Bangkok Startup Association

What Bangkok Startup Association does

Bangkok Startup Association (BSA) is a Bangkok-based non-profit trade association founded in July 2022 to organize and grow Thailand's startup ecosystem. It operates a tiered membership community platform serving four persona segments — Founders & CEOs, Investors & VCs, Enablers & Experts, and Operators — through curated in-person events (50+ per year with ~200 attendees each), a member directory, private chat via LINE OpenChat, and an exclusive perks marketplace offering THB 11M+ in discounts across 750+ partner brands including AWS, Stripe, Atlassian, and Common Ground.

The core technology is a web-based membership and community portal (bkkstartup.com and app.bkkstartup.com), supplemented by EventPop for event registration. The platform gates content and access by membership tier — Free (public events and open chat), Individual (THB 10,000/year), Startup (THB 25,000/year, up to 5 team members), and Enterprise (custom pricing) — and offers long-duration 10-year plans with ~70% savings. No public APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities are documented; the product surface is centered on human-curated connections rather than software-mediated matching.

BSA's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: growth flows through event attendance, member referrals, and partner introductions rather than outbound sales. Revenue is generated via membership subscriptions and corporate partnership/sponsorship fees. The organization is led by President Billy van der Loo with a 13+ member honorary leadership team, originally founded by Ted Thetnaungsoe (now Advisor) from what was previously YC Startup School Bangkok and then OUR Startup Community before being reorganized into a formal non-profit trade association in 2023.

Name

Bangkok Startup Association

Legal name

Bangkok Startup Association

Website

https://bkkstartup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bangkok Startup Association is a Bangkok-based non-profit trade association founded in 2022 that runs Thailand's largest startup community, serving founders, investors, enablers, and operators through tiered memberships, 50+ annual events, and a partner perks marketplace covering 750+ brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Community & Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE), Functional Summits (HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Procurement, Legal) (THAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Startup community
• Trade association
• Membership organization
• Entrepreneur network
• Partner deals platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangkok

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year membership plans providing access to exclusive events, member directory, partner perks, and community platform. Multiple tiers: Free, Individual (THB 10,000/year), Startup (THB 25,000/year), and custom Enterprise plans.
2. Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorship: Partnership programs where brands sponsor events, provide member discounts/perks, co-host events, and gain visibility among Bangkok's startup ecosystem. Partners include AWS, Stripe, Atlassian, and 40+ other companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Bangkok Startup Association operates a membership-based trade association that connects Bangkok's startup ecosystem — founders, operators, investors, and corporate partners — through tiered memberships, a curated partner-deals platform offering THB 11M+ in member benefits, year-round community events, and ecosystem advocacy.

