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APAC benchmark · 12 markets · 7 industries · November 2026

How long does your first US$100K enterprise deal take in a new Asia Pacific market?

Few companies publish their own number. So we put together what those that did have said, the newest buyer research, and the channels, rules and payment terms that set the pace in each market.

Deals of US$100K+ a yearEnterprise buyers in 7 industriesA foreign B2B tech vendor's first deal
By Dr. Saleh Nabil, Co-Founder, XpandEastUpdated 4 November 202612-minute read

The short answer

12 to 18 months

from entering a market to a signed first enterprise contract of US$100K or more a year. Cash from that first contract arrives about 4.5 months after you invoice.

KnownBuying journeyContractCash

An estimate built from the sources in this article, not a measured average.

11 months

Average B2B buying journey in APAC. Worldwide it was 10.3 months in 2026.

Source 1, 2

92%

of the time the vendor that won was already on the buyer's first list. Vendors left off it win under 10%, says 6sense.

Source 2

26 people

in an APAC purchase on average: 15 inside the buyer and 11 outside it.

Source 3

15%

median win rate on deals above US$100K a year, in a dataset of 939 B2B software companies.

Source 4

Where the months go

Plan 12 to 18 months. The sales cycle is only one of four stages.

1 · Become known

Before any buyer is talking to you

2 to 4 months

2 · The buying journey

With you on the buyer's list

About 11 months in APAC

3 · Procurement and contract

Security review, legal, licences, partner

Weeks to 6 months

4 · Invoice to cash

Payment terms plus late payment

About 4.5 months

036912151821

Months from entering the market. Stage 1, in gold, happens before any buyer is talking to you. Stages overlap.

Stage 1 · Become known

92%

of wins went to a vendor already on the buyer's first list[2].

50.5%

of Japanese buyers had finished their candidate list before contacting any vendor[5].

Stage 2 · The journey

60%

of the journey has passed before buyers contact a seller[2][1].

7 months

average APAC IT buying cycle; 28% of APAC IT buyers say 12 months[6].

Stage 3 · Procurement

6 months

for one 200-question enterprise security review in Japan[7].

57%

of financial firms say information-security checks lengthen supplier onboarding[8].

Stage 4 · Cash

138 days

APAC average in 2026: 70.2-day terms plus 68.1 days late[9].

10 to 30%

of a royalty payment withheld at source in most markets[10].

What changes once a deal is worth US$100K a year

15%

median win rate above US$100K a year

against 24% at US$10K to 50K and 31% below US$10K. Middle half of these deals: 90 to 180+ days of active selling[4].

10+

stakeholders on a won US$50K to 250K deal

typically, according to Gong[11]. Each one is a person who can slow the deal.

60%+

of business buyers use a trial

rising to 78% on purchases of US$10 million or more[12].

The win-rate and cycle figures come from a vendor's CRM dataset of B2B software companies worldwide, not an APAC study. No independent APAC study of deals above US$100K was found.

How we got 12 to 18 months. 2 to 4 months to become visible and reach first meetings (in our accounts, first meetings normally start in the middle of month two), plus an 11-month APAC buying journey[1], plus procurement that runs from weeks to six months. A client we took into Jakarta signed its first enterprise deal at month 15. It is an estimate built from the sources, not a measured average. The cost of getting it wrong: 30% of software companies' first expansions into a new country are still unprofitable two years after launch[13].

Public first deals

Few companies publish how long their first deal took. These did.

Months from arriving in the market to the milestone shown. Where the company did not state the interval, we computed it from two dated public sources.

DevRev (US) to Japan
AI support platform[14]
0: three customers named the day the entity opened
Bifrost AI to Japan
AI training data[15]
5: two Top-50 Japanese corporates
DeskMe (Finland) to Japan
Workspace software[16]
7: first pilot, unpaid
YuLife (UK) to Japan
Employee benefits software[17]
9: 40 corporate customers within 9 months
XpandEast client to Indonesia
Enterprise deal in Jakarta
15: first deal; then 9 and 8 for deals 2 and 3
Dexterity (US) to Japan
AI truck-loading robots[18]
23: Sagawa project announced; 8 to a distribution partner
Celonis (Germany) to ANZ
Process mining[19]
36: five customers, from one person (2024)
Workato (US) to Korea
Integration software[7]
48: proving the market before opening an entity
Months to first customer or deal
0612182430364248
Public sourceXpandEast client, name withheldEarlier milestone to first customer

The fast ones arrived with a route already built.

