TechShake Asia and Tokyo Stock Exchange Japan: On Innovation with Resilience, and Bridging the Innovation Ecosystem

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES –  As Southeast Asia’s competitive talent pool continues to take the startup space by storm, TechShake Asia recognizes the dire need to support and connect ASEAN startups to investors around the globe. Pioneering a premium conference in the Philippines that aims to bridge the gap between the innovation ecosystem and investment opportunities, TechShake Asia has developed IGNITE PH – an annual hybrid innovation convention in the Philippines. Taking place on October 10-14, IGNITE 2022 FUSION explores the significance of innovation in driving sustainability and resilience as markets continue to navigate pandemic-stricken repercussions in society.

IGNITE 2022 FUSION kicked off with an online open event on September 13 – “Road to IGNITE” –  reaching out to a greater audience with key speeches and panel discussions on startup investment trends and the importance of achieving sustainability as a post-pandemic strategy for the global market and ASEAN startup ecosystem.

Innovation is key to creating sustainable societies. This idea was echoed by key opinion leader Kazuhiko Yoshimatsu, General Manager and Chief Representative of Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) Singapore. Yoshimatsu ingeniously identified innovation as a tool to address the stagnation caused by the pandemic and to achieve sustainability as risk mitigation and business opportunity enhancement.

Japan, Asia, and the Drivers of Innovation

Yoshimatsu continued to depict Japan as an epitome of innovation exploration globally and in Asia. Although the country holds one of the largest economies in the world, it faces challenges such as labor shortages, slow internationalization, and the need for digitization and digital transformation. However, these issues are the main drivers to acquiring more innovation by exploring foreign startups while ultimately aiming for the expansion of investment in the ASEAN region.

To address and contribute to global sustainability issues, Yoshimtasu affirmed the strategic facets of the Asian region as the bearer of the majority of the world’s population and as one of the biggest business and investment regions. Undoubtedly, more startups will give way to rich talent pools.

Tokyo Stock Exchange: We are ready for the world

As the General Manager and Chief Representative of TSE Singapore, Yoshimatsu was clear with one thing: TSE moves along the need for innovation and sustainability by embodying its core mission of providing risk money to industries through the capital market. With TSE’s aims to achieve sustainable growth and a sophisticated social system for the world, it harbors Japan’s diversity in numerous industries, rich experience, and knowledge in connecting Asia with the global market to support the abundant talent pool in the region’s startups.

TSE IPO Opportunities as a Practical Option for Entrepreneurs

Deputy General Manager of TSE Singapore Shoichi Sakatani remarkably presented how TSE IPO opportunities cater to business owners for its stability with 136 companies listed in FY 2021 and 5 companies making the cross-border IPO – the highest number within the decade. By the end of 2021, TSE was the fifth largest stock market globally and the second largest in Asia, making Tokyo one of the top IPO destinations in the world.

Sakatani furthered the inclusivity of TSE’s IPO opportunities by highlighting the importance of a reasonable business plan among other criteria. TSE solely expects companies to achieve high growth in the long term but does not have to stay profitable or expand business performance during IPO timing. In fact, the median price-to-earnings ratio (PER) of 2021 IPOs on TSE was 82.7x. 

TSE’s provision of the Japanese Depository Receipt (JDR) scheme caters to foreign companies by allowing smooth transactions of foreign stocks, bonds, and EFTs within Japan without needing to move their headquarters to the country. In 2021, two Singapore-based companies attained IPO in Tokyo: Omni-Plus System Limited, a sustainable material manufacturing company, and YCP Holdings, a management service and investment firm. 

One of Asia’s leading and emerging markets, Mothers (TSE’s growth market), accommodates companies of varying growth stages and sizes while offering multiple benefits, such as great valuation or liquidity, credibility, market stability, and technology affinity. Moreover, the inclusivity in TSE is also reflected in the diversified investors that composed 60% of the USD 31 billion average daily trading value in TSE’s first section for blue-chip companies with high liquidity.

Bridging the Innovation Ecosystem

While many innovative startups increasingly emerge globally and in the ASEAN region, more investors heed the call to support sustainable and resilient systems in the market and society. TechShake Asia bridges the gap in the innovation ecosystem by connecting flourishing startups to global venture opportunities. TSE, on the other hand, bridges this gap by diversely and inclusively providing risk money to industries through the capital market. Indeed, it is innovation that drives sustainability and resilience in this day and age more than ever.

To get a glimpse of what happened in IGNITE 2022 FUSION, visit https://www.ignite.ph/