A new era of impact: Beyond the bottom line in Southeast Asia’s tech revolution

Impact-focused startups in Southeast Asia are redefining success by tackling access, agriculture, education, and healthcare inequalities

We’ve witnessed firsthand how a new generation of entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia (SEA) is redefining success. Growth is no longer measured solely by speed or scale, but by the depth of impact. The shift from asking ‘How fast can it scale?’ to ‘How meaningful is its contribution?’ is a growing debate in Southeast Asia, one that is increasingly shaping how entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers define success.

Across the region, impact-oriented investors are increasingly adopting a ‘Theory of Change’ approach that channels capital toward technology solutions addressing Southeast Asia’s most pressing challenges. At TNB Aura, this lens guides much of our investment activity. Based on our 2024 Impact Report, our largest investment sectors are 37 per cent consumer and retail/e-commerce, 23 per cent agritech, 13 per cent edutech, and 12 per cent healthtech, reflecting the areas where technology is delivering the most meaningful and measurable impact.

Consumer and retail: Breaking access barriers

Across SEA, millions living outside Tier 1 cities face limited access to basic goods and services. Infrastructure gaps mean essentials cost more and are harder to find, leaving underserved communities at a disadvantage.

Without innovation, this inequality would persist. Super is changing that through its social commerce group-buy model, which aggregates community demand to lower prices and improve distribution. In 2024, Super engaged more than 40,000 active agents coordinating group buying and end consumers who purchased directly from the platform. By reimagining last-mile access, Super has enabled goods that were once out of reach to become part of everyday life for households in remote areas.

Agritech: Building resilient food systems

Millions of small-scale farmers form the backbone of SEA’s food supply, yet most remain trapped by systemic inefficiencies. Left unaddressed, these challenges would continue to depress productivity and incomes.

In agritech, new digital platforms are flipping this reality, creating market access and supply chain efficiencies. TNB Aura’s portfolio companies, such as Eratani and Techcoop, are among those helping farmers secure fairer prices and more sustainable practices. In 2024, Techcoop improved the livelihoods of 233,250 farmers through expanded market access and input financing. Collectively, our portfolio has supported 209,000 small-scale enterprises, many of them farmers now participating in more equitable and efficient food systems.

Edutech: Expanding quality learning

For students across SEA, geography and cost have long dictated educational opportunity. The challenge is not just about access, but about the quality of education available to students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Without intervention, this gap would only widen with each generation.

Edutech innovators across the region are tackling this challenge head-on. One example is VUIHOC, which delivers affordable online learning to underserved students in Vietnam. Its dual-teacher live-streamed classes reach nearly 2,000 students at once, while its AI-powered platform personalises learning and provides an extensive library of resources to over a million more each year, demonstrating how tech can fundamentally transform a country’s educational landscape.

Healthtech: Closing the care gap

Healthcare inequality is one of SEA’s starkest divides. Rural and remote communities often lack access to even the most basic consultations, forcing patients to travel long distances or go untreated.

Technology has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for democratising healthcare in Southeast Asia. Our portfolio includes companies like Ora, which leverage digital platforms to expand access, offering affordable, timely medical consultations and delivering essential supplies that would otherwise remain out of reach. Ora delivered 63,750 online consultations in 2024.

A deliberate and data-driven approach to impact

These individual successes point to a broader, deliberate trend: investments in the region are increasingly aligned with both financial value creation and measurable impact. Looking ahead, investors are doubling down on development-eligible countries and climate resilience, with many, including TNB Aura, allocating significant capital to these priorities.

We challenge the traditional view that impact investing is a concession. Instead, we see it as the most strategic and sustainable way to build category-defining businesses in the region. By focusing on the sectors that truly matter and by backing the founders who are solving real problems, we are not just investing in companies; we are investing in a better future for Southeast Asia.

Authors

Written by: Sathyavani Krishnan, Marketing Manager

Co-Authored by:

• Amanda Nway Htwe, Corporate Development and Sustainability Manager
• Jessie Cruz, Value Creation Analyst