DevRev named three Japanese customers on the day its entity opened. Bifrost AI hired a Tokyo consultant its investor introduced, whose LinkedIn post drew the first customer. DeskMe went on a trade mission with a local consultant. The selling started before the arrival.

The slow ones needed proof the buyer could check.

Dexterity's project with Sagawa came through an investor partner with senior ties to the customer, as a ¥600 million proof of concept; prospective customers asked for ten years of maintenance[18]. Celonis took about three years to reach five ANZ customers[19]. References, partners and support promises take time to build.

“There were no widely referenceable Japanese enterprise case studies that prospects could point to.”

Zendesk Japan, about three years after entering the market[20]

“It's taking some time because the sales cycle with the banks is pretty long.”

Trusting Social, on Philippine banks, where deals pass risk, product, information security, legal and compliance[21]

“Making people understand what we do, how it can benefit them, in the initial year or two, it was a challenge.”

Juspay, on Singapore, after travelling there from 2023 and opening an entity in November 2024[22]

“Passing one enterprise security review, two hundred questions long, took six months.”

ThePlato, a Korean company selling in Japan[7]

12 markets at a glance

What slows a foreign vendor down, market by market.

The six markets we work in are marked in gold. On a phone, swipe the matrix sideways.

Less friction for a foreign vendorMore frictionNot covered by the source
MarketLinkedIn reach
% of adults		English
EF 2025 rank		Spam calls
per person a month		Cold email
the rule		Paid late by
days, average		Withholding tax
on royalties		Overall
rank, 1 = easiest
Singapore86.7%*Official3B2B allowed66 (2026)10%1
New Zealand80.2%Native1B2B allowedNot covered15%2
Malaysia37.4%#244Lawful basis6710%3
Australia84.7%Native5Lawful basis6830%4
Hong Kong65.0%#3923Not researched744.95%5
India16.4%#748DPDP from 20275620%+6
Philippines28.1%#2812Lawful basisNot covered25%7
Japan5.1%#96Not coveredOpt-in, with exception4620.42%8
Vietnam13.5%#64Not coveredOpt-inNot covered10%9
Indonesia18.3%#8016Lawful basisNot covered20%10
Thailand11.1%#1165Lawful basis7815%11
South Korea11.1%#48Not coveredOpt-inNot covered22%12

Shading ranks each market within its column. Overall rank is the average of the column ranks with data, equally weighted: a reading aid, not a forecast. Sources: LinkedIn ad reach[23] (*Singapore: share of total population); English[24]; spam calls, Apr to Jun 2025[25]; cold email[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]; payment delay[9][35] (Singapore: 2026 survey; others: 2024 figures, the newest published per market); withholding tax at domestic rates before treaty relief, including surtaxes in Japan, Korea and India[10].

Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia and Australia rank easiest.

High LinkedIn reach, English in business, few spam calls and clear email rules. Australia's friction comes later: 30% withholding tax and 68 days of late payment.

Indonesia and the Philippines are hardest to reach cold.

16 and 12 spam calls a person a month, the most in Southeast Asia after Hong Kong's 23[25]. In Indonesia, 79% of unknown calls in 2025 were spam or fraud[36].

Japan, Thailand and Korea need a partner-led playbook.

LinkedIn reaches 5 to 11% of adults, English proficiency is low to moderate, and Korea requires opt-in for marketing email[34]. In Japan, 73.6% of IT staff work at IT firms, so integrators carry deals[37].

Channels to switch on

LinkedIn leads in most markets. What runs beside it changes country by country.

Our read of the evidence, for senior enterprise buyers. Each cell carries the fact behind it.

