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Maurice Lee
Emerging Innovation Ecosystems | Impact Venture Builder & Investor | CFA ESG
Maurice Lee is an Ambassador at Investors for Climate, an exclusive community of dedicated climate investors committed to driving sustainable change.14 Here are some key details about Maurice Lee:
Professional Background
Maurice Lee has an extensive background in portfolio management and strategy across various sectors. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied math and economics.
Current Roles
- Partner at Maurice W M Lee Solicitors in Hong Kong3
- Ambassador at Investors for Climate14
- Member of the advisory board for the Hong Kong Ambassadors Club (HKAC)3
Expertise and Interests
Maurice Lee has demonstrated a strong interest and expertise in climate investing and sustainability:
- He recently obtained a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute, showcasing his commitment to sustainable finance.5
- As an Ambassador for Investors for Climate, he likely plays a role in curating exclusive networking events focused on climate investment opportunities.1
- His involvement with the Hong Kong Ambassadors Club indicates he's engaged in promoting Hong Kong's business interests and connecting with global investors.3
Networking and Influence
Maurice Lee appears to be well-connected in the investment and business communities:
- He participates in high-level events and discussions related to climate investing and sustainability.2
- His role as an Ambassador for Investors for Climate suggests he's actively involved in a community of over 300 dedicated climate investors across 11 cities.1
Maurice Lee's LinkedIn username is confirmed to be mauriceplee.5
Highlights
I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA Institute!
SMBs are the lifeblood of emerging market economies.
While they constitute >90% of businesses globally, in developed markets like the EU and the US, they employ just 43% and 46% of the labor force, respectively. But this figure jumps to 67% for LatAm, and 75% for ASEAN (with up to a staggering 97% for Indonesia)!
As such, there is a unique opportunity for localized business models to win in emerging markets by serving this traditionally underserved segment of the market.
SMB customers, while easier/faster/cheaper to acquire, are extremely price sensitive. Speed to realizing value is critical to avoid churn. Deviating from the principles of SaaS models, many companies building localized software products in EMs charge for every additional detail or servicing, and it’s often not to their benefit.
While costs to service may be higher in offering free customizations and support, what’s typically asked for by SMBs are faster and easier to build than for large enterprises. From a broader perspective, the economics are not in favor of charging for every little request. Yes, the higher cost to serve compresses margins in the short term - but this investment improves overall customer satisfaction and experience, growing LTV, improving gross retention, and helping win loyal customers-turned-ambassadors, potentially lowering CAC in the future.
Customization fees are also generally non-recurring, valued at just ~20% of recurring revenues. Rather, customization asks could be used as feedback to build and refine assets (e.g. setting up new templates, integrations, etc.).
Building a sustainable, valuable company is a marathon - so, play the long game! Happy customers might just solve a lot of other problems as well 🙂 .
#vc #venturecapital #startups #entrepreneurship #tech #saas #recurringrevenue #valuation #software #flywheel #emergingmarkets #smb #sme #customerexperience
