David Hwan is an Investment Associate at Kadan Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Fintech, B2B SaaS, and Artificial Intelligence.

David previously co-founded fintech startup Kwara, raising $10M from global investors, including SoftBank. 

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👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

Venture capital investors find and support the rare individuals building companies that define our future. 

We do this by investing time and capital in the early stages of growth, taking substantial risk in pursuit of extraordinary outcomes.

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🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

My first entrepreneurial venture involved selling Yu-Gi-Oh cards on YouTube as a kid. I’d film my collection and negotiate offers through comments. 

A trade would happen through postal mail and could take up to a month to complete — quite a change from today’s digital transactions!

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‍🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

At my previous startup, I mentored someone named Salome, who grew from Sales Rep to Account Executive to Head of Sales in four years. 

Her growth reinforced my belief that the most worthwhile investments are deep, personal commitments to individuals, taking a long-term horizon on success.

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🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

The current Wiz acquisition proves that a small country can achieve outsized returns. I’m excited to back Singapore-based startups with global ambition, leveraging the unfair advantages native to this region. 

Conversely, my family is from Indonesia, and I remain a strong believer in her untapped potential in the long run, with the right team at the right time.

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💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

You have two ears and one mouth.

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🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

Having studied Philosophy, I can talk for hours about existential questions - what's real, what constitutes a good life, or whether we have free will. 

I especially love exploring how modern technology brings ancient philosophical problems into new light.

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🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

Pantheon, a contemporary series about uploaded intelligence.

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🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Is there really any better flavor than hazelnut?