Lead: start hereSupport: use alongsideLimited: restricted or low returnNo data for this edition
MarketLinkedInEmailCold callMessaging appEventsPartners and marketplaces
Australia
Lead
84.7% of adults
Lead
Role-relevant only; a published address alone is not consent[26]
Support
To confirm, not to open: 109.3M scam calls blocked Jan to Mar 2026[38]
Limited
No evidence it is a work channel
Support
Gartner Symposium Gold Coast (Sep; 1,500+ CIOs and IT executives in 2026); AISA CyberCon (Oct)[39][40]
Support
AWS Sydney and Melbourne; local co-sell[41]
New Zealand
Lead
80.2% of adults
Lead
Deemed consent for a published address, if relevant to the role[27]
Support
1 spam call a month, the lowest measured
Limited
No evidence it is a work channel
Support
CIO Innovation Summit, Auckland (Aug)
Support
AWS NZ region since Sep 2025[41]
Singapore
Lead
86.7% of population
Lead
B2B messages sit outside the Do Not Call rules[28]
Limited
1.3M+ subscribers block overseas calls[42]
Support
WhatsApp, once the buyer agrees
Lead
Singapore FinTech Festival, 18 to 20 Nov 2026, 70,000+; ITAP for manufacturing, Jul 2027[43][44]
Support
Regional partners; hyperscaler marketplaces
Malaysia
Lead
20 of 29 meetings began here in our SIEM programme
Support
Lawful basis and unsubscribe; PDPA duties since Jun 2025[45]
Limited
2.5B suspected scam calls blocked, 2022 to mid-2026[46]
Lead
To confirm and follow up: 22 of 29 meetings confirmed on WhatsApp. 56% of scam attempts arrive by messaging app, so not for a cold first message[47]
Support
CyberSecMalaysia, KL (May)[48]
Lead
Licensed partners for security services; AWS Malaysia region since Aug 2024[41]
Indonesia
Lead
14 of 20 meetings began here in one of our programmes
Support
Legitimate interest allowed for direct marketing, with an unsubscribe[29]
Limited
79% of unknown calls in 2025 were spam or fraud[36]
Lead
After the first meeting: 74% prefer WhatsApp for messages from companies, and 56% report spam on it[49]
Support
Indonesia Digital Bank Summit, Jakarta (Jul)[50]
Lead
At least 40% of government procurement must go to domestic firms; local-content rules[51]
Philippines
Lead
28.1% of adults
Support
Legitimate-interest assessment needed; no soft opt-in[30]
Limited
Scammers copy bank telemarketing; scam calls up 78% in Q3 2025[52]
Support
Viber or WhatsApp after the meeting
Lead
Manila executive summits: WFIS (Aug, 600+), CDO Summit (12 Nov 2026)[53]
Support
Local partners for public tenders
Thailand
Support
11.1% of adults
Support
Documented lawful basis; draft PDPA marketing guidance, Jul 2026[31]
Limited
39M scam calls in 2025, the most in Whoscall's Asian markets[54]
Support
LINE after the meeting
Lead
Money20/20 Asia, Bangkok, 27 to 29 Apr 2027, 5,000+[55]
Support
AWS Thailand region since Jan 2025[41]
Vietnam
Support
13.5% of adults
Limited
Express prior consent required for advertising email[32]
Limited
Top five most spammed countries in 2025[36]
Support
Zalo, once a relationship exists (79.6M monthly users)[56]
No data
Not verified for this edition
Lead
Local partner or distributor
Japan
Limited
5.1% of adults
Support
Opt-in, except to organisations that publish their address[33]
No data
No recent data
Limited
Teams leads business chat tools; LINE WORKS 5 to 9% in two surveys[57]
Lead
Japan IT Week, Tokyo, 7 to 9 Apr 2027[58]
Lead
73.6% of Japan's IT staff work at IT firms, so integrators carry deals[37]
South Korea
Limited
11.1% of adults
Limited
Explicit prior consent required; no B2B exception in the text[34]
No data
No recent data
Support
KakaoTalk is the most used work tool[59]
No data
Not verified for this edition
Lead
Local partner or distributor
India
Support
16.4% of adults
Support
DPDP duties apply from 2027[60]
Limited
731,000 notices to unregistered telemarketers in 2025[61]
Support
WhatsApp, once the buyer agrees
Lead
Global Fintech Fest, Mumbai (Sep), 100,000+[62]
Support
AWS Hyderabad and Mumbai[41]
Hong Kong
Lead
65.0% of adults
No data
Not researched for this edition
Limited
23 spam calls a month, the most measured[25]
Support
WhatsApp, once the buyer agrees
Lead
Hong Kong FinTech Week, Nov, 45,000+[63]
Support
Regional partners

Messaging apps continue a deal. They rarely start one.

In our Malaysian SIEM programme, 22 of 29 meetings were confirmed on WhatsApp. But 56% of scam attempts in Malaysia arrive by messaging app[47], so a first message from a stranger reads as one. In Japan, Teams leads business chat, not LINE[57].

Cold calls are the weakest first touch in Southeast Asia.

79% of unknown calls in Indonesia were spam or fraud in 2025[36]. Thailand logged 39 million scam calls[54]. In Singapore, 1.3 million subscribers block overseas calls[42]. Use the phone to confirm a meeting the buyer already knows about.

Cold email law splits the region three ways.

