Southeast Asia Tech Startups: US Expansion
- More and more Southeast Asian startups are setting their sights on the United States,drawn by a more concentrated and mature market.
- Yoeven Khemlani,founder of JigsawStack,launched his company in July 2024 to automate tasks for engineers.
- Jussi Salovaara, a cofounder of Antler, noted that Southeast Asian startups traditionally focused on local or regional markets.
Southeast Asian startups are increasingly expanding into the U.S. market, drawn by its maturity and opportunities.these tech companies, focusing on software and artificial intelligence, are finding the U.S. a crucial location for growth, as detailed by experts. JigsawStack’s founder, Yoeven Khemlani, exemplifies this trend, noting the strategic advantages. Antler’s Jussi salovaara observes a significant shift in Southeast Asian startups targeting the U.S. in recent years. The U.S. is at the forefront of AI advancements, attracting venture capital. Explore the evolving strategies of these companies as they seek to capitalize on American market dynamics. News Directory 3 highlights this development. Discover what’s next for these innovative ventures.
Southeast Asian Startups Increasingly Target US Market for Growth
Updated June 02,2025
More and more Southeast Asian startups are setting their sights on the United States,drawn by a more concentrated and mature market. These companies, including those focused on software and artificial intelligence, see the U.S. as a prime location for growth and investment, according to industry experts.
Yoeven Khemlani,founder of JigsawStack,launched his company in July 2024 to automate tasks for engineers. He quickly discovered that the majority of his early customers where based in the U.S.JigsawStack secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from Antler’s Southeast Asia fund.
Jussi Salovaara, a cofounder of Antler, noted that Southeast Asian startups traditionally focused on local or regional markets. However, he has observed a shift in the past three years, with more startups targeting the U.S. market.
Khemlani founded JigsawStack in 2024.
Yoeven Khemlani/Antler
Shailendra Singh, a managing director with Peak XV, said the U.S. is at the epicenter of driving groundbreaking advancements in AI. He added that his firm puts a lot of focus and effort on building global go-to-market operating teams in the U.S.
Nataliya wright, an entrepreneurship professor at Columbia Business School, found that software startups from smaller European countries often targeted the U.S. from the beginning. She said a U.S.orientation suggests a departure from the model for southeast Asian countries.
Khemlani said that working within Southeast Asia is tough because “you’re spending five times more because you’re entering five different markets.”
“SEA startups are frequently enough positioned to offer high-quality, cost-competitive solutions that can undercut US-based alternatives, making them appealing to American businesses in need of cost-effective innovation,” Salovaara said.
Wright added that having some American customers is good for fundraising because it helps cancel out “foreign discounting.”
What’s next
As southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem matures, expect to see even more startups focusing on the U.S. market to leverage its resources, investment opportunities, and leadership in key technologies like artificial intelligence.