The first quarter of 2026 in Southeast Asia was marked by the lowest quarterly deal count in at least eight years. While funding value in Q1 2026 rose to its highest level since Q4 2022, the figure was heavily distorted by Singapore-based data centre operator DayOne’s $2 billion Series C round. Nevertheless, there were pockets of resilience: Malaysia moved to second place by deal volume for the first time, and AI-focused startups, including those building agentic AI and enterprise automation solutions, continued to attract investor attention.
Singapore Reporter/s
In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.
Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).
Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).
- A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
- A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories.
- A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.