The following is an English translation of an original Japanese article issued in April 2022.
As ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have recently gained traction in Japan, Japanese angel investors and Japanese companies have become more interested in social impact. There is a growing number of organizations in Japan that promote and practice impact investing, as well as intermediate support organizations that connect Southeast Asian social entrepreneurs with Japanese angel investors and companies. Since 2019, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation has been working with Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) in Southeast Asia to strengthen the gender lens within the entrepreneurship support ecosystem. The Sasakawa Peace Foundation also explores strategies with investors, including angel investors, so that women entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia can raise capital on par with male entrepreneurs. In response to this trend, we have surveyed Japanese stakeholders investing in Southeast Asia to find out what kind of support and intervention Southeast Asian women entrepreneurs need in order to secure funding from Japanese investors.
This survey was conducted by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) on behalf of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. The survey focuses primarily on the funding of Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) in Southeast Asia. Based on a review of previous studies, we assessed the current status of investment and links from Japan to SGBs based on an evaluation of four conditions: “awareness and intent,” “access to networks,” “identification of potential investment destinations,” and “policy and regulations.”
Interviews with various stakeholders, including investors, firms, entrepreneurs, and intermediary support groups, were conducted to determine what kind of ecosystem would be required to extend these investments and partnerships. We also gathered feedback on the measures that each stakeholder should take to assist the ecosystem to perform better.
We hope that the findings of this survey will be useful to companies and people interested in investing in and supporting Southeast Asia's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
| Contents | 1. Research background and purpose 2. SGBs and the venture investment ecosystem 3. Research hypotheses and interview design 4. Review of previous studies and analysis 5. Recommendations and summary |