Product overview

Bangkok Startup Association operates as a non-profit trade association offering a unified community membership platform rather than a modular SaaS product. The core offering is the BSA Membership Platform, which provides access to curated events, a member directory, partner discounts, and an insider hub. Membership tiers (Free, Individual, Startup/Enterprise) gate access to different benefit levels. No separate add-on modules, sub-brands, or acquired products are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Paid annual membership tier at THB 10,000/year for individuals connected to Bangkok's startup ecosystem, providing access to community events, the partner-deals platform, and member communications.
• Startup Membership Paid annual membership tier at THB 25,000/year targeted at startups, providing access to community events, the partner-deals platform, and member communications.
• Enterprise Membership & Sponsorship Custom-priced Enterprise membership and sponsorship package for corporates, service providers, and investors seeking visibility and distribution into Bangkok's startup community.
• Partner Deals Platform Curated platform aggregating 750+ partner deals worth THB 11M+ in member benefits across legal, cloud, marketing, hospitality, and other startup-relevant service categories.
• Community Events Program Year-round program of 50+ community events including panels, demo nights, and networking sessions for Bangkok-based founders, operators, investors, and corporate partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over THB 11 million worth of exclusive discounts from 750+ partners available to paid members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAWS provides cloud services and credits to BSA members as part of the partner perks program. AWS is positioned as a partner supporting Bangkok's startup ecosystem with technology infrastructure.
• StripecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStripe provides payment processing services and is listed as a partner offering deals to BSA startup members. Stripe supports the Bangkok startup ecosystem through its financial infrastructure.
• AtlassiancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAtlassian sponsors BSA events including NØTworking Nights and provides software deals to members. Sponsored NØTworking Night January 2026 at CoCo Chill, Emsphere.
• Common GroundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoworking space partner hosting BSA events at multiple locations including Central World. Provides workspace deals to members and serves as event venue.
• OpenspaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company and partner of BSA ecosystem, logo featured on partnership page.
• SeedstarsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup ecosystem partner providing programs and visibility to BSA members.
• e27minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoutheast Asian tech media platform partner providing ecosystem visibility.
• SertisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAI and data company partner. Founder Viriya Reungwai spoke at BSA AI event 'Beyond the Bubble and BS'.
• Nexus AIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAI-driven sales tools company. Founder Alvin Kantapura spoke at BSA AI event as panelist.
• Venture SparkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThailand startup incubator founded by Ted Thetnaungsoe. Partnered with BSA to scale the community into a structured, impactful organization. Ted Thetnaungsoe serves as BSA Advisor.
• Corporate JuristminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal services partner providing corporate legal support deals to BSA members.
• SalaryherominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company and partner within the BSA ecosystem, logo featured on partnership page.
• FreshketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company and partner within the BSA ecosystem, logo featured on partnership page.
• GowabiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company and partner within the BSA ecosystem, logo featured on partnership page.
• A2DminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital creative development agency partner, logo featured on partnership page.
• YindiiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember company and partner within the BSA ecosystem, logo featured on partnership page.
• TrueDigital ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner and startup hub location referenced in ecosystem content.
• good4uminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner company. Founder Simon Osborne serves as Head of Creative Strategy at BSA and moderated BSA legal events.
• La French TechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench tech ecosystem network partner in Thailand.
• Sasin School of ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness school partner providing educational resources to ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Slush: Globally recognized non-profit startup community organizer (Helsinki-headquartered) running large-scale founder-investor events. Compares to BSA as a non-profit community-builder model, though at significantly larger scale and international footprint.
• Plug and Play APAC: Global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform with APAC presence. Operates curated founder-investor-corporate programs structurally similar to BSA's events and partnership model, but with corporate venture backing and broader geography.
• Antler: Global early-stage venture firm and founder community running cohort programs across multiple geographies including Southeast Asia. Compares to BSA as a structured founder-investor matching platform with global brand, but with capital deployment rather than pure community monetization.
• Tech in Asia: Singapore-headquartered media and community platform covering the broader Southeast Asian startup ecosystem. BSA is a more localized, membership-driven Bangkok chapter of what Tech in Asia operates regionally — overlapping audience of founders, investors, and enablers, with events and content as primary distribution.
• Startup Thailand (National Innovation Agency): Government-backed initiative promoting Thailand's startup ecosystem, organized by the National Innovation Agency (NIA). Overlaps with BSA in mission (connecting founders, investors, enablers) and audience, but operates at a national policy level rather than community-curation level.

Direct peers

• Seedstars: Global startup community and competition organizer with active presence in Thailand and SEA. BSA is an explicit Seedstars partner, and both serve early-stage founders with curated programming, competition, and investor access — making Seedstars a close functional peer.
• TrueDigital Park: Bangkok-based startup hub and coworking space that hosts ecosystem events and is an explicit BSA partner. Both serve Bangkok founders with physical and event-based programming; TrueDigital Park adds venue infrastructure that complements BSA's community layer.
• La French Tech Bangkok: French Tech international network chapter in Bangkok that BSA explicitly partners with. Serves a similar niche role connecting a startup ecosystem community (French-affiliated founders and investors) with the local Bangkok scene — direct peer in community-organization function.
• Founder Institute Bangkok: Global pre-seed accelerator with a Bangkok chapter serving early-stage founders through structured programs and mentorship. Both organizations serve Bangkok-based founders and connect them to investors and enablers, making Founder Institute a comparable early-stage community builder.
• e27 (Echelon Group): SEA-focused tech media and community platform that runs curated founder/investor events (Echelon) and operates a startup directory. BSA is already an e27 partner; both target overlapping audiences with similar event-led community-building and sponsor-supported models.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BangkokStartupAssociation
• Facebookfacebook.com/61567206342081
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bkkstartup
• Instagraminstagram.com/bangkokstartupassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bangkok Startup Association