Sasin School of Management hosted SaaS Connect Thailand 2025, powered by Katalyst and FlowAccount, marking a significant milestone in Thailand’s growing SaaS (Software as a Service) ecosystem on August 30. The event gathered 120 participants, including founders, tech leaders, investors, and representatives from more than 15 startups. This collaboration between academia and the tech industry aims to propel Thai SaaS companies to embrace rapid digital transformation and achieve sustainable growth in the AI era. “SaaS has become essential for our digital transformation. It’s becoming more part of business scaling globally, and Thai founder s are building impactful solutions across FinTech, HealthTech, and well beyond those areas,” said Professor Ian Fenwick, Director of Sasin. Woraphot Kingkawkantong, Head of Investment at Beacon Venture Capital, opened the discussion by sharing insights on the adaptability of SaaS amid economic shifts, changing client expectations, and a recalibrated investment landscape. “In challenging times, the true strength of SaaS isn’t just recurring revenue; it’s its inherent adaptability. We’ve seen that by focusing relentlessly on customer value, operational efficiency, and strategic innovation, SaaS companies don’t just weather storms—they emerge more resilient, more valuable, and more essential than ever before,” said Woraphot. He added that the global SaaS market shows strong growth potential, with projected growth rates exceeding 20 percent worldwide, 16.2 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, and 15.12 percent in Thailand between 2025 and 2031. According to Beacon Venture Capital, there is an increasing demand for digital transformation, stronger SaaS capabilities driven by AI integration, and rising interest from previously untapped segments. Nicha Suebwonglee, Head of Startup Business Development for Thailand and the Philippines at Amazon Web Services, who spoke on “Integrating AI into SaaS,” noted that three-fourths of organizations report their generative AI initiatives are already meeting or exceeding ROI expectations, emphasizing the technology’s real business impact when implemented strategically. Investors also shared a shifting perspective, with Venture Capital (VCs) moving away from a “growth at all costs” mindset toward sustainable profitability, prioritizing Net Revenue Retention (NRR) as a key metric. Trust, ESG compliance, and robust data governance are critical for both investors and customers. While tech leaders shared insights on the evolving market dynamics, founders who built their SaaS companies shared perspectives on the mindset and partnerships critical for lasting success. Songyot Kanthamanon, CEO of ReadyPlanet, reflected on the company’s 25-year journey to IPO, emphasizing perseverance, focus on fundamentals, and the importance of adapting through crises. He compared his journey to the parable of a frog climbing a tower. Despite others saying it was impossible and other frogs giving up, the frog was able to climb to the top simply because it couldn’t hear the doubting voices from others. A recurring theme among founders was how to choose the right partner on the journey from startup to established company. Songyot cautioned founders to “beware betting your future on giants”. “Partnering with large corporations can be like playing roulette—if they fail to extend a contract, revoke a license, or shift policies, it will impact your startup,” he said. He emphasized avoiding “time bombs” in partnerships by managing risks. Jeffrey Char, Visiting Professor at Sasin and Founder & CEO of SOGO Energy, also shared the same experience: “You should not try to partner with big companies until after you have gotten massive traction,” he said. “If they don’t understand the problem, they will ask you to do certain things that will distract you, causing you to slow down… that’s a Deathwish.” Apisek Tewinpagti, CEO of Beryl8, who shared lessons on “M&A Strategies for Rapid Growth,” stressed that when it comes to partnerships, his philosophy is “Unify Not Uniform.” When merging with another firm, do not expect them to have the same culture, but rather have values aligned. In addition, Thanapong Na Ranong, Managing Partner of Beacon Venture Capital, advised startups to focus on expanding operations and marketing once they have a stable product and company, emphasizing that developing new products should come later rather than too soon. The event also had sessions on building SaaS growth engines. Panyawat Puangladda, Founder & Managing Director at Nomadic Growth, reframed growth strategy around the customer. She suggested that instead of hiring a Head of Sales, startups should focus on directly engaging with their customers. “Your Head of Sales is your customer. Implementing a product, marketing, and sales representatives must revolve around the customer at the center,” said Panyawat. She also emphasized the need to align marketing and sales through shared KPIs and feedback loops. Building on that customer-first approach, Kridsada Chutinaton, CEO and Co-Founder of FlowAccount, emphasized the power of product-led growth (PLG) for SaaS targeting SMEs. “Product-Led Growth (PLG) means your product itself drives customer acquisition, retention, and expansion; it’s your best salesperson,” he said. The speakers also discussed several key trends shaping the SaaS landscape, including the rise of green coding practices that focus on writing efficient code to minimize energy use, the adoption of hybrid pricing models to balance flexibility with revenue stability, and a growing emphasis on strategic partnerships as a powerful scaling tool.