The start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia is thriving and maturing at a rapid pace, with capital increasingly being allocated to up-and-coming players.

The start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia is improving and nurturing more homegrown start-ups. Based on data from a report by e27, Asia's largest tech media platform, titled ‘Southeast Asia’s start-up ecosystem report 2018’, at least 5,828 active start-ups are operating across six ASEAN countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines).

Over the weekend, the second ASEAN Lifestyle Week 2019 (ALW2019) was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia to showcase the best that ASEAN small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have to offer in the lifestyle sector. Organised by Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang), ALW2019 had exhibitors from across the region comprised of businesses from different sectors.

Globally, women still struggle to reach top leadership positions and are also less likely to become entrepreneurs.

Coworking has turned into a global industry. According to Coworking Resources, which studied the growth of the trend, there are currently an estimated 19,000-office spaces and 1.7 million members around the world.Brad Neuberg coined the term after his San Francisco Coworking Space at Spiral Muse, back in 2005. Neuberg’s concept of collaborative space gained ground, catching the attention of entrepreneurs and freelancers across the United States (US) and later the world.