Jakarta-based Alpha JWC Ventures has launched SpeakUp, a whistleblower platform, designed to strengthen corporate governance practice across its portfolio companies in Southeast Asia, according to its announcement on Wednesday.
The initiative, which the firm says is the first of its kind in the region, allows employees, founders, and stakeholders to report corporate misconduct, including fraud, conflict of interest, harassment, and ethical breaches, through a secure, anonymous channel.
Whistleblowers can report corporate misconduct directly to shareholders and governance leaders, while ensuring complete protection. The platform is managed by an independent governance team and is fully funded by Alpha JWC Ventures.
“Integrity within a startup and its leadership is paramount for it to grow, inspire, and succeed,” said Jefrey Joe, co-founder & general partner of Alpha JWC Ventures, in a statement.
“SpeakUp is part of our broader commitment to building startups that are not only successful, but also principled. To reinforce our commitment and encourage our startups to come on board, we will also bear the costs of implementing the platform, removing barriers to adopting the initiative.”
According to a report from ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) in Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations, cited by the firm, whistleblowing tips are the number one source of information to uncover fraud cases (43%).
Through SpeakUp, individuals can raise concerns through an encrypted portal or secure email system, with options for complete anonymity. Every report is handled by an independent governance team, with investigations conducted confidentially and actions taken swiftly. Safeguards are also in place to prevent misuse of the platform through false reporting.
“We launched SpeakUp not as a reaction to the crisis, but as a long-term governance infrastructure for the region. If we want Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem to grow with resilience and credibility, we need systems that scale trust as fast as we scale products. This is Alpha JWC’s commitment to protecting what truly powers innovation: the people, integrity, and transparency,” said Satria Situmorang, director of value creation at Alpha JWC Ventures and programme lead of the SpeakUp initiative.
Alpha JWC’s move comes at a time when several high-profile governance lapses in the region—including at Zilingo and eFishery—have cast a spotlight on the risks of weak oversight. The firm says SpeakUp is part of its broader effort to help portfolio companies embed safeguards early.
As of this month, more than 20 of Alpha JWC’s portfolio companies have adopted the platform, with the programme expected to eventually reach over 30,000 employees across 80 startups in the region. Some of the early adopters are Bumame, Satu Dental, AgriAku, BenihBaik, Bobobox, ESB, Materee, Otoklix, Kopi Kenangan, among others, which are all based in Indonesia.
