Starting a business is a thrilling thing to do, whatever its size and wherever your location is. But as the West continues to flirt with market saturation alongside contemporary economic difficulties, entrepreneurs are naturally looking farther afield for fertile ground.
The continent of Asia is very much shaping up to be that ground, as an upwelling of startup activity and investor funding coincides with developmental growth. Why, and how, should you consider taking your startup ambitions to the East?
Why Launch a Tech Startup in Asia?
Source: blog.google
The Asiatic Tech Boom
Asia is the largest continent on Earth, representing nearly a third of the world’s total landmass. As a continent, it describes 51 countries, all of which have their own relationship to capitalism, industry, and technological advancement.
Analyses that treat Asia as a singular organism are naturally and necessarily vague, but doing so enables a big-picture understanding of institutional development – and shows a serious trend of technological growth that re-asserts a global economic narrative as opposed to a purely Western one.
A McKinsey report has gathered various datasets on Asia’s overall performance with respect to global tech commerce, illustrating a pattern of unique growth – particularly within patent filings, startup IPOs, and venture capital. Much of this can be narrowed to the unique placement of China, Taiwan and Japan as the collective seat of technological innovation, where Taiwan alone produces nearly two-thirds of the world’s semiconductors.
A Mecca for Startups
With the swift growth of startups across Asia, the continent has established itself as a new economic center for business growth. The rise and rise of industrial facilities from Russia to India have enabled swift expansion and iteration of new products and services, while increasingly developed national economies indicate increased market sizes for the roll-out of business opportunities.
As a Western entrepreneur, you may be able to bring products and concepts to an Eastern market and find uniquely high levels of localized interest as a result.
The Growth of the Startup Ecosystem
Building a strong foundation for innovation is essential to encourage the growth of startup developments. The implementation of government policies contributes significantly to the growth of new technology startups.
Now, many international tech companies are choosing to build regional hubs and offices in Asia. There are various reasons behind why the tech giant companies are investing in Asia.
Some of them are huge market potential for the growing population, robust economic growth that is creating new opportunities for tech products and services, availability of skilled, talented, and diverse workforce, support from the government, a strategic base for regional operations, improvements in digital infrastructure, and digital transformation.
How to Launch a Tech Startup in Asia?
Source: techinasia.com
Understanding the Tech Need in Asia
Taking your tech startup ambitions overseas is a multifaceted process. A much heavier emphasis needs to be placed on research as we mentioned earlier; in starting up a business domestically. Before you convince investors to support you in your tech venture, you first need to understand the needs, preferences, and behaviours of your target audience.
You should research the Asian market to recognize the opportunities and the issues to develop a tech startup in a particular region. You may also seek feedback from your potential customers to validate your idea.
These activities will help you to better present your idea to your investor and get funding for your startup.Along with this, individual markets in Asia are diverse from one another and require thorough understanding in order to find the right foothold.
Looking for Funding and Investment
To launch a tech startup in Asia, you will require funding. To get funding and investment deals, you have to present or promote your business idea through content.With comprehensive market, competitor and infrastructural research in hand, you can devise a compelling pitch for the start-up and go investment-hunting.
The right five-year plan will naturally attract venture capital, but first, it is important to establish a presence in investment circles within Asia.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
There are many implicit understandings of the domestic market that underpin early success. This includes logistical and legal underpinnings, for which tech-focused legal assistance can be helpful in regard to international establishment. You have to register your business and make sure that your tech business is in compliance with local regulations and laws.
Build a Strategy for Your Tech Business
Source: us.anteagroup.com
It is essential to prepare a detailed plan for your tech business that will include your goals, target audience, revenue model, and growth strategy. You should also determine your monetization strategy, for instance, you can rely on advertisements or opt for subscription models. You should uniquely define your strategy to make your startup business better than your competitors.
Focus on Team Building and Product Development
After preparing an effective strategy for your tech business, you have to focus on team building and product development. You have to hire tech experts, marketing specialists, salespersons, and various other skilled people for other operations. You have to build a team of talented and skilled people depending on your needs.
To demonstrate the functionality and value of your tech solution, you can build a prototype or a minimum viable product. You can also modify your product based on the feedback of users.
Market Entry Strategy
When you are going to launch a tech startup in Asian countries, you should build a market entry strategy considering local competition, language barriers, and cultural differences. This will help you to understand your target region and prepare your business suitable for that region.
Networking
Regular trips should be taken to your target locations in order to build a network of your own. This network can be helpful in finding not only investors but also partners, staff, premises and infrastructure.
Scalability and Adaptability
You should design your business in a way so that it can grow and meet the increasing demands of the customers. Your business should also stay adaptable to the possible market changes.
Follow these steps and focus on long-term planning to build an effective tech startup in Asia. To succeed in this ever-changing and diverse region, it’s important to build strong relationships and keep an eye on market trends.
