Getting investors to meet and support tomorrow’s game changing startups – that’s what we are going to talk about today.

Founded in 2023, our guest A2D Ventures aims to be the region’s leading early stage startup investing platform and angel syndicate, expanding access to innovative companies and democratising venture capital. 

At the moment, the firm has a portfolio of 15 companies spread across a wide range of industries such as biotech, proptech, fintech, deeptech as well as aviation and electric vehicles.

Most recently, A2D Ventures had in June 2024 invested in Seaplane Asia, a company that offers air charter and seaplane services connecting islands and coastal areas, in a funding round led by venture capital firm TK & Partners. It had also in May 2024 invested in US sustainable mining startup BANIQL in a US$1.6 million seed round. 

But what is A2D Venture’s investment mandate to begin with? Who are the investors under its syndicate, and what is the return on investment they are aiming for? What is the total amount of capital deployed to startups under its portfolio for now?

Meanwhile, A2D Ventures had in January teamed up with InnoSpace Thailand, a public-private joint venture in the country, to come up with Thailand’s next big accelerator. 

But what should we know about the accelerator and what synergies will the accelerator bring to A2D Ventures as it sources for the next unicorn in the country?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Ankit Upadhyay, CEO, A2D Ventures.

Getting investors to meet and support tomorrow&rsquo;s game changing startups &ndash; that&rsquo;s what we are going to talk about today.
Founded in 2023, our guest A2D Ventures aims to be the region&rsquo;s leading early stage startup investing platform and angel syndicate, expanding access to innovative companies and democratising venture capital.&nbsp;
At the moment, the firm has a portfolio of 15 companies spread across a wide range of industries such as biotech, proptech, fintech, deeptech as well as aviation and electric vehicles.
Most recently, A2D Ventures had in June 2024 invested in Seaplane Asia, a company that offers air charter and seaplane services connecting islands and coastal areas, in a funding round led by venture capital firm TK &amp; Partners. It had also in May 2024 invested in US sustainable mining startup BANIQL in a US$1.6 million seed round.&nbsp;
But what is A2D Venture&rsquo;s investment mandate to begin with? Who are the investors under its syndicate, and what is the return on investment they are aiming for? What is the total amount of capital deployed to startups under its portfolio for now?
Meanwhile, A2D Ventures had in January teamed up with InnoSpace Thailand, a public-private joint venture in the country, to come up with Thailand&rsquo;s next big accelerator.&nbsp;
But what should we know about the accelerator and what synergies will the accelerator bring to A2D Ventures as it sources for the next unicorn in the country?
On Under the Radar, Money Matters&rsquo; finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Ankit Upadhyay, CEO, A2D Ventures.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

Under The Radar

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong is your 4–8pm drive companion, guiding you through the day’s biggest headlines, trending conversations and the issues shaping Singapore and the world.

From news and current affairs to lifestyle insights and generational perspectives, the show helps you make sense of what’s happening — with clarity, context and a touch of personality.

Whether you’re catching up after a long day or tuning in on the move, Your Way Home keeps you informed, engaged and connected — all the way home.

And she closes the day with a song that says it all.

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong is your 4&ndash;8pm drive companion, guiding you through the day&rsquo;s biggest headlines, trending conversations and the issues shaping Singapore and the world.
From news and current affairs to lifestyle insights and generational perspectives, the show helps you make sense of what&rsquo;s happening &mdash; with clarity, context and a touch of personality.
Whether you&rsquo;re catching up after a long day or tuning in on the move, Your Way Home keeps you informed, engaged and connected &mdash; all the way home.
And she closes the day with a song that says it all.

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.

In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore&rsquo;s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.
In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station.

MONEY FM 89.3

Under the Radar: How does early stage startup investing platform and angel syndicate A2D Ventures work exactly? 

Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes.

But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm’s technology. 

Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend.

At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race. 

Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes.
But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm&rsquo;s technology.&nbsp;
Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend.
At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race.&nbsp;

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) On the Go from the Singapore Grand Prix 2026 – How are Lenovo’s technologies turbocharging the Formula 1 races? Executives from Lenovo and F1 explain.

Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments. 

Instead of competing with the world’s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches. 

The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its “hub” port in Singapore and other “spoke” ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East.

But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters. 

That flexibility is proving to be important in today’s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher.

For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026.

The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea. 

So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy?

On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping.

Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments.&nbsp;
Instead of competing with the world&rsquo;s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches.&nbsp;
The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its &ldquo;hub&rdquo; port in Singapore and other &ldquo;spoke&rdquo; ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East.
But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters.&nbsp;
That flexibility is proving to be important in today&rsquo;s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher.
For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026.
The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea.&nbsp;
So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy?
On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping.

Under the Radar: How does Samudera Shipping expand while retaining flexibility and its niche in serving intra-Asia feeder routes? Its CEO explains.

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase “flamed-grilled” burgers, or even to “have it your way”? 

For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether. 

The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons. 

Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world’s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs.

It is more notably one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. 

Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years. 

In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International’s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade. 

The firm also launched the Popeye’s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years. 

But perhaps what’s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025. 

Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain’s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035. 

So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now? 

On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC.

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase &ldquo;flamed-grilled&rdquo; burgers, or even to &ldquo;have it your way&rdquo;?&nbsp;
For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether.&nbsp;
The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons.&nbsp;
Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world&rsquo;s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs.
It is more notably one of the world&rsquo;s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories.&nbsp;
Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years.&nbsp;
In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International&rsquo;s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade.&nbsp;
The firm also launched the Popeye&rsquo;s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years.&nbsp;
But perhaps what&rsquo;s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025.&nbsp;
Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain&rsquo;s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035.&nbsp;
So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now?&nbsp;
On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC.

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) Why is Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons’ parent Restaurant Brands International expanding aggressively in APAC right now?

Under the Radar: How does early stage startup investing platform and angel syndicate A2D Ventures work exactly?

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