MESSAGE:
Kelvin Ong
Nurturing Agrifood Innovation: My Journey with 144 Ventures
In 2018, I joined forces with a group of visionary Japanese partners to establish Germi8, which later evolved into 144 Ventures. Our shared mission was to contribute to the growing agrifood innovation ecosystem in Southeast Asia. With a commitment to support around 8 startups annually for the first three years, we embarked on a journey to nurture this emerging hub into a globally recognized center for agrifood innovation, leveraging our partners' connections in Japan.
As a co-founder, I was inspired by the drive of my colleagues who had successfully scaled their own agrifood ventures from inception to IPO. I recognized a clear pre-seed and seed funding gap for agrifood startups in Southeast Asia and believed that 144 Ventures could fill this void. While I was the least qualified among my co-founders in terms of domain expertise, I was motivated to learn and grow alongside the entrepreneurs we had the good fortune to back. This journey has been incredibly rewarding, as I have gained invaluable knowledge from the founders we support.
Looking ahead to the next five years, I envision 144 Ventures deepening its impact and expanding its cross-border activities between Japan and Southeast Asia as the agrifood innovation ecosystem matures. My role within the group will focus on facilitating the development of strategic partnerships between our portfolio companies and key stakeholders, including corporates, GTM/channel partners, and M&A advisory partners. The keyword that defines our philosophy at Glocalink Singapore is “collaboration.” Beyond simply writing the first check, we aim to help startups build the landing pads and springboards they need to scale. By fostering a collaborative mindset shared by our corporate partners, who actively explore co-creation opportunities with our portfolio companies, we focus on developing self-reinforcing networks. This ensures that the founders we support secure the essential partnerships for their next phase of growth.
I am proud of the progress of 144 Ventures we have made and remain committed to our mission of nurturing agrifood innovation through collaboration. Together with our partners and the inspiring entrepreneurs we support, we will continue to pave the way for the next wave of success stories in the industry.