency that's focusing on venture capital acquisitions and and doing consulting on those early stage companies. What are some of the trends that you are seeing Because I love him first of all, I love emerging world, like I think about Africa and some of the things that they've done using their phone to be able to

actually have a financial identity. So what are some of the interesting trends that whether it's innovation disruption that are going on in Korea that might surprise some of our audience. You know, uh, during this pandemic has truly open our eyes to see what you know, with the tech world is being thrown into this pandemic and what can come out of it and so um you know, create for example, has has really been a resilient country and has admits of all these theatering economies. As we close out to

your end, they continue to be strong. And again those industries, for example are semiconductor manufactory and also really big is a bootech. The President of Korea has position Korea as the next and really an Asia global biotech hug for a lot of foreign investments. To come in and so we're seeing a lot of that in terms of investments of Careta. That's that's fascinating that you're talking about biotech bringing biotexs E into the United States when you also

have that same sentiment coming from Europe. A lot of European biotech trying to bay break very aggressively into the US markets. UH, talk to us a little bit about how say you have to compete with other parts of Asia, India, China, Russia even uh if Fressiac counts is Asia and in terms of where these deals are actually coming from. Absolutely so.

When actually so in the other way, if you turn another way around, when we're investing in these Asian startups, we work with not only that country, but a motley of countries that surround it. For example, the emerging markets of Asia. Works in the Philippines, we will work with Singapore and Vietnam and Malaysia, the Tiger Cup economies that you would say because they need more foreign investment to

really pull up those um that venture ecosystem. So you know, when you're investing in some of these companies, you're really getting to work with a bigger picture of some Asian

economies pulling in with co investors. When you look at what's going on in the startup space, and we just did a story um Diana about the record number of startups that we saw in in fact that the amount of money, start ups raising, more venture capital funding than ever last year, more cities around the world starting to look like tech hubs, Silicon Valley, they're still in the lead. We look at early stage funding as an indicator of a healthy, growing startup scene. It gives us some ideas

to maybe of another market indicator. When you look at what's going up in the in the startup world, what does it tell you about the outlook? There's there's an incredible opportunity and I think the pandemic has supported a window of investment opportunities and forced to go into these um uh stable environment where the Asian in Asian mare gets where they're leading in tech. I think, you know

that's where the we should put more investment. For example, Unitinations has awarded to create number one for their Investment Promotion Award. They have both incredible investment destinations by being so forward thinking in digital future thinking on the digital side and the high tech global leaders and birthing war people there. So truly we are investing in Asian markets. We're just going to for more growth and development and

opportunity to investment. Well, nice to you know, check in with you and really shed light on something we don't talk a lot about it and certainly sounds like we should. Diane you, she's founding partner at Parliament Ventures. On the phone in New York City,