Debt financing gains ground among Southeast Asia and India tech firms

Debt is increasingly in vogue among technology companies in Southeast Asia and India, and investors are preparing to tap the growing demand.

For much of the past decade, equity rounds defined how startups in these regions raised money. The shift toward borrowing suggests that more founders and finance chiefs now see loans and other credit products as a practical complement to selling shares, rather than a last resort.

Lenders step into the spotlight

That change has put the spotlight on who actually provides the capital. A new ranking of the top lenders to tech companies in Southeast Asia and India maps the institutions and investors positioned to serve this segment as demand rises.

The interest from investors points to a market that is maturing. Lenders see a pool of borrowers large enough to justify dedicated strategies, while companies gain more options for funding growth without immediately giving up ownership.

Why it matters

For founders, a wider choice of lenders can mean more negotiating room and funding structures tailored to their business. For investors, debt offers another route into the region's technology sector alongside traditional venture bets.

The details of individual lenders and deal volumes were not available in the material reviewed here, so it remains to be seen which players capture the largest share as the appetite for debt continues to build across both markets.