B2B email allowed: Singapore and New Zealand (published addresses). Lawful basis and an unsubscribe: Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan for published addresses. Opt-in by law: South Korea and Vietnam.

Globally, 70% of IT spending went through partners in 2025[64], and partners are forecast to handle nearly 60% of cloud-marketplace sales by 2030[65].

7 industries

Who signs, what moves them, and what slows a US$100K deal, industry by industry.

Our estimate: months from entering a market to a first US$100K+ deal

Built from the evidence on each card below. Not a measured average.

E-commerce and digital retail6 to 12 months
Restaurant and cafe chains6 to 12 months
IT infrastructure9 to 15 months
Insurance12 to 18 months
Manufacturing12 to 18 months
Telecom12 to 24 months
Banking15 to 24 months
06121824

E-commerce and digital retail

Our estimate: 6 to 12 months
SignsCEO, CMO or head of digital. Country Road Group's Shopify move was announced by its CEO[66].
Can stop itIT. In our retail data programme in Malaysia and Indonesia, marketing leaders took the meetings and IT teams turned them down.
Moving nowShopee held 54% of Indonesian e-commerce in 2025[67]; video commerce is about 25% of Southeast Asia's online sales[68]; Malaysia's e-invoicing phase 4 started 1 Jan 2026[69].
Slows youFew regulator gates, but Indonesian dates move: the marketplace tax due in February 2026 was postponed with no new date[70].
Way inDirect SaaS in the public examples we found.

Restaurant and cafe chains

Our estimate: 6 to 12 months
SignsThe CEO with the chief data or digital officer, as at QSR Brands, where digital channels are over half of revenue at KFC and Pizza Hut Malaysia[71].
Can stop itThe brand owner, for franchisees: Collins Foods trials AI with KFC South Pacific[72].
Moving nowJollibee guided 2026 capex of ₱13 to 16 billion and 1,200 to 1,300 new outlets[73].
Slows youRollouts go store group by store group: Domino's ran a 20-store trial before its ANZ rollout[74].
Way inOften an integrator: Kopi Kenangan's SAP project ran through IBM, kicked off July 2022, went live January 2023 and was announced in August 2023[75].

IT infrastructure

Our estimate: 9 to 15 months
SignsThe CIO; globally, the CFO and COO join at authorisation[6].
Group size24 people on an APAC IT purchase; globally, 29 for cloud databases[6].
Moving nowAPAC data-centre systems spending up 63.1% in 2026[76]; Johor co-location only 0.7% vacant[77].
Slows youFor Malaysian banks and insurers, first-time public cloud for critical systems needs a consultation with the central bank first[78].
Way inIntegrators and outsourcers, and cloud marketplaces[65].

Banking

Our estimate: 15 to 24 months
SignsThe board and senior management are accountable for material suppliers under CPS 230, MAS and BNM rules[79][80].
Can stop itInformation security (57%), risk (56%) and background checks (55%) are what lengthen supplier onboarding[8].
Moving nowIndonesia's bank IT rules from 1 Mar 2026[81]; Malaysia's stand-in processing by 30 Sep 2027[78]; MAS AI guidelines from 7 Oct 2027[82].
Slows youIn Malaysia, the bank needs the central bank's written approval before a material outsourcing deal, and the rules set no deadline for it[80].
Way inDirect for core platforms (Judo Bank piloted Thought Machine nine months after project start[83]), or through a large integrator.

Insurance

Our estimate: 12 to 18 months
SignsThe CEO for core platforms: Pioneer's CEO announced its Sapiens choice in the Philippines[84].
Can stop itThe same risk and security functions as banks.
Moving nowCPS 230 covers Australian insurers, with existing contracts due by 1 Jul 2026[79].
Slows youMalaysian insurers and takaful operators need central-bank approval for material outsourcing[80]; Indonesian non-bank financial firms must keep data centres onshore[85].
Way inDirect core vendors, or integrators: Allianz PNB Life's six-month cloud project ran with DXC[86].

Manufacturing

Our estimate: 12 to 18 months
SignsPlant and automation leaders with group IT: APP Sinar Mas's head of automation chose its MES partner[87].
Can stop itPlant operations, if a pilot disrupts a live line.
Moving nowIDC ties ASEAN, Vietnam and Thailand spending to China Plus One relocation[88]; Malaysia's industrial plan runs to 2030[89].
Slows youPhysical systems need a pilot. Dexterity's Sagawa project in Japan was a ¥600 million proof of concept, arranged through an investor partner[18].
Way inPartners and integrators; ITAP, Singapore, July 2027, is the regional show[44].

