HeyHi, a Singapore-based EdTech platform, is now working with Tunas Muda and Binus — two of the most recognized names in Indonesian education. Neither relationship was the result of a single sales push. Both trace back to introductions Curt & Co made years earlier, ones that quietly compounded into something far bigger than the original deal. That's the real answer to how an EdTech platform builds trust with schools in a new Southeast Asian market: not through a marketing cam

A European retail brand flew in a Country Director from Germany. By year two, they'd replaced her twice, burned through their three-year runway, and were staring at exit. Local leaders consistently outperform expat country directors in Southeast Asia because they read consumer sentiment without a translator, already hold the relationships that take outsiders years to build, and make decisions in days instead of weeks. The data backs this up: companies that promote local leade

A product no one can find doesn't exist. In Indonesia, that isn't a metaphor — it's a logistics reality spread across 17,504 islands. Distribution is the hardest part of entering Indonesia, Vietnam, or the Philippines because none of them have a single national channel. Each requires running two supply chains at once: modern trade (convenience chains, supermarkets, e-commerce) covering the wealthier urban minority, and millions of independent traditional retailers — warungs,

Yes Thailand has changed their company registration regulations! Since 2026, the government is no longer looking only at who owns the shares. It also wants to know who really controls the company. This change is designed to stop people from using nominee shareholders—Thai citizens who hold shares on paper but do not actually own, fund, or manage the business. According to the government, many companies may have been using this type of arrangement. In short they want to preven

A medical device company spent 18 months and $2 million preparing to launch in Southeast Asia — despite already holding approvals in the US, EU, Japan, and Australia. They launched three years behind schedule anyway. The direct answer: every SEA market runs its own approval process, its own timeline, and its own ownership rules — there's no "ASEAN license" that clears all six at once. Singapore approves in 3–6 months; Vietnam can take 18–30. Budget country-specific timelines

Four entry models. One right answer for your business — and it's probably not the one you're defaulting to. There are four proven ways to enter Southeast Asia: distributor-led, joint venture, wholly-owned subsidiary, and digital-first/e-commerce. The right choice depends on your industry's regulatory exposure, how much capital control you need, and how fast you want revenue. Get this decision wrong and you'll spend two years and six figures unwinding it. Why "Start With Sin

In 2015, SEA's internet economy was worth $30 billion. By 2022: $200 billion. By 2025: projected $330 billion. That's not growth. That's an explosion. The Mobile-First Leapfrog Unlike Western markets where consumers graduated from desktop to mobile, most Southeast Asians skipped desktop entirely. They came of age digitally through a smartphone. This has profound consequences for how brands must show up: if you're not mobile-optimised, you simply don't exist for a significant

Expanding into a new market is rarely just about having a great product. It takes local knowledge, the right connections, and a partner who understands both sides of the equation. That's exactly what Curt & Co set out to do — and we're proud to share that we've supported Polar Ice Cream in establishing a strategic retail partnership with WinMart, one of Vietnam's most trusted modern retail chains. Why Vietnam, and Why Now? Vietnam's consumer market is one of Southeast Asia's

350 million new middle-class consumers by 2030. That's the entire population of the United States joining the consumer economy — in less than a decade. What This Consumer Class Is Actually Buying Rising incomes don't produce uniform spending patterns. According to Euromonitor International's 2023 report on SEA consumer trends, the fastest-growing categories include: · Packaged and premium food (CAGR 8.2%) · Personal care and beauty (CAGR 9.1%) · Education an

What does it take for an EdTech company to expand into not one, but two culturally distinct Asian markets — simultaneously? For ACTs of Life (AOL), a Singapore-based enrichment and EdTech company that teaches children English through storytelling, the answer came down to one thing: the right entry strategy, built on local intelligence. The Starting Point: A Market Full of Potential — and Pressure Expanding into Asia is rarely straightforward. Indonesia and Japan couldn't be

A US food brand launched in Thailand with an award-winning product. The marketing won a Cannes Lion. Sales were dismal. Here's why. Thai consumers found the product too salty, the portion size wasteful, and the price point unjustifiable. Every element that made the product successful in Western markets made it irrelevant in Thailand. Localisation is not a nice-to-have. It is the entire game. What Localisation Actually Means — and What It Doesn't Most companies think localis

When Singapore-based workforce solutions company Iamatelier began exploring Cambodia as part of its regional expansion strategy, the company was looking for more than new sourcing channels. It was looking for the right long-term partners — organisations that aligned with its commitment to ethical recruitment, legal compliance, and professional workforce development. To support this journey, Iamatelier engaged Curt & Co to facilitate strategic business matching and on-the-grou

Should you go it alone, or find a local partner? After 30 years of corporate history across the region, the answer is almost always the same: find the right partner. And this advice applies even to companies with billion-dollar balance sheets. Why You Cannot buy Your Way Past Local Knowledge Distribution in Southeast Asia is unlike anything in Western markets. Indonesia has an estimated 3.5 million warungs — small family-owned shops that account for 70% of consumer goods sa