Supporting the Panamanian Government in Building a Startup Ecosystem: Escalatón Summit Engagement

Our CEO, Kohei Muto, participated as a speaker at the Escalatón Summit, an event dedicated to advancing the development of Panama’s startup ecosystem.

Panama holds a strategic geographical advantage as a key hub for global trade through the Panama Canal and benefits from a relatively stable financial and monetary environment supported by the widespread use of the U.S. dollar as its de facto currency. At the same time, the country faces structural challenges in achieving sustainable economic growth, partly due to a persistent current account deficit. Against this backdrop, the government is promoting the creation of new industries and innovation by fostering a startup ecosystem, aiming to attract foreign investment and position Panama as a regional innovation hub.

Since 2024, DFP has been leveraging its experience in startup investment and ecosystem building across Africa to provide policy and strategic advisory support to the Panamanian government. In particular, we have focused on analyzing the macroeconomic impact of equity-based capital inflows—distinct from debt financing—and their role in strengthening long-term economic development.

At the event, Kohei joined the session titled “Capital Pathways and Global Exits: From Asia and Africa to LATAM”, moderated by Ms. Gladys Bernett, Director of Business & Social Innovation at the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) of Panama.

During the discussion, he highlighted the importance of risk diversification through blended finance and explored the growing trend of cross-border collaboration among Global South markets. Drawing on real-world examples from Asia and Africa, the session examined how emerging economies can accelerate innovation through interconnected capital and business networks.

We also invited our portfolio company, Asaak, as one such example. Asaak is a Uganda-based fintech company that successfully expanded into Latin America through its acquisition of Mexico-based FlexClub in 2023. Anthony Leontiev, CTO of Asaak, shared firsthand insights from its Mexico expansion, providing practical perspectives on cross-border business development and market entry strategies in the Global South.

We extend our sincere thanks to Escala Latam, SENACYT, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for organizing such an insightful session.