GRIP, Internships Abroad A Different Perspective of Entrepreneurship

KK Fund - Singapore

Entrepreneurship has always been a passion of mine. I’m energized by the innovation that is demonstrated throughout the entrepreneurial process: formulating an idea, evaluating market opportunities, translating the idea into a tangible offering, and commercializing the product. While entrepreneurship is certainly a journey infused with uncertainty, there’s something to be said for the excitement associated with the enterprising environment which it cultivates.

From my previous experiences with startups, I’ve found that sourcing stakeholders for an entrepreneurial endeavor is often the most exhilarating phase of growth. The tact and persuasion demanded during the investment-sourcing process is an art in itself. In most cases, the involved stakeholders include institutional investors like private equity firms interested in the market potential that the company may demonstrate.

Having experienced the sourcing process from the perspectives of investment-seeking companies, I was particularly interested in the opportunity to engage from the investor standpoint offered by the KK Fund. KK Fund is a venture capital investment firm based in Singapore that invests in seed-stage internet and mobile startups across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. With responsibilities that include due diligence on prospective investments and market research, I’m excited for the exposure to the investor mindset on entrepreneurship.

I was also drawn to the international aspect of the GRIP program. The Southeast Asian entrepreneurship ecosystem presents an entirely different landscape from that of the United States. Strong usage of mobile devices in Southeast Asia has created a digital footprint in the region unparalleled by any other in the world. Accordingly, the market for internet and mobile investments is ripe with opportunity. As an applicant to the KK Fund GRIP program, I was particularly thrilled at the prospect of expanding my understanding of the Southeast Asian ecosystem through interactions with founders in the region and explorations of regional media.

During the late nights spent working to maintain a semblance of synchronous work despite the virtual format of the program, I am routinely motivated by the hands-on structure of the program. The level of direct engagement with the KK Fund partners and founders that I’ve been afforded has simply been incredible.

The program’s virtual format has also granted me the opportunity to travel domestically. While Singapore has been on my “Top Travel Destinations” list for quite some time, the flexibility to visit friends working in different cities and explore personal interests this summer has certainly been a silver lining. With the couple of months of exposure to the Southeast Asian region that I’ll have by the end of the program, I’m confident that my prospective, future trip to Singapore, whenever that may be, will be all the more enriching.