The Space That Started It All
People ask me how SmallWorld started. The truth is, we didn't set out to be a venture builder or a startup studio. We just wanted to create a space where people could do their best work.
The Origin Story
In 2011, Phnom Penh's startup ecosystem was... non-existent. There were talented people, but they were scattered. They worked from home, from coffee shops, or not at all. There was no place to go to meet other entrepreneurs, no events that brought the community together.
We opened SmallWorld as a co-working space in Phnom Penh. It wasn't fancy—just desks, chairs, and decent internet. But it became something more.
What We Learned
The space taught us lessons that still guide how we build companies today:
1. Infrastructure comes before investment For years, we tried to connect entrepreneurs with investors. Most investments failed. The companies that succeeded? They were the ones led by founders who'd spent months in the co-working space, building relationships, testing ideas, and finding product-market fit.
The space itself created more value than any fund we could have raised.
2. Community can't be forced, it can only be hosted We learned early that we couldn't MAKE a startup scene happen. We could only create conditions—spaces, events, connections—and wait for organic growth.
Some of our best events were the simplest: weekly lunches, peer learning sessions, casual Friday drinks. The structure mattered less than the consistency.
3. Relationships are the real currency In Cambodia, who you know matters more than what you know. The space facilitated hundreds of introductions between engineers, designers, and business founders. Many of those connections turned into partnerships, co-founder relationships, and investments.
The Evolution
SmallWorld the co-working space ran for five years. In 2016, we reorganized as SmallWorld Ventures to focus on venture building.
But we never lost sight of what made the original space work. Every company we build—KOOMPI, Selendra, VitaminAir, StadiumX, Riverbase—has the same DNA: creating spaces (physical or digital) where people can do their best work.
The Legacy
The original SmallWorld space is gone now, but its influence lives on:
- The community it helped create is still active
- Companies founded there are still operating
- The relationships formed there are still producing value
Some of the most successful Cambodian startups of the last decade can trace their origins back to connections made in that little co-working space.
What This Means for Our Work
When we build companies now, we're still thinking about space:
- KOOMPI creates educational spaces in schools
- Selendra creates digital infrastructure for businesses
- StadiumX creates community spaces for sports fans
We're not just building products. We're building environments where value can be created.
That's what SmallWorld has always been about. That's what it will always be about.