NTT Group Establishes Its First Southeast Asia Startup Investment Vehicle, “Synexia Ventures”
NTT DOCOMO Ventures (NDV) and NTT Finance will jointly establish a new investment vehicle, Synexia Ventures, aimed at strengthening collaboration with promising startups in Southeast Asia. The investment vehicle will be established on December 15, 2025.
Synexia Ventures will serve as an investment vehicle established to reinforce NTT Group’s business development in Southeast Asia. The investment vehicle will target startups in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, focusing on fields including AI, IoT, smart cities, robotics, and drones–areas that align with the NTT Group’s strategic priorities. Synexia Ventures will be jointly managed by Kuan Hsu (General Partner of KK Fund), along with NDV and NTT Finance. Kuan Hsu will lead on-the-ground operations in Southeast Asia, leveraging his deep VC experience in the region while working closely with NDV and NTT Finance’s investment teams.
Southeast Asia, comprising 11 countries and a population of approximately 700 million people※2, represents a vast and rapidly growing market. While the region continues to experience remarkable economic growth, it also faces numerous social challenges, prompting the rise of many startups seeking innovative solutions. For Japanese companies, Southeast Asia is increasingly transforming from a manufacturing base into a hub for innovation creation.
Since 2017, NTT Group has promoted collaboration with Southeast Asian startups through the “NTT Com Startup Challenge,” organized by NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Inc. (formerly NTT Communications Corporation). In response to the strong momentum for new business creation among NTT Group companies in Southeast Asia, the program was expanded in 2024 to encompass the entire NTT Group and evolved into the “NTT Startup Challenge,” the Group’s first joint initiative.
The newly established Synexia Ventures aims to further strengthen these Group-wide initiatives by establishing an investment platform specialized in Southeast Asia, thereby accelerating NTT Group’s collaboration with local startups and fostering new business creation in the region.
On November 11, 2025, at the “NTT Startup Challenge Pitch Day” held in Jakarta, Indonesia, approximately 1,200 startups from across Asia interested in collaborating with NTT Group have applied, making it the largest pitch contest in Southeast Asia organized by a Japanese company. Ten startups selected from among the applicants have presented their businesses and collaboration proposals with NTT Group. At the event, the establishment of Synexia Ventures was officially announced to the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem.
NDV and NTT Finance will promote the NTT Group’s business development in Southeast Asia and the creation of new value through open innovation by leveraging this new investment vehicle.
Norbert Gehrke