Telecom

Our estimate: 12 to 24 months
SignsNetwork and IT heads, through group procurement and formal tenders.
Can stop itLegal review (50%) and the tender process (46%) are the top delays before signature in technology, media and telecom[8].
Moving nowXLSmart completed its merger on 16 Apr 2025[90]; the Philippines' Konektadong Pinoy Act took effect 17 Dec 2025[91]; Tune Talk adopted Mavenir's OSS/BSS in Feb 2026[92].
Slows youNetwork decisions follow government policy and run as multi-year tenders.
Way inEquipment makers and their partners; direct for software layers such as OSS/BSS.

Public APAC announcements rarely state how long a vendor selection took, and they can trail the work: Kopi Kenangan's SAP project was announced seven months after it went live. Release dates understate how long a first deal takes.

Rules calendar

Dated rules give buyers a reason to act now, and give foreign vendors new gates to clear.

Each rule below either opens a buying window or adds a check a vendor must pass. Gold chips are still to come.

2025202620272028
Australia
Jul 2025 · CPS 230 in forceNov 2025 · A$10k to 125k tenders local onlyJan 2026 · Ransomware reporting enforcedJul 2026 · CPS 230: existing contractsDec 2026 · Automated-decision transparency
New Zealand
Dec 2025 · 10% weighting for NZ benefitMay 2026 · IPP 3A notices
Singapore
Oct 2025 · Cybersecurity Act changesDec 2026 · Cyber Trust mark for providersOct 2027 · MAS AI risk guidelines
Malaysia
Jun 2025 · PDPA: DPOs, breach noticesAug 2025 · Cloud policy: data onshoreNov 2025 · RMiT revisedSep 2027 · RMiT stand-in processing
Indonesia
Mar 2026 · OJK bank IT rulesJan 2027 · GR 33/2026 data rules
Philippines
Jun 2026 · AFASA fraud systemsDec 2026 · E-invoicing, large taxpayers
Japan
Oct 2026 · Active Cyber Defense; invoice deduction 70%
South Korea
Jan 2026 · AI Basic ActJul 2027 · CSAP replaced by N2SF
Vietnam
Jan 2026 · PDP LawMar 2026 · AI Law
India
Nov 2025 · DPDP Rules notifiedMay 2027 · DPDP main duties
Hong Kong
Jan 2026 · Critical infrastructure ordinance
In forceComingToday, 4 November 2026
Jul 2025AustraliaCPS 230 in force
Nov 2025AustraliaA$10k to 125k tenders local only
Jan 2026AustraliaRansomware reporting enforced
Jul 2026AustraliaCPS 230: existing contracts
Dec 2026AustraliaAutomated-decision transparency Coming
Dec 2025New Zealand10% weighting for NZ benefit
May 2026New ZealandIPP 3A notices
Oct 2025SingaporeCybersecurity Act changes
Dec 2026SingaporeCyber Trust mark for providers Coming
Oct 2027SingaporeMAS AI risk guidelines Coming
Jun 2025MalaysiaPDPA: DPOs, breach notices
Aug 2025MalaysiaCloud policy: data onshore
Nov 2025MalaysiaRMiT revised
Sep 2027MalaysiaRMiT stand-in processing Coming
Mar 2026IndonesiaOJK bank IT rules
Jan 2027IndonesiaGR 33/2026 data rules Coming
Jun 2026PhilippinesAFASA fraud systems
Dec 2026PhilippinesE-invoicing, large taxpayers Coming
Oct 2026JapanActive Cyber Defense; invoice deduction 70%
Jan 2026South KoreaAI Basic Act
Jul 2027South KoreaCSAP replaced by N2SF Coming
Jan 2026VietnamPDP Law
Mar 2026VietnamAI Law
Nov 2025IndiaDPDP Rules notified
May 2027IndiaDPDP main duties Coming
Jan 2026Hong KongCritical infrastructure ordinance

Sources: Australia[79][93][94][95]; New Zealand[96][97]; Singapore[98][82]; Malaysia[45][99][78]; Indonesia[81][100]; Philippines[101][102]; Japan[103][104]; South Korea[105]; Vietnam[106]; India[60]; Hong Kong[107]. India's dates are given differently by different sources.

After the yes

What a US$100,000 invoice turns into, market by market.

Withholding tax comes off before the money reaches you, unless the contract or a tax treaty says otherwise. Then the invoice is paid late.

