Populix Raised USD 4.3 Million in Funding
Jakarta, Indonesia, April 15, 2025 - Populix, an Indonesian tech-based research company, today announced it has secured USD 4.3 million in the first close of its Series B funding round. The investment was led by MSW Ventures, with participation from existing investors Intudo Ventures, Altos Ventures, and Acrew Capital.
This is an achievement not only for Populix but also for Indonesian startups; especially amidst the weak investment climate due to the tech winter in the past few years and the recent plunge in the IHSG price. Throughout 2024, the Data Vantage report by DealStreetAsia noted that total funding entering Indonesia had decreased by 34% YoY, and investment value had fallen by around 66% or IDR 7.3 trillion. The decline in Indonesia was the deepest in Southeast Asia. The funding affirms Populix’s position amidst the uncertain investment climate.
Dr. Timothy Astandu, Co-Founder and CEO of Populix, said, “We are grateful for the trust from our investors to re-invest in Populix, even in the current investment climate. This funding encourages us to continue reinforcing our business fundamentals by developing services and leveraging technology to innovate in the future. In addition, Populix also aspires to expand its market to Southeast Asia based on strong demand from current clients.”
Since closing the Series A round in 2022, Populix has continued expanding public access to research. In 2023, Populix launched Policy & Society Research service, to help organizations and governments analyze public sentiment, policy impacts, and economic and social trends. Meanwhile, on the technology side, Populix developed NeXa, an AI-based research assistant that can help guide users in conducting research, starting from designing and creating questionnaires, accessing targeted respondent groups, to drawing conclusions.
In the last year, the total projects carried out by Populix grew two-fold, with 65% of them coming from recurring clients. Populix has also expanded client base industries to telecommunications and government sectors, highlighting the company’s growing footprint in the research industry. These underline the level of client trust in Populix's various innovations, to ensure data and insights that are relevant to their businesses and institutions.
Through the Series B funding received today, Populix is committed to developing and training its AI models to automate research processes and generate faster and more reliable insights. Populix is also working on AI machine learning to develop synthetic respondents, artificial personas that mimic human responses which enable faster data collection. The two developments are prioritized to help industry players and policymakers maximize AI adoption in their research.
Jeffrey Seah, Founder and General Partner of MSW Ventures, said, “In the past decade, market research has evolved from primary data analysis to real-time intelligence gathering powered by AI, synthetic audiences, and shifting privacy norms. With businesses demanding speed, accuracy, and predictive insights to stay competitive, Populix is bridging the gap between insight and action. Through proprietary data pipelines, a broad respondent network, and AI-driven methodologies, Populix delivers strategic advantages with unmatched speed and precision—redefining market research for the modern age and scaling innovation without the legacy constraints of traditional firms.”
Patrick Yip, Founding Partner Intudo Ventures, added, “As one of Populix's earliest investors, we've had the privilege of seeing the company grow since leading their Pre-A rounds. Participating in this Series B round alongside our trusted fellow investors reflects our continued belief in Populix’s vision and execution capabilities. Even with recent market challenges, Populix has kept growing and proving its value through reliable, data-driven insights that businesses rely on. With new products in the works, we’re confident Populix will continue to be a leading consumer insights platform in Indonesia and the region.”
Richard Song, Partner at Altos Ventures, said, “At Altos Ventures, we are committed to partnering with visionary leaders who demonstrate an ownership mentality and a clear vision for the future. Populix exemplifies these qualities by leveraging technology to revolutionize consumer insights in Indonesia. We are excited to support their journey as they empower businesses with real-time, accurate data to make informed decisions.”
Kerry Whorton Cooper, Venture Advisor, Acrew Capital, explained, “Al is already severely disrupting the data and insights space. As shown by the stickiness and loyalty of their enterprise clients, Populix is very well positioned to take advantage of the changing landscape through innovative products and a deep understanding of client needs."
ABOUT POPULIX
Populix helps companies & governments to understand, penetrate, and dominate Southeast Asia — the world’s most dynamic market. Their Services:
Market Research
Data-driven insights on consumer behavior, industry trends, and competitive dynamics to help businesses make informed decisions. From brand performance tracking to product validation, our solutions & methodologies ensures companies stay ahead in Indonesia’s fast-growing market.
Solutions: Brand Research, Product Research, Advertisement Research, Customer Experience, Market Overview, Service Only, Research Amplification
Policy & Society Research
Public sentiment, policy impact, and societal trends analysis to help organizations and governments make data-driven decisions. From economic behavior to social change, our research provides clear, actionable insights into Indonesia’s dynamic landscape.
Solutions: Strategic Planning & Program Evaluation, Social & Behavioral Research, Policy & Index Development, Economy & Business Solutions, Strategic Communication, Research Amplification
PopSurvey
Survey-building and respondent solutions for academic and applied research. PopSurvey empowers students, researchers, and professionals to collect credible, fast, and affordable data, with AI-assisted tools and verified respondents to simplify the overall survey process.
Capabilities: Survey Builder, Respondent Solution, NeXa AI Research Assistant, and others
Respondent Only
Connecting businesses and researchers with high-quality, targeted respondent panels, efficiently and hassle-free. Whether for product testing, market validation, or internal research, our respondent solution delivers the right audience to match your exact criteria across the region.
Capabilities: Respondent Fulfillment, Multi Tools Compatibility, Simple Setup, and others
ABOUT MSW VENTURES
MSW Ventures supports Asia Fund X (AFX), a successor to Asia Fund II (AFII), in its search for exceptional growth models and founders with the X factor within the transformative digital economy of Southeast Asia. The firm values bold, mainstream-oriented, and mature-minded founders whose startups exhibit sustainable growth, quality revenue, and validated market-priced product-market fit. Jeffrey Seah serves as General Partner at MSW Ventures. Throughout his career at multinational corporations WPP and Publicis Groupe, Jeffrey has advised global and regional C-suites on developing coordinated commercial go-to-market strategies across various geographies.
