Saison Capital

Saison Capital is an early stage fund with a focus on emerging markets. We back ambitious founders solving big problems, with deep fondness for web3, fintech and embedded finance - non-fintech companies expanding into fintech. Our team comes from an operating background, and we are unafraid to roll up our sleeves to support our founders. We are backed by Credit Saison, a Tokyo-listed 30b AUM consumer finance company with extensive financial services across Asia.

Partner

Principal

BCG Digital Ventures

Started in classic management consulting with BCG, before being the first full-time convert in Southeast Asia to BCG Digital Ventures. At BCG, launched a nationwide sales program for one of the largest banks in Southeast Asia, driving improvements to performance management, culture and internal communications. At BCG Digital Ventures, built 0-to-1 pre-seed ventures in sustainability, agetech and FMCG.

Venture Architect

Glints

Glints is Southeast Asia’s largest talent platform for career development and recruitment. Founded in 2013 in Singapore, Glints has empowered more than 1.5 million professionals and 30,000 organizations to realize their human potential. 

We were the youngest to have raised venture capital in Southeast Asia from East Ventures, 500 Startups, SPH Media Fund, Gobi Partners, Golden Equator Capital, Wavemaker Partners, SG Innovate.

I led marketing, operations and human capital - team building, recruiting, compensation, onboarding, management, culture, and internal communications.

As seen on Forbes, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Yahoo News, The Straits Times, Business Times, Today, Tech In Asia, e27, and Digital News Asia, Channel News Asia.

COO & Co-Founder

Institute for Infocomm Research

The Institute for Infocomm Research is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) family. I published 13 research papers (11 of which I'm first-author) and presented 4 projects in human-computer interaction at international peer-reviewed conferences and journals.

Researcher

Partner at Saison Capital

The 0 to 1 journey as a founder can be lonely and challenging. I’ve been there.

At Saison Capital, I partner with founders to grow from 0 to 1. Need talent? I'll help recruit key hires and advisors. Need customers? I'll hustle alongside you to find your first 1,000 true fans. Need capital? I invest pre-seed / seed, especially in fintech, B2B platforms and web3.

My 0 to 1 experiences include co-founding Glints (Series D), Southeast Asia's largest talent platform for career development and recruitment, and venture building with BCG Digital Ventures. I also finished my Stanford undergraduate degree with distinction (top 15%) in 2 years.

Connect with me at qinen@saisoncapital.com

Previously recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneurs 27 Under 27. Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Yahoo News, The Straits Times, Business Times, Today, Tech in Asia, e27, Digital News Asia, and Channel News Asia

And that’s why I post memes about VCs

Too many egos in this space

Qin En Looi

graphical user interface, text, application

ONCHAIN 2024 is a wrap! Thank you for the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response 🙏

>400 of you braved the Bangkok traffic & heatwave to be a part of history - Asia’s first Real World Asset (RWA) conference 

I am privileged to be the “front”, but this success wouldn’t have been possible without countless people:

- Co-Hosts HELIX (Jitendra Singh Jaitawat / Caleb Lim), D3 Labs (Chung Ying Lai / Tigran Adiwirya / Alifia Putri), Evertas (J. Gdanski / Ryan Lackey) for writing checks to make the event a reality…when it was just a GDoc proposal

- Kosuke Mori and the Credit Saison Co., Ltd. /  Saison International Pte. Ltd. team for allowing me to “act first, ask for permission later”

- Claire Yong / Nicol Ng / Siti Soleha Noorhisham for the fullest & best Brand + Comms support & putting up with my paranoia of “no one is attending our event” 

- Visa Kannan / Ziheng Li / Cheng Siong Soon / Lup Soon Soo for lending their networks & hands generously

- Keith Wong, CFA, CA / Annie Seah / Prisca Lo for countless hours of preparation to deliver a fruitful panel 

- Timothy Liew Yong Quan / Dexter Leow / Jen / Keith / Mel / MJ for valiantly stepping up to man the registration desk when we got overwhelmed

- Zachary John / Parveena Basheer at Party Action People Pte. Ltd.  for top notch event advice and social media execution

- Mark Tan and the Blockhead team for trusting in us to be the first partner when ONCHAIN was totally unknown

- Scott Shuey from Tech in Asia, Nicole Lim from The Edge Singapore  and Nikkei as media partners and telling the RWA story 


ONCHAIN 2024 might be over, but we have more cooking. Stay tuned!

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The moment a founder receives multiple term sheets

So much fun chatting with Jamilia Grier on her Barely Legal podcast by ByteBao! (Also my first time doing it in a beautiful podcast studio)

The podcast blurb:

In this episode, we uncover the mysteries behind the VC pitch process. Ever wondered what goes on inside the minds of venture capitalists when you're pitching your Web3 startup? Wonder no more! Our special guest, Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital, pulls back the curtain and shares invaluable insights into what VCs really look for in Web3 companies.

From the importance of authenticity to the metrics that truly matter, Qin En offers candid advice that every entrepreneur needs to hear. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable tips to help you craft a winning pitch and secure the funding your startup deserves.

In this eye-opening episode, join us as we dive deep into the world of venture capital with Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital. Discover the secrets behind what VCs truly seek in Web3 startups, straight from the source! From disruptive...

