Meet Tina Di Cicco: Investible's new Venture Partner

Today, we're excited to formally introduce one of the newest members of the Investible community, Tina Di Cicco who will help us continue this mission. Jointly-based in Manila and Singapore, Tina serves as a frontline ambassador for Investible, identifying founders, investors and partners, as well as supporting the Investible portfolio in Asia and beyond.

Read on for an introduction to Tina's journey and impact, as we welcome her to the Investible team.

About Tina

Tina is a founder, investor and airline and travel executive with more than 30 years of experience working with high-growth companies globally.  She co-founded two travel tech companies; led the founding team of two Asian airlines; and led marketing and operations at Lufthansa and IHG.

Tina is an active leader in the start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia with a particular passion for future mobility, impact investing and diversity in organizations. She sits on the board of Manila Angel Investors Network, the largest and most active angel network in the Philippines. There, she also chairs its Gender-Lens Investing Committee, which works with high-potential female-led startups. She is also a director at Kerubin Capital, a Singapore-based fund backed by Australian Aid Investing in Women that co-invests into women-led companies.

She advises and mentors the founding teams of several companies in Southeast Asia and consults for early-stage European companies who seek to grow their footprint into the region. Her work focuses on innovation & technology, aviation & aerospace, travel & tourism, and sustainability & social enterprise.

What are you most excited about, as the newest member of the Investible team and community?

Advancing humanity through technology is a very powerful thesis. A compelling concept, and one that everyone on this planet will benefit from... and should get on board with! I’m excited about the economy-sustainability-society paradigm we are building, and in promoting gender equity in capital. I’m fortunate to align on this mission and to interact with like-minded, value-driven people; and work with a team that breathes this ethos. There is nothing more exciting than to create something that will outlive us.

What is unique or exciting about the Philippines’ startup ecosystem?

The Philippines has a thriving startup ecosystem. We have 118 million people living in the Philippines and a global diaspora of millions more. Our population is the 13th youngest in the world with a median age of 24. This population is highly educated and English-speaking. Internet penetration is high, infrastructure is mobile-friendly; and private-public partnership on entrepreneurial ventures is incredibly strong. The Philippines was also the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia in 2023, and isn’t stopping that pace anytime soon...

These are strong pillars for the startup ecosystem, but the Philippines is still a developing country that faces many similar challenges to any maturing economy. These force us to be creative, resourceful and innovative – attributes that are the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem.

What are your predictions for the next decade of Southeast Asia’s startup and tech sector?

Growth. Consolidation. Confidence. AI.

Southeast Asia will remain as one of the fastest growing regions in the world because of its large and young population, fast adoption to technology and government support across the region. The venture market corrected heavily in 2022 and well into 2023, but companies who made it through this period tend to be stronger, more sustainable and equipped with capable and resilient founders and teams.

Over the next few years, we’ll see some exits, most of them trade sales to private equity or strategics. While IPO is the aspiration for many founders, the region’s young ecosystem needs to mature more and grow bigger companies with true scale to see many viable capital market exits. In turn, as the market develops and we see more successful exits, we’ll see increased confidence from the investing community.

With respect to recent hype around AI, investors must dig deeper and question what this fast-developing tool can do to add value to the enterprise and to the scalability of the business. The companies that can demonstrate and execute this well, will soon find themselves in a whole new arena. AI will be omnipresent, like what we said about mobile in 2010.

We’ll also see more gender equity in capital. Women will own 75% of the discretionary spend in 2028, making them the world’s greatest influencers. Companies and investors will realize there may be a competitive advantage in ensuring gender diversity in their portfolios, and will build around this. Investing in women leads to financial and societal gains – we’re seeing it now.  And we’ll see it accelerate in the next years to come.

What is a key insight from your journey as an angel investor?

No matter what my check-size is, I do proper due diligence as a matter of discipline. It can range from time with the founders and their team to phone calls with consumers and industry leaders, as well as extensive and elaborate research.

Through the diligence process I aim to appreciate the opportunity more and understand the founding team more deeply, understanding why they are uniquely positioned to tackle the market they are entering. I also make a point to map out a path where I can add value to the business, beyond capital.

What tech sectors particularly draw your interest, and why?

I am passionate about sustainable aviation and urban air mobility. They are necessary to the global economy yet their effect on global warming is alarming.

The airline industry is united and determined to reduce its 2-3% contribution to global carbon emissions but it started too late. This means it now needs to work faster and smarter to minimize its carbon footprint. Beyond sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), I am interested in how the ecosystem can be fully carbon neutral - from airframes to air traffic management; from procedures and processes to EVTOL and electric planes. For startups and investors, the opportunities are not only in the high-ticket items but in the nuts and bolts that make up this ecosystem.

Do you have any advice for early-stage founders seeking investment? How do you stand out in a crowded fundraising market?

Noting that Investors review hundreds of decks, and can meet several new founders each day, and it’s important to be memorable and cut through the noise.

Once the key investment criteria like product-market fit and scalability are addressed, the founder persona becomes a key element of the equation. Founders should exhibit grit, purpose and competence at every stage of the conversation.

Running a startup is like flying a plane. You need a pilot with technical competency, determination to reach the destination and the mental readiness to course-correct when the situation changes.

You also become memorable by following up on a call or conversation. Even when an investment does not seem imminent, send an update or quick note anyway. Situation changes and what wasn’t viable earlier may become valuable now.

Connect with Tina on LinkedIn.