Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Platform Scalability: A Multi-Case Analysis of Southeast Asian Startups

Abstract

This research examines how entrepreneurial ecosystem characteristics influence platform scalability trajectories in rapidly digitalizing Southeast Asian markets. The study addresses a critical gap in understanding how contextual factors shape platform growth patterns in emerging economies. Employing a comparative case study methodology, the research analyzes 18 platform startups across Singapore, Bangkok, and Jakarta, selected through theoretical sampling to represent diverse sectors including e-commerce, fintech, and mobility services. Data collection involved 54 semi-structured interviews with founders and senior executives, complemented by archival analysis of funding records, user growth metrics, and regulatory documents spanning 2020-2024. Through systematic qualitative coding and cross-case pattern analysis, the study identifies five ecosystem dimensions critically affecting scalability: venture capital availability, regulatory flexibility, digital infrastructure quality, talent pools, and market readiness. Results reveal that startups in Singapore achieve approximately twice the user base expansion rate of Jakarta-based platforms, primarily attributed to superior ecosystem support across all dimensions. The study developed a configuration framework to demonstrate how different ecosystem combinations produce varying scaling outcomes. High-growth platforms leverage ecosystems in three different ways: through regulatory arbitrage, talent aggregation, and infrastructure efficiency. In contrast, during the early stages of the ecosystem, platforms rely on compensatory means, such as international cooperation and leapfrog development. Our findings suggest that the ecosystem effect is a stronger driver of early-stage scaling, and we confirm access to VC and regulatory clarification as the two most important factors explaining variance in growth rate, according to our qualitative results. It contributes to entrepreneurial ecosystem theory by disclosing micro-level mechanisms that link properties of the ecosystem to firm-level outcomes, as well as gives practical guidance for entrepreneurs doing business in a diverse range of Southeast Asian markets and policymakers shaping startup-friendly ecosystems.