Open video: 🔍 Inside the Minds of VCs: What They REALLY Look for in Web3 Companies! on youtube.com

🔍 Inside the Minds of VCs: What They REALLY Look for in Web3 Companies!

The Tiger Global effect on startups after raising a new fund

What are some tips for startups to succeed?

“Hi, I am Pete, an ex-operator VC.” - after completing a 2 week internship at Big Tech

(No animals were harmed in the making of this video. Pete may feel harmed though)

Respect to the founders in Dubai now - still hustling to get to investor meetings, by any means

How important are investor meetings for startups?

What are the challenges faced by founders?

What do you call a VC who’s arrogant & rude to founders, but polite & subservient to LPs?

Found the answer in Japan:

Saison Capital & XA Network are conducting a study on ESOPs, whether your company has an ESOP policy or not, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

This survey won't take longer than your morning coffee break. Seriously, it's just 5 minutes of your time!

Founders, drop that CEO hat for a sec and click here: https://lnkd.in/gPWc3GYM

Employees, we know you're the real MVPs, so click here: https://lnkd.in/gr6GiJ6f

Open article: ESOP survey for founders (2024) by bit.ly • 1 min read

Aren't you curious how much others are paid?

If you are, then take 5 minutes to complete this ESOP survey. We will send you the tea first ☕ 

Saison Capital & XA Network are conducting a study on ESOPs, whether your company has an ESOP policy or not, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Founder Survey: https://shorturl.at/xABIR

Employee Survey: https://shorturl.at/ejr39

Open article: ESOP survey for founders (2024) by shorturl.at • 1 min read

Want to get into Forbes 30 Under 30?

Now you can get the benefits for US$1,000

Can’t wait to see who the next Forbes 1,917 Under 30 are!

(Context: there will be 1,917 passes sold)

Never thought this would happen - ONCHAIN 2024 is fully oversubscribed, and we have to close registrations!

This Friday, we will have a blast at Asia's first real-world asset (RWA) conference

A huge thank you to ONCHAIN 2024 co-hosts for believing in us...when it was just an idea on WhatsApp text

- HELIX - Jitendra Singh Jaitawat / David Z Wang / Caleb Lim / Wilbert Johan
- D3 Labs - Chung Ying Lai / Tigran Adiwirya / Hong Loon Gan / Alifia Putri
- Evertas - J. Gdanski / Raymond Zenkich / Ryan Lackey

See you all on Friday!

What can I expect from Asia's first real-world asset conference?

What are the benefits of having co-hosts for an event?

Protection

That's the missing piece for institutions to embrace the blockchain

In the traditional finance world, risk sharing and risk transfer is commonplace. While the likelihood of catastrophic events is low, institutions must always think of the "what-if". Insurance in the web3 world is a necessity

Listen to top insurance leaders breakdown why insurance is the must-have for Real World Asset (RWA) adoption at ONCHAIN 2024. Featuring

- J. Gdanski of Evertas
- Alvin Kwock of OneDegree
- George Kesselman of InsurTech Asia Association

We are at our final few tickets on https://onchain2024.com - pushing the limits of what the venue will allow us to, due to overwhelming demand. Don't miss out!

Disappointed with Coinbase 

$1B net profit, and customer support is still atrocious. Sent USDC to my Coinbase account - a process I’ve done 100+ times without issue. 

Except over the weekend, Coinbase decided to take my funds and not release it. Been trying to contact support for 3 days in a row. 

“We will escalate it “
“We are looking into it”

Crickets. Silence. Just take my funds and not allow me access to it. The blockchain has irrefutably shown successful funds transfer from my wallet to Coinbase wallet

Anyone else faced similar issues?

What are some best practices for customer support?

The simplest moments are the happiest moments

You see the memes

But you don’t see the outcomes

Now you do

What are some examples of outcomes in professional settings?

Privileged to speak with one of the most prolific angel investors Bernard Leong on his podcast Analyse Asia

It's 45 minutes long, so here's the tl;dr:
1. Real World Assets (RWA)s are real
2. The future of fintech is on the blockchain
3. If you are interested, then grab the last few ONCHAIN 2024 tickets 

Listen to the episode at:

Open video: Real World Asset Monetization in Crypto and Web3 with Qin En Looi on youtube.com

Real World Asset Monetization in Crypto and Web3 with Qin En Looi

Tickled at how many people are soooo uptight on LinkedIn, and can’t see / take a joke 🤭

How can LinkedIn users improve their sense of humor?

Carnival is the right word 🎪 

2,000 RSVPs to the RWA Leaders Brunch that Saison Capital is co-hosting with HELIX, NewTribe Capital, Outlier Ventures, Caladan (prev AlphaLab Capital) & RAK DAO

See you in Dubai! 🏜️

What are the latest news and developments in Dubai?

VCs who never invested in Malaysia, but after returning from KL20

Taplio

Qin En Looi's Linkedin Analytics

Qin En Looi

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Taplio

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Qin En Looi

What is Qin En talking about?

Who is engaging with Qin En

Qin En Looi's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Qin En Looi's Linkedin Analytics

Qin En Looi's Best Posts (last 30 days)