KEY TAKEAWAYS

Asia is full of opportunity, but it’s not plug-and-play. The demand is real, but every market is different. What works in one country, or even one province, might not land in the next. Expect to localize.
Regulation, procurement, and policy are part of the business. Whether you’re in clean energy, food systems, mobility, or digital infrastructure, there’s no way around navigating policy or public-sector influence. Build capacity for that early.
Your product alone won’t get you scaled, collaboration will. Big customers, the right distribution partner, or even just a local ally who knows how the market works can unlock more than any feature update.
Impact isn’t a side narrative, it’s part of your business case, or even a competitive advantage. If you’re solving a real-world problem at scale, that is your market size. Impact isn’t just a metric for reports, it’s why people choose you over incumbents.
Right partnership really matters. You don’t have to figure it out alone. Especially in fragmented markets, getting the right local partner, whether for financing, distribution, or credibility, can make the difference between spinning wheels and finding product-market fit.

DEEP DIVING

1. Understanding Scaling in Deep Tech

Scaling deep tech and tech-enabled ventures presents a fundamentally different set of challenges compared to traditional technological companies. While geographical expansion is part of the journey, what sets deep tech apart is the complexity involved in replicating physical solutions, embedding operations into local ecosystems, and navigating diverse regulatory systems, often under conditions of infrastructure scarcity or policy uncertainty. It’s about building efficiency, repeatability, and sustainable revenue models across diverse and often complex markets.

Unlike many SaaS or platform-based ventures, deep tech startups must scale in the physical world—often requiring complex supply chains, capex-intensive investments in equipment, labs, and manufacturing facilities, specialized talents, and multi-layered regulatory approvals. These dynamics introduce friction points that go beyond solution deployment or customer acquisition; they demand sustained investment in ecosystem development, policy engagement, and operational resilience.

We spoke with climate tech founders we have been working with navigating these challenges, and these core challenges consistently emerged:

Upfront Capital Injection

Navigating Regulatory Complexity

Spillover Risk of Core Technologies

Communicating Value, Not Just Vision

The Role of Partnerships in Scaling: You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

2. Scaling in Asia: Big Opportunity, Real Complexity

Founders looking to expand into Asia often hear two things:

The market is huge.
It’s incredibly challenging to scale.

Both are true.

Asia isn’t a single market, it’s a mosaic of very different markets. What works in one country often doesn’t in another. Even within a country, state-level policies, procurement rules, or customer behaviors can completely shift your go-to-market playbook.

This is especially true for climate and deep tech startups, whether you’re rolling out physical infrastructure, deep science innovations, or enterprise software. Scaling here isn’t just about hitting growth targets. It means navigating complex policies, fragmented systems, and building long-term partnerships with customers.