sets out to identify startup alliances with top ideas and create business growth opportunities both in Thailand and overseas, with the intention of shaping businesses in collaboration with partners to serve as a core mechanism in fostering innovation, strength and further development for businesses under PTG Group and for the well-being of Thai citizens.

Mr. Pitak Ratchakitprakarn, Chief Executive Officer and President, PTG Energy PCL or PTG, revealed that MAX VENTURES CO., LTD.; a subsidiary of PTG, was established with the objective of serving as a Corporate Venture Capitalist and executing strategic investment in startup companies with high potential both in Thailand and overseas, in order to form business alliances with partners in various approaches and serve as the core party in fostering innovation or new S-curve businesses, as well as ensuring strength and development within PTG’s networks of businesses for the well-being of Thai citizens.

In this regard, MAX Ventures will serve to generate revenue and identify new solutions for companies within PTG Group in 3 different approaches as follows:

1. Incubation – initiation of new businesses, from articulating new ideas with the potential to develop in order to test out with groups of customers, and develop into real products and services. This is considered the creation of new businesses that generate new revenue streams for the Company.
2. Investment – investing in businesses that are aligned with the Company’s strategies as well as businesses with high growth potential and that facilitate well-being for Thai citizens, and
3. Co-Creation – collaborated efforts in building businesses, products or services with partners, allowing all types of organizations to work together to generate revenue for the Company and well-being for Thai citizens.

MAX Ventures' Incubation Program, on the other hand, is typically held once a year and invites companies from outside the organization to work on synergies and new solutions with PTG Group's existing businesses. This enable growth opportunities for businesses; whereby MAX Ventures will cooperate in designing the universities’ activities to ensure preparedness for businesses or entrepreneurs under the supervision of the universities to apply for the program. Currently, there are institutions in 5 universities under the MOU with MAX Ventures; School of Integrated Innovation, Chulalongkorn University, Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, Mahidol University, Prince of Songkhla University Science Park, Science and Technology Park, Chiang Mai University and Knowledge Exchange (KX), and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.

The businesses that are emphasized on by MAX Ventures in terms of investment interests are comprised of 4 major groups; from the ideas of developing interconnected business and collaboration, both from within and outside of the organization as follows:

1. Connection – a center of business matching that connects Thai citizens from all regions to incorporate under PTG’s network, allowing for the development and transfer of experiences in an extensive manner.
2. Wellness and Wellbeing – creation of new hubs to enhance well-being for people, improve quality of lives for Thai people.
3. Developing Opportunities – serving as a hub in creating opportunities for individuals to drive new businesses in collaboration with PTG Group in reducing cost of living or providing capital for small businesses in need of funds for development of products and services that already have the business models with the opportunities for sustainable growth. The interested businesses are startups with the platform model, for instance, tourism, logistics, etc. and
4. Unmatched Conveniences (Value-added Experience) – the businesses that can deliver experiences of convenience and values to customers, as well as businesses that can improve customers’ ways of living, and develop new products or services under PTG to cater to changing customers’ needs and behaviors, as well as get immersed in customers’ lives in a sustainable manner.

Aside from direct investment by providing financial aid to startups and working together as mentioned, MAX Ventures also provides support in the form of knowledge base from experts in the business sector, as well as other resources to enable rapid and sustainable growth for startups. It is also our determination to be part of keeping the Thai startup ecosystem alive.

“360 TRUCK, a transportation truck reservation platform, is one example of a joint investment (Investment Portfolio) made by MAX Ventures; a transportation truck reservation platform that foresees growth of the logistics industry as a critical part in driving the business sector, with the industry value of over 1 trillion Baht per year. 360 TRUCK is a truck reservation platform that aims to solve the issue of “unused capacity” or driving an empty truck back after delivering goods at the destination by using a smart matching system or Smart Algorithm that helps match empty trucks with transport requests. Apart from increasing revenue, truck drivers can get access to reliable assignments nationwide with ease 24 hours a day with just a mobile phone. Currently, 360 TRUCK platform is very well accepted by truck drivers and product owners using transportation trucks regularly, and there are over 58,000 vehicles registered in the system.”, said Mr. Pitak.