In Episode 33 of The Exponential Show, host Mayank Singh sits down with Ankit Upadhyay, Founder & General Partner at A2D Ventures, Co-Founder & CEO at VentureGrid, and Co-Founder of Venture Spark, for a deep conversation on building startup infrastructure across Thailand and Southeast Asia.

From venture platforms to founder enablement and ecosystem building, Ankit shares how he approaches investing beyond just writing cheques — focusing instead on building systems, networks, and platforms that help startups scale sustainably.

We explore ecosystem gaps, regional opportunity areas, sector trends beyond the AI hype cycle, and what early-stage founders in Thailand can do differently to increase their odds of success.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

02:10 – Origin Story. Key career milestones and the motivations that led to launching A2D Ventures.

09:04 – Building an Ecosystem of Your Own. The startup infrastructure challenges Ankit is addressing through A2D Ventures, VentureGrid, and Venture Spark.

24:23 – Regional Trends. Opportunities and structural challenges for startups in Thailand and the wider Southeast Asia region.

26:46 – Sector Trends Beyond the AI Buzzwords. Where real investor activity is flowing, and which verticals are showing long-term potential.

36:02 – Advice for Early-Stage Founders. Hard-earned lessons from investing in and working closely with startups across the region.

43:27 – What Can We Do Better? How The Exponential Show can better tell founder and business stories in Southeast Asia.

46:58 – Embracing Failure. Ankit reflects on his biggest professional setback and the lessons it taught him.

50:28 – The Next Frontier. What major goals and ambitions he is working toward in the coming months.

This conversation is especially relevant for founders, operators, investors, and anyone interested in how Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem is evolving.

A special thank you to our episode sponsor, True Digital Park, Thailand’s most comprehensive soft-landing platform for international individuals and companies.True Digital Park brings together workspace, community, and ecosystem support to help businesses and talent launch, grow, and scale in Thailand.

If you’re building in Thailand or exploring expansion into the region, this ecosystem matters.

If you enjoy conversations at the intersection of startups, venture capital, and ecosystem building in Southeast Asia, make sure to subscribe to The Exponential Show.