Billionaire Taizo Son on Southeast Asia start-ups

Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Taizo Son, chief executive officer of Mistletoe

New businesses in that part of the world boast significant advantages compared to more advanced markets, Son explained, using the example of his home country.

“Japan is a developed and sophisticated society, but it’s difficult to make great innovations in a short period of time. In Singapore, on the other hand, we can move very quickly because there’s no legacy to break.”

Mistletoe hasn’t wasted any time since entering the region, recently announcing a new accelerator program in India for agri-tech and food-tech start-ups.

Called Gastrotope, the program is aimed at updating India’s food supply chain to the 21st Century, Son said, adding that the idea was inspired by the nation’s food struggle and its massive pool of tech talent.