Why Mitsubishi financial group’s Krungsri Finnovate is driving startup innovation in Asia

Krungsri Finnovate are an investment group under Mitsubishi financial group that allocates venture capital to startups with the aim of becoming a strategic partner - they want startups to “grow and thrive”.Krungsri Finnovate have a VC fund with $150 million that aims to enhance the ecosystem of startups, particularly those located in Asia. Their goal is to collaborate with startups in order to develop innovative financial solutions and encourage Unicorn status!

We spoke to Sam Tanskul, Managing Director of Krungsri Finnovate who is a VC investment specialist with a great interest in startups and innovation in consumer banking. Krungsri Finnovate has invested in 19 startups to date, including two unicorns - one of which is well-known Asian startup GRAB. Sam told us about ‘Neo-banking” competing against traditional banks and this rising trend in Asia. Sam predicts the growth of Web3, Blockchain and Metaverse - he explains the ways they will impact the ecosystem and what we can be excited about for the future.

We also discuss:

Thailand’s status on de-centralised finance

How they’re looking to step into Metaverse & Web3 investments

Bank & startup collaborations - how banks are changing their model

How they are investing in Web3 in Asia with their 52million dollar fund B

NPL offerings and the risk of appearing to be similar to consumers