About | A2D Ventures

ACCELERATE

Accelerate growth and rapidly scale innovative early-stage startups across Southeast Asia by raising capital from our community of angel investors and family offices.

BUILD

Build promising businesses with our team & network of seasoned angel investors, investment managers, corporate leaders, and ex-operators, that work closely with our portfolio startups.

CAPITALIZE

Capitalize on the growth potential of Southeast Asia's digital economy. Our angel investing platform unlocks investment opportunities across the region for founders and accredited investors.

DEMOCRATIZE

Democratize the world's most exclusive asset class — venture capital. We have created a diverse and inclusive ecosystem with low entry barriers allowing every individual an equal chance of success.

Why Build A2D?

We believe everyone should be able to own a piece of the future

Our mission is to expand access to innovative, early-stage startups across Southeast Asia and create a positive impact in the region by democratizing venture capital. By enabling job creation and economic growth; startups can empower individuals and communities, promote inclusion and equality, and contribute to the sustainable development of the region.

Ankit Upadyay, Dylan Keota, Sivach Sornchaitanasuk - Co-Founders A2D Ventures, Ex-Shopee, ECG Research

Ankit Upadhyay

Founder & General Partner

Ankit is an optimistic and tech-savvy individual with a wealth of experience in building and operating businesses. His journey has taken him from California to Asia, where he has delved into various sectors, including management consulting at McKinsey & Co., e-commerce at Shopee (part of SEA group), and advanced technologies like semiconductors manufacturing. His diverse skill set covers a range of areas, from P&L management to product development, strategy, operations, and business transformation. Ankit has gained valuable insights from both corporate and startup environments, allowing him to navigate the complexities of driving growth and innovation. Ankit is a firm believer in the value of Venture Capital and its potential to create positive change in the world. He advocates for providing visionary founders with the necessary support in terms of capital, mentorship, network access, thought partnership, and management skills. Recognizing the practical impact of these resources, Ankit actively promotes the invaluable role of angel investors in shaping the success of promising ventures.

Dylan Keota

Chief Investment Officer

Hailing from California, Dylan is a seasoned professional in the realm of private equity and venture capital, bringing a wealth of expertise and experience to the table. Dylan's journey started with a foray into entrepreneurship, where he successfully launched multiple startups in the hospitality and tourism sector through a Venture Builder approach. This early exposure to building businesses laid the foundation for his career in private equities. His remarkable tenure at ECG Venture Capital showcased Dylan's exceptional leadership skills as he oversaw one of Thailand's largest non-corporate backed VC fund. Under his guidance, the company expanded its reach and influence globally, establishing itself as a significant player in the venture capital landscape. Dylan's strategic acumen and keen investment instincts are evident in his noteworthy investments in leading tech companies such as Polestar and Lotus Tech, alongside investing into top-tier funds from around the world. These ventures have solidified his reputation as a trailblazer within Thailand's vibrant and rapidly evolving startup ecosystem.

Sivach Sornchaitanasuk

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Sivach is an accomplished and seasoned operator with a remarkable background in the automotive industry. He served as an executive at Triumph Motorcycles, where his leadership and strategic acumen played a pivotal role in driving the company's extraordinary digital transformation achievements on a global scale. Leveraging his industry expertise and strong business acumen, he has made numerous strategic angel investments in promising startups across the United Kingdom and Thailand. He has also established a USD 20 million cryptocurrency fund under the name Avareum, which is a testament to his forward-thinking mindset and his belief in the transformative power of blockchain technology. He actively explores and invests in promising blockchain projects across Thailand, contributing to the evolution and advancement of the digital financial landscape in the country.

Meet the A2D Team

Santit Jirawongkraison Super Angel and Co-Founder of Lalamove

Santit Jirawongkraisorn

Super Angel | Ex-MD & Co-Founder of Lalamove

Santit, is a prominent angel investor, ex-operator and builder of Lalamove - with over 15 years of work experience in the energy, banking, technology and transport industries in Southeast Asia and the United States. Prior to Lalamove, he was the responsible for launching Uber in Thailand & Philippines and was the Investment Director at Dragon Capital Group’s Mekong Brahmaputra Clean Development Fund L.P., a USD 100 private equity fund that invests in renewable energy and clean development projects in various countries in Asia. Santit has Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Aswin Phlaphongphanich

Co-Founder & CEO of DeeMoney

A third generation Thai-Indian, Aswin is a serial entrepreneur and is currently building Thailand's leading and fastest-growing Fintech company - DeeMoney, specializing in cross-border payments. He is passionate about building financial services to cater to the needs of underserved and underbanked communities across Southeast Asia and is enthusiastic about working with young entrepreneurs and startups. He is regularly mentors up-and-coming enterprises, inspiring new entrepreneurs to grow and succeed by utilizing tech tools through hands-on consultations where he shares his unique business, technology, and communication insights.

Oranuch Lerdsuwankij

Co-Founder & CEO of Techsauce and Thailand Accelerator

Oranuch (Mimee) Lerdsuwankij is the Co-Founder and CEO of Techsauce which is the leading technology ecosystem builder and organises one of the largest tech conference in Southeast Asia - Techsauce Global Summit. She is recognised as one of the "pioneers" in building Thai startup ecosystem. She is also a board member of Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC). Oranuch is one of Thailand’s leading women with expertise in technology, besides her success in the technology industry, she is passionate about leveraging technology to help society especially among vulnerable people like refugees, children, women, the elderly or refugees with disabilities. Prior to starting her own businesses, she has more than 12 years of experience in product strategy and marketing-related roles with leading IT& telecom industry such as TA Orange (Truemove), Atos Origin and Total Access Communication (DTAC). Notable Awards: Prestige Women of Power 2022 Distinguished Member of UNHCR Leading Women Fund National Innovation Awards 2021 : Innovation communicator category Prime Minister Award : National Startup 2020 Evangelist of the Year Rice Bowl Startup Awards 2016

Anuj Golecha

Co-Founder of Venture Catalysts & 9Unicorns

Anuj is the co-founder of Venture Catalysts; India's #1 and world's #3 angel driven investment community platform. He brings 18+ Years in Entrepreneurship & Investments experience having led 160+ Early Stage & Growth Tech Investments including 4 unicorns in India, $250 Mn+ Capital Deployed and expanding Venture Catalysts globally as India's marquee multi-stage fund house enabling global investors to part-take in India's growth journey via venture capital.