Empathy. Impact. Honesty. At ASEAN Startup Connect 2025, we had the privilege of speaking with Martalia Lo, the CEO and Founder of Academy of Careers and Technology (ACT) in Cambodia. Through her work, she is transforming the education landscape by empowering youth with 21st-century skills and project-based learning. 📚 Reflecting on her time at ASC, Martalia emphasized the profound value of the connections and relationships fostered across the region, creating powerful new opportunities for cross-border expansion and collaboration. One of her most powerful takeaways was: “If it’s not honest, it’s not useful.” When founders lead with authenticity and build genuine relationships, the impact they can create is limitless. Are you looking for a community that authentically helps eachother in building a business? Sign up for our Mentorship Programme to get dedicated support for ASEAN cross border expansion. Join here: https://aseanstartupconnect.org/en/asc-mentorship-programme#mentee

Here are the sources! £78 billion dividends / £64 billion debt: Financial Times via Left Foot Forward - https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/16-water-monopolies-have-paid-out-a-total-of-78bn-in-dividends-as-thames-water-teeters-on-the-brink/ UK Parliament Hansard October 2023: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-10-23/debates/FC2D9F7F-5961-4512-B448-24C16E9B75FA/WaterCompaniesRegulationAndFinancialStability Scottish Water ranked number one: https://www.watermagazine.co.uk/2023/09/21/scottish-water-tops-british-waters-annual-water-company-performance-survey/

Digital. Collaboration. Networking. At ASEAN Startup Connect 2025, we caught up with Diboma KY, Under Secretary of State at the ក្រសួងប្រៃសណីយ៍និងទូរគមនាគមន៍ - Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (Cambodia), to hear his key takeaways from the event, and his insights highlighted a crucial part of our ecosystem: the bridge between innovation and policy. He shared how incredibly valuable it is to gather founders, specialists, and policymakers from across ASEAN in one room to openly share their challenges. The true power of ASC lies in giving government officials an opportunity to understand the real hurdles and opportunities founders face. When policymakers have this deep understanding, they are better equipped to help startups scale and succeed across the region! Are you looking for a community that understands the reality of building a business? TODAY we are hosting Mentorship session #6 (6:30-8:30 KH time)! You can still sign up to get live, authentic and dedicated support for ASEAN cross border expansion. Join at the link below!

This Thursday, we’re kicking off ASC Mentorship Programme #6! Here, we are creating a space for genuine support to help you smash through your any business roadblocks. Here is the ASC formula for growth: - Horizontal Mentorship: Founder-to-founder collaboration. We bounce ideas across different disciplines to help you establish absolute clarity. - Vertical Mentorship: Once the goal is clear, we bring in an industry expert to help you demolish that specific bottleneck. - Custom Matching: No random pairings here. The ASC team actively hunts down the perfect advisor for your unique profile! Bring your biggest challenges, leave judgment at the door, and let’s build a community that actually moves the needle for each other. See you Thursday April 30th @ 6:30pm - 8:30pm KH time Space is limited, so secure your spot here : https://aseanstartupconnect.org/en/asc-mentorship-programme#mentee