Interview: Jes Kaliebe Petersen on Myanmar’s rapid digital emergence

Myanmar emerged like a digital butterfly following free elections in 2012, with millions of people flocking to Facebook and other social media. Jes Kaliebe Petersen had a front-row seat as CEO of digital community company and investor Phandeeyar, which sat at the heart of Myanmar’s startup dream—backing 17 startups and training future entrepreneurs

Phandeeyar survived Covid after pivoting its events-heavy business towards online learning

Backed by government donors and investors like Omidyar, Petersen orchestrated the new strategy to give Phandeeyar more financial independence

But Myanmar’s coup left the business—and other young companies and digital services—lost in a spiral of uncertainty and economic decline

The immediate future is bleak for entrepreneurs in Myanmar, but Petersen sees promise in Myanmar’s hacker nature and the desire of a new generation of digital natives

It’s rare that a country suddenly opens up to the internet. But that’s exactly what happened when Myanmar ended decades of military rule in 2012.

By September 2014, the price of a SIM card had fallen from a prohibitive US$200 in 2012 to just over US$1. That enabled swathes of the 55 million population to rush online for the first time, swamping Facebook, vociferously devouring YouTube videos, and enjoying the benefits of chat.

One company that sat in the eye of this modern-day digital storm is Phandeeyar—an investment and services company that helped turn Myanmar’s insatiable appetite for digital services into an ecosystem of startups and homegrown services.

AUTHOR

Jon Russell

Jon Russell is Southeast Asia editor for The Ken based in Bangkok. Originally from the UK, Jon moved to Thailand in 2008. He’s passionate about telling thoughtful business stories, and tracking the impact of the internet in his adopted home of Southeast Asia.

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