The EiR program, part of the Strengthen Entrepreneurship and Innovation pillar under the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative, is co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact, and funded by Khmer Enterprise (KE), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). It connects international experts with local actors to build technical depth, resilience, and innovation.
Keo Sar, a Khmer-American entrepreneur and COO at Matter Product Studio, brings over a decade of experience scaling startups in Silicon Valley and supporting innovation ecosystems in emerging markets. His 2025 engagement built on his 2024 mission, emphasizing practical tools and strategy alignment to help businesses scale.
Keo’s mission as part of the EiR initiative began with Give a Day 29: Unlocking Cambodia’s Investment Potential — Regional Lessons for Local Growth in Phnom Penh. The event brought together key ecosystem stakeholders to discuss how early-stage investment models from neighboring markets could be adapted to Cambodia. Participants shared strategies to boost investor engagement, improve startup readiness, and strengthen connections between capital and innovation.
On June 19th in Siem Reap, a practical workshop on go-to-market strategies helped local startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) define core customers, sharpen messaging, and find relevant sales channels. Entrepreneurs valued the session’s focus on actionable plans for the Siem Reap market, learning to adapt strategies for seasonal changes and real customer needs.
Following this, Give a Day 5 in Siem Reap: Unlocking Investment Potential was conducted and led by Keo on June 20th. This session built on local insights gathered from the workshop and facilitated discussions on expanding access to capital in Cambodia’s regional hubs. Many participants from the Siem Reap business community noted that the event provided a rare opportunity to directly address the investor-readiness gap outside the capital, emphasizing the need for ongoing mentorship and tailored programming.
On June 23rd an investment readiness workshop organized in collaboration with Smart was designed for their mentor pool. This session wasn’t just a workshop; it was a growth experience. Through interactive learning and knowledge exchange among the mentor pool, the session explored how entrepreneurs can refine business models, sharpen pitches, and gear up for scale. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A where founders raised specific challenges and received tailored feedback from Keo Sar, who facilitated the session.
On June 24th, the focus shifted to women entrepreneurs through a specialized workshop: Charge What You’re Worth: Pricing Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs. The session addressed common challenges such as underpricing, imposter syndrome, and negotiating confidently in local contexts. Using pricing frameworks and culturally grounded negotiation approaches, the workshop gave participants practical strategies to evaluate, set, and defend their pricing. Founders shared how the session helped them reframe their approach to pricing—from hesitant to assertive—and highlighted the importance of valuing their own expertise as part of building a sustainable business.
On June 25th, Keo led a training workshop for the CNAI Accelerator focused on developing leadership and talent management skills, strengthening strategic partnerships and revenue growth, fostering cross-functional collaboration for scaling operations, and mastering pricing strategies for sustainable growth.
On June 26th, Keo led a 1-1 Mentoring to Startups of Digital Accelerator Program of Techo Start-up Centre and a workshop with SprintX, an accelerator program which focuses on investment readiness support and investment deal advisory for tech startups and tech-driven SMEs, followed by a Fireside Chat on June 27th with the Federation of Cambodian Startups (CAMSTARTUP) titled Partnerships that Pay, where he explored practical models for revenue-sharing, collaboration, and ecosystem alignment.
Keo’s 2025 mission reinforced the need for strategic depth across Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), SMEs and startups. His workshops addressed persistent capability gaps—in pricing, investment strategy, and market access—with actionable frameworks and relatable delivery. Businesses left with tools, not just concepts.
As a returning EIR, Keo Sar exemplifies the value of consistent, long-term engagement. His contributions continue to elevate Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering diaspora-driven expertise rooted in both global insight and local relevance.
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) program, part of the Strengthen Entrepreneurship and Innovation initiative under the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) project, is funded by Khmer Enterprise (KE), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise (KE) and Swisscontact.