By Kendrick Wong,

Appetites are changing—investors and entrepreneurs alike are looking beyond tech mecca Silicon Valley for a slice of the startup pie in Southeast Asia.

Despite the pandemic, investors are clearly bullish about the region’s massive growth potential and market opportunities, with Southeast Asia tech startups raising an impressive $8.2 billion just last year. In fact, Jungle Ventures estimates that the combined valuation of Southeast Asia’s tech startups will increase by more than 3x in a mere five years, from $340 billion to $1 trillion in 2025.

With capital pouring in and valuations skyrocketing, what is it about Southeast Asia that makes it so attractive to investors?