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Fostering Global Connections and Local Confidence: Maaike Doyer’s Week as Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
06.05.2025
As the fifth Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) under the 3Ei initiative—and the first of 2025—Maaike Doyer spent a week from April 1st to April 4th in Cambodia to share her expertise with Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs), startups, SMEs, and aspiring investors. Through a series of tailored workshops and collaborative sessions, Maaike Doyer brought global perspectives to support the local ecosystem in strengthening business models, investment readiness, and strategic growth and fostering aspirations to encourage angel investors to invest with confidence.

The EIR program sits at the heart of the Strengthen Entrepreneurship and Innovation initiative—one of the core pillars of the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative, funded by Khmer Enterprise (KE), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and co-implemented by KE and Swisscontact. This program connects international experts with local ecosystem actors and startups to build capacity, inject fresh ideas, and introduce global best practices.

"Leading Cambodia’s first angel investor training was a milestone for the ecosystem and a privilege to contribute to. Over four days, I worked hands-on with aspiring investors and founders — training angels to invest with confidence, and helping startups sharpen their business models and pitches. One of the female investors made her first investment in a Cambodian startup during the program. That’s the kind of tangible progress this ecosystem is ready for."
Mrs. Maaike Doyer, Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Maaike Doyer, a leading figure in entrepreneurship, angel investing, and startup education, led four workshops during her mission. The first, Angel Investor Training, introduced participants from 17 organizations to the fundamentals of early-stage investing. From evaluating startup potential to managing risk, the session was designed to help participants build informed and diversified investment strategies.

"As a seasoned investor who has invested in the equities markets for many years, I never really considered Angel Investing until I came to this workshop. Maaike Doyer did an excellent job in framing how Angel Investing works, the framework to use to assess potential angel investments but most of all, she encouraged us that we could start with a small amount as part of managing our own investment risk appetite. This was something I never considered or realized until now. I came away inspired with a deeper understanding of how Angel Investing works and how to consider investing.  Now I am looking forward to joining Epic Angels and start applying what I learned!"
Ms. Lisa J. Cheong, UNCDF: Energy Efficiency Consultant.

The second workshop, Evaluating Startup Potential: What Investors Look For, was held in collaboration with the Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA). With a fully women-attended audience, the session explored practical steps to enter the angel investing landscape and understand how to assess and support promising ventures. Through case studies and dialogue, participants learned how to align their investment goals with startup growth.

The third workshop, Scaling Smart: Unlocking Growth with the Business Model Canvas, conducted with Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), guided 30 participants in applying the Business Model Canvas to structure and validate their business ideas. It also introduced key financial principles to enhance business decision-making and strategy.

"The Business Model Canvas is a crucial framework that helps SMEs and entrepreneurs clearly define and visualize their business model through nine key components. Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC) is interested in co-organizing this co-design workshop as part of our commitment to building the capacity of entrepreneurs. Our goal is to help them understand the significance of the canvas in gaining a comprehensive view of their business. By consolidating all key information into a single, easy-to-use document, the canvas not only streamlines internal planning but also facilitates effective communication of the business concept to potential investors and partners for investment and collaboration."
Mr. Sy Vanna, Senior Manager of Human Resource Development at CJCC.

Maaike Doyer concluded her mission with a workshop in partnership with Techo Startup Center’s SparkMeet Program titled The Art of Startup Pitching: Engaging Investors and Audiences. The session focused on storytelling, pitch deck development, and understanding the investor mindset, equipping founders with tools to deliver compelling pitches and preparing for due diligence.

"The session was insightful and engaging. It helped participants better understand how to approach startup pitching with more clarity. The knowledge gained has been a game-changer for both our programs and the startups we support."
Ms. Soun Sokavanny, SparkMeet Program Lead, Techo Startup Center.

Through all four sessions, participants highlighted valuable takeaways such as startup valuation, investor expectations, building and refining business models, understanding funding sources, and crafting impactful pitches. The workshops were attended by a total of 70 participants, including ESOs, startups, SMEs, and investors. An impressive 92.86% of participants reported significant improvement in critical entrepreneurial skills, including investor negotiation, business model design, and persuasive pitching.

With Maaike Doyer’s successful engagement, the 3Ei initiative continues its commitment to catalyzing entrepreneurial growth in Cambodia. More Entrepreneurs-in-Residence will be joining the journey throughout 2025, further enriching the ecosystem with global expertise and practical insights.

The Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program, of the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei), 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 and Swisscontact.

2023 - 2027
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei)
The overall goal of the 3Ei is for the private sector to actively contribute to Cambodia's socio-economic development and attain the goals of the SDGs. The achievement of this overall goal will be driven by two outcomes. Outcome 1: Enhanced coordination, and collaboration within the entrepreneurial ecosystem; and Outcome 2: Increased business performance and investments in the ecosystem and impact enterprises.
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