Thai Super Angels(2023 Edition)
With the current funding drought in the tech world, especially in the very early stage, one of the questions I get asked the most is: Who are some of the top angel investors in Thailand that is most sought-after for their experience, advice, connections and capital? Here’s my top-of-mind list of Thai Super Angels that are still actively deploying in 2023!
Ariya Banomyong
CEO & Founder at Transformational and Co-CEO, CMO PCL.
Former Managing Director, LINE Thailand, Former President/Executive Director, BEC World PCL.
Ariya brings over 22 years of experience in digital, technology, business building and transformation, strategy and execution from across Europe and Southeast Asia.
Starting his career at France Telecom, he returned to Thailand to take the role of Head of Customer Management Development at Orange (now TrueMove), before becoming the Chief Commercial Officer at True Corporation. He served as first Country Head of Google Thailand, setting up and growing the company’s office from 1 to 50 employees, and driving exponential growth of the business.
Ariya later became Managing Director of LINE Thailand, shifting the company’s strategic focus from being a chat app to a platform (or “SuperApp”), scaling monetization, and building LINE’s local services, including LINE Man, LINE Today, and LINE TV.
He also served as President of BEC World, with the vision to transform the company from a television business into a major content and entertainment platform.
Ariya currently works as a CEO of CMO Group which is the leading Experience Tech Creator Company in Thailand. Ariya also sits on the Boards of Index Living Mal, Pomelo, and is a Senior Advisor to McKinsey, and the Digital Economy for Society Working Committee.
Natavudh ‘Moo’ Pungcharoenpong
Co-CEO, SIX Network PTE LTD.
Moo Natavudh is a tech entrepreneur with over 18 years experience in founding, funding and managing tech companies.
Moo is a Founder and CEO of OOKBEE, one of SEA’s biggest UGC communities which include books, Novel, Comics, Music etc. Ookbee raised over 30M USD from various investors including Tencent and Intouch holdings in the past 4 years.
Besides Ookbee, he’s also a Venture Partners at 500 startups managing 500 Global Thailand, a $15M USD micro-fund focused on promising Thai and SEA startups.The fund portfolio includes Omise ( OmiseGo), Pomelo ( 19M usd follow-on investment by JD.com) And over 50 other startups in the region in the past 2 years.
Pahrada ‘Mameaw’ Sapprasert
Partner at 500 Global Thailand, Managing Partner, Orzon Ventures
Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree 2018 and Generation T Honoree 2019 — recognized by Forbes and Tatler as one of the influential Venture Capitalists in Asia Pacific. Mameaw is currently the Managing Partner at Orzon Ventures, a wholly-owned venture capital fund set up PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR) to invest in startups in Southeast Asia, and the Partner at 500 Global Thailand, a micro-fund from 500 Startups focused on promising Thai and CLMV startups in Seed to Pre-Series A stage which has invested in over 70 tech startup companies so far. Other than making investments, 500 Global Thailand also empowers startups with best of Silicon Valley’s education, thinking, talent to provide unfair advantage in the local market.
Pawoot (Pom) Pongvitayapanu
Pawoot Pongvitayapanu (Pom), is an online entrepreneur, E-Commerce, and Online media business leader.
Prior to holding CEO and Founder at TARAD.com the 1st and Biggest E-Commerce Service in Thailand since 1998. TARAD.com joined Rakuten Group №1 E-Commerce Site in Japan in 2009 and bought back from Rakuten in 2016 Now join with TCC Group the largest conglomerates company in Thailand
He founded efrastructure group in 2013 and invested in more than 44 startup companies. It consists of many businesses and more than 1,600 people in the group.
Supachai ‘Kid’ Parchariyanon
Managing Partner, SeaX Ventures & CEO and Co-Founder, RISE
Dr. Kid is a CEO and Co-founder RISE — Corporate Innovation Powerhouse with the goal to drive 1% of GDP for Southeast Asia by working with over 400+ large conglomerates and governments to innovate faster through its unique corporate accelerator and intrapreneur programs. RISE is now one of the largest open innovation platform in SEA with 2,000+ startups graduated from the program and a combined valuation of over $2 Billion.
He is also Managing Partner of SeaX Ventures — A US-based, DeepTech VC Fund investing in exponential startups globally. In just 3 years, he has 3 unicorns portfolios Solana, Band Protocol, and Bitkub. SeaX has $80m asset under management.
Sompoat (Meng) Chansomboon
Chief Executive Officer at KT Venture Capital and Former Managing Director, dtac Accelerate
dtac Accelerate is №1 Startup Accelerator House in Thailand and TOP3 in SEA with the following track record: 7 Years, 60 Startups accelerated, 151 Founders backed, 10000 jobs created, $227M Total Valuation, $36M Fund Raised, 70% Success Rate.
Suwatt Boyd Pathompakawan
Co-Founder of Skootar and Arislab.ai (exited)
Engineer by design but serial entrepreneur by choice, after his graduation from UK., Boyd has worked with international companies like Rolls-Royce PLC. And Damixa Aps in Denmark. He has brought his skills, passion and dream to start his own business ventures in various segments over the years. His businesses include hospitality (furniture, restaurants and spa) and in a technology segments (Skootar and ARIS).
His direct experience in building companies from the ground up has led him to help out other young startups and being a consultant to several internal startups within big cooperation like SCG. He is also an active angel investor and venture builder.
Tiwa York
Tiwa York is a Board Member at Seekster and Seven Peaks Software. Tiwa was the Founder and Former CEO, and Head Coach at Kaidee (exited). He is one of the most active and sought after angel investor in Thailand and is currently working on a Stealth Startup.
Ted Poshakrishna Thirapatana
Former Deputy CEO Intouch Holding and Founder, UTC Holding
A serial startup founder, investor and operator in Bangkok and Silicon Valley since the dot.com days.
Ted formerly serves as the DCEO for Intouch Holding PLC, an Executive Advisor at Boon Rawd Brewery and a Venture Partner at Creative Ventures, Thailand’s first Silicon Valley-based deep tech VC.
He is also Co-Founder of Unfold Ventures, WiseSight, Graphene Creations, Sellorate, WRS and an active investor in several startups.
Ted has over 25 years of experience developing new ventures for family conglomerates, corporations and startups. He mentors and supports founders while advising corporations on strategic tech ventures. His passion and experience in bridging gaps between the startup ecosystem and corporations are done through his company, UTC, where he provides advisory, venture builds and invests in new ventures, startups and joint ventures pursuing digital, data and deep tech businesses.
