In late December 2025, Antares Ventures participated in the Southeast Asia Capital Access Program in Singapore. Our Founder and Managing Partner Michael Gryseels served as a judge alongside Tomo Shikata of Insignia Ventures Partners, Hsien Hui Tong of SGInnovate, David Bonifacio of TNB Aura, and Zen Liew of Gobi Partners. The program brought together Japan-based startups with investors and corporate participants from across Southeast Asia.

The exchange highlighted the level of technical ambition emerging from Japan-based founders. Several companies presented work in advanced materials and energy-related technologies. Many teams demonstrated an intention to extend relevance beyond their domestic market and engaged directly with questions around regional deployment.

Southeast Asia offers meaningful scale opportunities for deep-tech companies. Market engagement across the region requires attention to regulatory structures, infrastructure readiness, partnership development, and capital alignment that vary across jurisdictions. Early discussion of these operating conditions supports more grounded expansion planning and clearer capital pathways.

Programs such as the Southeast Asia Capital Access Program create structured environments for these conversations to take place before formal market entry. They also allow investors to better understand how companies are preparing for cross-border deployment and operational complexity.

We thank JETRO and Japan Southeast Asia Innovation Platform (JSIP) for convening founders and investors for substantive dialogue in Singapore.

If you are building science-driven technologies with cross-border scale in mind, we welcome the opportunity to connect. Connect with us | Explore our thesis