Powered by Catcha Group, Wild Digital Southeast Asia 2019 saw a record-breaking crowd of 100+ speakers, 1700+ attendees, 50+ sessions and 2 After Parties over the two days of 3^rd and 4^th July 2019.

Its fifth year running, Wild Digital was birthed with the objective of connecting tech and digital leaders, and key decision makers of the region on one platform, allowing for the exchange and furthering of ideas with the aim of driving the region’s tech advancements. This year’s theme was aptly “Advancing SEA’s Billion-Dollar Ideas”.

Keynote speakers included Patrick Grove, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, YB Syed Saddiq, Roger James Hamilton (The New York Times Bestseller), Nick Nash (Managing Partner & Co-founder, Asia Partners), Eric Gnock Fah (Klook), Mark Britt(iflix), Agung Bezharie (Warung Pintar) and many more. Key pull out quotes included,

“Only 10 years behind China, we, Southeast Asia are currently in the unicorn phase – a turning point for most regions in the world.” Nick Nash, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Asia Partners.

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“Our focus is mostly right now on gaming companies, video entertainment, OTT, and to some extent e-commerce and also fintech companies. Me and you, as consumers, spend most of our time on our phones. There are a lot of services there that can be monetized. Therefore, having the platform that allows for end to end monetization is something we have built,” Zoran Vasiljev, CEO, Apigate Sdn. Bhd.

“Traditional grocery retail industries in SEA will change more in the next 5 years than in the past 50!” Ronald Chan, Group COO, Happy Fresh.

“There is no better time than now to prove that women have a voice and people need to listen.” Beverly Chen, Marketing Director, APAC, AppsFlyer.

The two-day event also saw many firsts for Wild Digital. A live crowdfunding segment took place throughout the two days. A collaboration with PitchIn, Malaysia’s leading crowdfunding platform, the segment allowed for all attendees to invest in 15 curated investment-ready start-ups from the region, from as low as USD100. By Day 2 of Wild Digital SEA, PitchIn recorded a total of RM80k in pledges.

Wild Digital also held a private session with Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the evening of day one, co-hosted by Khailee Ng, Managing Partner of 500 Startups and Amira Karim, Head of Public Policy, Stripe. A closed-door by-invitation only session, the segment was a cozy dialogue between Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Khailee, Amira, and over fifty internet leaders of the region.

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Patrick Grove, Catcha Group, Co-Founder, “This is the reason we started Wild Digital and this is our differentiator. We don’t just wanna have a hyped-up mass conference. We want to actually be the platform where cool, change-making internet leaders come together to engage, share ideas, and push for growth – and Wild Digital is committed to doing this. To always be that platform and hopefully open doors to the next generation of a fresh digital tsunami.”

Khailee Ng, 500 Startups, Managing Partner, “If all of us are walking the right steps, we can run.”

Amira Karim, Stripe, Head of Public Policy, “We are just expanding and starting with Malaysia here, officially launching in Sept/Oct. Stripe is traditionally US-centric and coming to Malaysia meant that we had to learn (about this country and market). To listen to you; and this is just our Beta version, but we already have 20 companies with us, many of them start-ups. Malaysia is looking to expand its inclusiveness. How do we, all of us here, expand and grow the GDP of internet in Malaysia?”

Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, President, People’s Justice Party, “Let’s encourage local startups and the localization of companies. We have to, all of us, trust the local players. Replace race-backed economic policies, and not ignore the plight of the poor.”

Dr. Sumitra Nair, MDEC, Vice President, Talent & Digital Entrepreneurship, “We have to break the silos by fostering a sense of conversation. Have new ways of thinking, new ways of working together. There’s so much to do, so much to accelerate.”

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Choo Ping Ang, Expedia, Asia Senior Director, Corporate and Government Affairs, “Skill is important. This year alone, we brought 3 million in business to Malaysia. We’re looking to work with more SMEs, hotels and the like to bring more tourists to Malaysia. Expedia is committed to working in the tourism and hospitality industry in the country by continually upskilling them.”

Raymond Hor, Kejora Ventures, General Partner, “We are working with governing bodies like the Securities Commission to co-ordinate more funds here but money is never enough. Rather than wait for the government to give us funds, why don’t we look to inviting VCs from the outside to invest in Malaysian start-ups? We can have regional funds and participate in high growth countries like Indonesia, as well as Malaysia. That’s the key — matching foreign and local money.”

Wild Digital sets a fast-paced and specially curated first-class main stage programme with an exciting mix of established industry giants and rising digital disruptors.  Speakers on stage must be of a CEO, MD (SEA/APAC), Founder or Co-Founder position. Start-ups included must have raised at least USD10 million, venture capital or corporate ventures firms a fund size of at least USD100 million.

In line with the global movement to combat pollution and save the planet, Wild Digital has also gone plastic-free this year on with Tengku Zatashah Idris leading the charge, on a panel on Day 2. In line with Tengku and Wild Digital’s aim this year to go #zeroplastic and #stopsingleuseplastic, plastic used before, during and after the conference was reduced, reused or recycled.

For more information and the full line-up of speakers and attendees, head on over to www.wilddigital.com.

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