Global technology

When looking at the global map of biodiversity tech startups, it is easy to notice that most market leaders today come from Europe, North America, and Australia. This often leads to a quick conclusion: Vietnam and ASEAN can only be technology users, not technology creators. However, if we look deeper into the economic logic of nature tech, this conclusion is incomplete.

Biodiversity tech is not a game for the countries with the most capital. It is a game for places with real ecological challenges, weak baseline data, and rapidly growing demand for measurement. From this perspective, Vietnam and ASEAN are not outside the wave—the real question is which entry point they choose.

From “global technology” to “local problems that can scale”

A common trait among successful biodiversity tech startups is that they did not begin with global ambitions. They started with a very specific, narrowly defined problem that could be repeated and scaled. NatureMetrics did not begin by “measuring global biodiversity”; it started by addressing the need to assess ecological impacts for specific infrastructure and conservation projects, then gradually standardized processes, accumulated data, and expanded to portfolio-level applications [1], [2].

This logic fits ASEAN particularly well. The region has high biodiversity density and large agricultural, fisheries, and forestry systems—but lacks standardized ecological data. This gap is not a weakness; it is a market entry point.

From KisStartup’s perspective, the strategic question is not “what technology to build,” but rather: which problem are people willing to pay to measure better?

Three viable market entry paths for biodiversity tech in Vietnam/ASEAN

First, becoming a local provider of field data and MRV (Measurement–Reporting–Verification). Many conservation, ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, and regenerative agriculture projects in ASEAN still rely on traditional surveys that are costly and difficult to compare over time. Meanwhile, donors, development banks, and international corporations increasingly demand quantitative evidence of ecological impact [3], [4].

A startup does not need to build a global platform from day one. Doing one ecosystem extremely well—such as mangroves, river basins, or coastal aquaculture zones—with standardized measurement processes, time-series data, and reporting capabilities already turns data into a strategic asset. With sufficient trust, local startups can become data partners to larger platforms rather than direct competitors.

Second, linking biodiversity tech with regenerative agriculture and export value chains. This is where ASEAN—and Vietnam in particular—has clear advantages. Industries such as coffee, tea, cocoa, rice, and seafood face growing international pressure on traceability, environmental impact, and ecosystem restoration [5], [6].

The case of Biome Makers shows how soil biological data can become a direct economic decision-making tool for agriculture [7]. In Vietnam, the goal does not need to be copying BeCrop globally, but starting with concrete questions: where is soil biological function declining in the Central Highlands’ coffee farms, how fast does it recover, and which practices make a difference? Once standardized and linked to production outcomes, such data supports not only farming decisions but also market proof for sustainable exports.

Third, nature intelligence for sectors with high nature-related risks—especially water, fisheries, and ecotourism. ASEAN is highly exposed to climate change, water stress, and salinity intrusion. Investment decisions in water infrastructure, aquaculture, and nature-based tourism increasingly require near real-time ecological data [8].

Monitoring models using sensors, eDNA, bioacoustics, or satellite imagery—already deployed in Europe—can be localized for river basins, lakes, and lagoons in Vietnam. The local startup advantage lies not in core technology, but in field deployment capability, ecosystem understanding, and maintaining long-term data streams.

Biodiversity credits: a major opportunity—but not for those lacking data discipline

Biodiversity credits are often mentioned as a promising market. In theory, they are highly attractive. In practice, global experience shows that the biggest risk is not lack of capital, but lack of credible data [9], [10].

For ASEAN startups, the opportunity is not issuing credits at all costs, but becoming measurement and verification infrastructure for restoration projects. As international biodiversity credit standards are still forming, organizations with strong MRV capabilities, time-series data, and independent audit readiness will hold a powerful position.

Biodiversity tech is a game of accumulated data, not tech demos

Looking at NatureMetrics and Biome Makers, one common pattern stands out: DNA sequencing or AI is not the hardest part to replicate. What is hardest to replicate is the domain-specific dataset accumulated over time, tightly linked to ecological context and economic decisions.

For Vietnam and ASEAN, this carries an important implication. Instead of rushing to “go global,” a more sustainable strategy is to go deep into one ecosystem, measure it well, measure it long enough, and connect data to real-world actions. Once data is trusted and economically useful, geographic and business model expansion will follow.

You don’t need to be global immediately—but you must deliver valuable local measurement

Biodiversity tech is not about whether ASEAN has enough technology. It is about whether we are willing to treat nature as a system that must be managed seriously. When nature can be measured, reported, and used to make better decisions, it stops being a vague “common asset” and becomes a real part of the economy.

Part 3 will dive deeper into two representative models—NatureMetrics and Biome Makers—to analyze how they build data flywheels, create hard-to-copy competitive advantages, and extract concrete lessons for startups and investors in the region.

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References
[1] NatureMetrics, “NatureMetrics raises $25m Series B to scale biodiversity monitoring,” Jan. 2025.
[2] Renewable Matter, “NatureMetrics: scalable biodiversity metrics powered by eDNA,” 2024.
[3] J. B. S. Cambridge, “Biodiversity startups: emerging forces in conservation,” 2024.
[4] Nature4Climate, “Nature Tech Report 2024,” 2024.
[5] OECD, Data Analytics in SMEs, OECD Publishing, 2019.
[6] VietnamPlus, “Scaling up digitalisation for SMEs requires solid data foundation,” 2024.
[7] Biome Makers, “BeCrop technology overview,” 2024.
[8] Darwin Data, “How AI is revolutionising biodiversity monitoring,” 2024.
[9] Carbon Pulse, “Biodiversity credit markets: integrity challenges ahead,” 2024.
[10] Impact Loop, “Why biodiversity credits need robust MRV systems,” 2024.