The actual #AsiaRocks exhibition has officially come to an end, but the contents are still available for access online.

In one fireside chat, four cross-border investors discussed the impact of COVID-19 on Startup Funding. For investors and venture capitals (VCs) that specifically invest in internet-themed companies, this year has actually been a rather good year for them. Not only is the industry least affected, COVID has further accelerated the adoption of mobile technology.

“Crisis pushes human race to opportunity”, says Yan. “The prevalence of online business calls opens up opportunities as there are no needs to fly”, Akio adds. The majority of the speakers made paperless investments without in-person meetings this year.

The startup scene in Taiwan is like no other this year. “Taiwan’s successful combat against COVID-19 has put itself on the global map. People are now gravitating towards Taiwan. There are great opportunities for businesses here”, says Yan. Opportunities emerge with challenges, and competitions increase with opportunities; whichever startups that are able to react to market needs quicker will take the lead.

In another fireside chat, speakers from global human resources (HR) group, traditional corporate, and startup, shared their perspectives on global talent sourcing and management.

Two aspects often used to evaluate potential hires are “cultural fit” and “qualifications”. “Culture is difficult to create in a small team. Companies must find it in the beginning and build it after”, says Cindy Chen, the Regional Head of The Adecco Group Taiwan and Korea.

If there’s one central function HR should act as it is to “be water”, says David Lin, Vice President of Strategic Human Resources at Vpon Big Data Group. “The office could be a platform for people to gather, but it should not be the only workspace. Employees would like and should have the ability to work from anywhere”, adds Kevin Chiu, Senior HR Director of PAP Region at Acer.

A workplace is defined by its people. “You can’t go wrong with respecting different cultures and the dynamism. Our local partners are given a lot of space and flexibility to reach a common value”, concludes Kevin. COVID pushes the government and HRs to make changes toward digitalization, and the market is to see the everlasting impact of it.

Once again, #AsiaRocks successfully brings together the key ecosystem builders, VCs, and industry executives to navigate startups through Asia’s startup ecosystems, providing clearer understandings of the startup funding landscapes and the know-how on global talent planning. Next year, #AsiaRocks will continue to engage key partners in discovering new trends and in exploring best practices from the region.