Ultra driven

IN THE glitzy, fast-paced world of startups, everyone wants to know how to identify the next big thing. Terms like "industry-first", "innovative business model" and "big data" get tossed around. But ask any early-stage venture capitalist, and the one big truth emerges: It all hinges on the founder.

Speaking to Anthony Tan, chief executive of tech firm Grab, it starts to become clear why the likes of Vertex Ventures and GGV Capital wanted to back him. The 37-year-old co-founder exudes energy and passion that make him appear unstoppable, even when a little under the weather.

In the two to three weeks leading up to his interview with BT, he visited seven cities for business. He caught a cold along the way, but the sniffles can't stop him. That September morning in Jakarta, he presents Grab's vision to use tech for good to a ballroom full of government officials, industry partners and international media - according to the company's newly unveiled social impact report, Grab contributed US$5.8 billion to South-east Asia's economy in the year to March 2019. A few meetings later, he sits down with BT, rubbing hand sanitiser into his palms and sipping from a glass of water stuffed full of lemon slices.