As we wrap up 2024, it’s easy to get caught up in the headlines and uncertainty around Southeast Asia’s tech and venture ecosystem. But moments like these are also a chance to zoom out and ask: Why do we do what we do? And what keeps us excited about innovation in the region?

Enter the “9Ds of Disruption”—a simple heuristic for the key innovation approaches driving Southeast Asia forward. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re patterns we’ve seen repeatedly across our portfolio companies, reshaping industries and unlocking new opportunities.

Here’s a quick dive into the 9Ds of Disruption, with real-world examples:

1️⃣ Different: Different Is Better Than Better 🚀

Example: SuperApp brought the Pinduoduo group-buying social commerce model to Indonesia, focusing on tier-2 and tier-3 cities, avoiding direct competition with established e-commerce giants. Learn more from the Against All Odds documentary.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Stay focused on distinction and staying true to the company’s overarching goals rather than falling into trend-driven competitive bandwagons.

2️⃣ Disintermediation: Cut Out the Middleman 🔗

Example: Carro connects buyers and sellers directly, using tech to reduce friction, pricing opacity, and quality control issues in the used car marketplace. Learn more from the Against All Odds documentary.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Cutting out the middleman does not cut out costs for the disrupting platform. Simply replacing offline processes with online experiences is not enough. Disintermediation is also about taking ownership of costs and how to reduce them for the end consumer (and the company as well).

3️⃣ Distribution: Build to Monetize 📲

Example: Intellect started with a consumer app that became a powerful entry point to enterprise customers, establishing itself as a leading mental healthcare provider in Asia. Learn more from this case study.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Developing distribution is a lot more costly when done purely through organic means. Leverage partnerships to reduce market expansion risks and costs while still maintaining differentiation (the first D, what do you still bring to the table that partners will value in you?).

4️⃣ Data: Build Data Factories and Monetize the Data 📊

Example: fileAI automates complex data processing across multiple sources, helping businesses create “data factories” and AI-driven operational efficiencies. Learn more from our AI Transformation event panel.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Data factories and data lakes are costly to build and spend on and it is likely that companies will use a combination of tools (or a data enhancement stack) to get the job done. This open up opportunities for the services provided by companies like fileAI or WIZ.AI to be used in conjunction with each other.

5️⃣ (On-)Demand: The Last-Minute Economy ⏳

Example: Konvy unlocked omnichannel distribution—offline stores, TikTok channels, and online marketplaces—becoming the go-to partner for beauty brands entering Southeast Asia. Learn more from this podcast with CEO Qing Gui Huang.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Competing for on-demand adoption is costly but the goal is not becoming the on-demand platform of choice for its own sake. It’s about being able to capture more highly retentive cohorts of customers by serving them wherever they are thinking about your category of products.

6️⃣ Design for the Individual: Personalization and Customization 👤

Example: Dr Clear Aligners built a seamless end-to-end experience with tailored treatment plans and post-care monitoring through local dental partnerships. Learn more from this podcast with CEO Ryan Teo.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Developing personalized user experiences is not just a result of digital technology but also having a robust supply chain and localized partnerships.

7️⃣ Double-Speed: Move Fast ⚡

Example: Tentang Anak scaled rapidly from a parenting app to developing top-selling skincare and vitamins, building deep trust with their core audience: parents. Learn more from this post by CEO Dr Mesty Ariotedjo.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Speed only makes sense when the direction is clear — in this case, sticking to the company’s core capabilities and customers.

8️⃣ Duplicate: Copy and Improve 🛠️

Example: Finhay learned from global players like Robinhood and Groww but tailored its wealth management platform to meet Vietnam’s unique investment behaviors, offering margin lending, bonds, and gold products. Learn more from this post on our LinkedIn page.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: There are advantages not just in “taking the best parts of other companies” but also finding out what these companies might have more difficulty doing should they enter the local market (e.g., barriers created by regulation).

9️⃣ Decarbonize: Green Innovation 🌱

Example: BroilerX isn’t a traditional climate tech company, but it’s transforming poultry farming with smarter inputs, better productivity, and reduced waste. Learn more from this article.

Learning from our portfolio for 2025: Green innovation is not just about introducing more sustainable business practices but also ensuring the economics still make sense for those having to change their behavior. Are they financially incentivized to adopt new ways of doing?

📈 Opportunities for Founders in 2025

Looking ahead, here are some trends we see shaping the next wave of innovation:

1. AI Everywhere: From enterprise SaaS to consumer platforms, AI will become a core building block for startups.
2. Cross-Border Playbooks: Southeast Asia’s fragmented market will see more startups perfecting scalable cross-border strategies.
3. Green Tech as a Standard: Companies with sustainability baked into their core operations—not just as an add-on—will thrive.
4. B2B SaaS Growth: With more regional enterprises adopting digital tools, B2B SaaS remains a significant opportunity.
5. Vertical Commerce: Niche platforms offering tailored products and services to specific communities will continue to grow.

Other approaches are not in this list? Reach out to us if you have ideas at hello@insignia.vc.