Edmund Carulli currently serves as VP of Investments at Living Lab Ventures, the CVC arm of Sinar Mas, one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia. He has more than a decade of experience in the tech sector, working in diverse roles as founder, operator, and investor. He is also actively teaching in local universities as a way to give back to the community.

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

I invest in high growth technology companies with exceptional founders and important problems to solve.

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

I came from a medicinal chemistry background with 2 peer-reviewed publications before I switched careers to the tech sector—starting out as a founder.

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

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. Despite the privilege of being in venture investing for the past 6 years, building my own startups is still top of the list. Building startups gave me the invaluable lessons and experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today.

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

AI is the buzzword for this year. Startups that could leverage the technology to optimize processes will be attractive to investors. We should also look at the AI infrastructures itself, such as data analytics, security and other tools related to AI modeling. Other than that, Healthtech and ESG related startups are the potential headliners for this year.

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

While I might be biased, I believe the ideal VC should have operational background either as founder or working experience in early stage startups. You can learn finance and other technicalities along the way by taking courses or certifications.

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

The Arsenal Football Club

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Breaking Bad (obviously), The Office

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

Durian (SEA peeps get it!)

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We've edited this interview for clarity.