Qualgro hosted its first-ever event in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together over 100 founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders to explore what it takes for Southeast Asia startups to scale globally. The panels were moderated by Qualgro General Partner Weisheng Neo.
The first panel, Scaling Beyond Borders, featured Qualgro’s Founding Partner Heang Chhor and PatSnap’s Founder and CEO Jeffrey Tiong, moderated by Qualgro General Partner Weisheng Neo. Jeffrey shared PatSnap’s journey from a university startup to becoming Southeast Asia’s only SaaS unicorn, serving enterprise clients across the US, Europe, and Asia. Reflecting on more than a decade-long partnership with Qualgro, he highlighted how the firm supported PatSnap’s early international expansion, including helping reorganize its London office. The discussion underscored why having a global mindset from Day 1 is essential—a core pillar of Qualgro’s investment philosophy.
The second panel, Building and Growing High-Performing Teams in Malaysia, featured Funding Societies’ CEO Kelvin Teo, Lin Zheng of Ninja Van, and Adrian Hia of Kairous Capital, with Weisheng Neo as moderator. Kelvin shared how strategic early hires, strong core values, and an eight-year partnership with Qualgro enabled Funding Societies to scale across five countries and become Southeast Asia’s leading data-driven SME lender. Lin emphasized the importance of career growth pathways in retaining talent, while Adrian noted how global talent inflows are strengthening Malaysia’s ecosystem. Weisheng concluded by stressing that the right investor provides more than capital—offering strategic guidance, talent development, and long-term partnership to help founders achieve lasting impact.