What you receiveWithheld at source, before any treaty relief
Australia
US$70.0K received · paid 68 days late on average (2024)
Philippines
US$75.0K received · no payment survey found
South Korea
US$78.0K received · no payment survey found
India
US$79.0K received · paid 56 days late on average (2024)
Japan
US$79.6K received · paid 46 days late on average (2024)
Indonesia
US$80.0K received · 36% of suppliers have over 30% of invoices overdue (2026)
New Zealand
US$85.0K received · government pays 95% of e-invoices in 5 business days
Thailand
US$85.0K received · paid 78 days late on average (2024)
Singapore
US$90.0K received · 69-day terms plus 66 days late (2026)
Malaysia
US$90.0K received · paid 67 days late on average (2024)
Vietnam
US$90.0K received · 46% of suppliers have over 30% of invoices overdue (2026)
Hong Kong
US$95.0K received · paid 74 days late on average (2024)

Withholding at domestic rates on royalties, before treaty relief; software fees are often treated as royalties[10]. Japan: 20% plus 2.1% surtax. South Korea: 20% plus local income tax. India: 20% plus surcharge and cess. Hong Kong: rate for unrelated payees. Payment data[9][35][108].

Government buyers pay fastest

5 days

Australian federal agencies, for e-invoices (20 days otherwise)[109]

5 business days

New Zealand agencies, 95% of e-invoices (10 otherwise)[110]

14 days

Malaysia's rule; Finance Ministry departments paid 97.42% within 7 days in Sep 2026[111]

30 days

Singapore government credit terms; about 99% of small invoices on time[112]

Six markets in depth

ANZ and Southeast Asia, one card each.

Spam calls: Apr to Jun 2025. Payment delay: 2024 unless marked. *Singapore LinkedIn reach is a share of total population.

Australia

Friction comes late, in contracts
84.7%LinkedIn reach
5spam calls a month
30%withholding tax
68days paid late
Start withLinkedIn, then short role-relevant email; Gartner Symposium (Sep) and AISA CyberCon (Oct).
Slows youFederal tenders of A$10k to 125k open only to Australian businesses[93]; certified hosting for government data[113]; CPS 230 terms in bank and insurer contracts[79].
Next date10 Dec 2026: automated-decision transparency[95].
39meetings in our cyber risk programme. Two thirds were confirmed on LinkedIn and one third by phone. Buyers told us they prefer vendors with a proven local track record.

New Zealand

The most open email rules
80.2%LinkedIn reach
1spam call a month
15%withholding tax
5business days, gov e-invoices
Start withLinkedIn, then email to published role addresses; the CIO Innovation Summit, Auckland (Aug).
Slows youGovernment tenders above NZ$100k weigh benefit to New Zealand at 10% or more[96].
Latest date1 May 2026: notices for indirectly collected data[97].
We do not publish a New Zealand figure yet. Most of our ANZ data comes from Australian accounts.

Singapore

Events and email open doors
86.7%LinkedIn reach*
3spam calls a month
10%withholding tax
66days paid late, 2026
Start withLinkedIn, B2B email, and the Singapore FinTech Festival (18 to 20 Nov 2026).
Slows youLicensed security providers need the Cyber Trust mark by 31 Dec 2026[98]; overseas calls are blocked by 1.3M+ subscribers[42].
Next date7 Oct 2027: MAS AI risk guidelines take effect[82].
We do not publish a Singapore figure yet.

Malaysia

LinkedIn opens, WhatsApp confirms
37.4%LinkedIn reach
4spam calls a month
10%withholding tax
67days paid late
Start withLinkedIn, then WhatsApp once the buyer agrees; a licensed local partner for security services.
Slows youNACSA licence for SOC and pen-testing[45]; Ministry of Finance registration for tenders; a self-billed e-invoice from the buyer for imported services[114].
Next date30 Sep 2027: bank stand-in processing[78].
23 → 6meetings to sales opportunities in three months for a cloud infrastructure provider. Our APAC benchmark is 2 opportunities per 10 meetings.

Indonesia

Slow first deal, faster second
18.3%LinkedIn reach
16spam calls a month
20%withholding tax
36%of suppliers 30%+ overdue
Start withLinkedIn, then WhatsApp after the first meeting; a local partner for state-linked buyers.
Slows youA rule that at least 40% of government procurement go to domestic firms, plus local-content rules[51]; public-sector data kept in Indonesia[115]; a Certificate of Domicile for treaty tax rates[10].
Next date16 Jan 2027: GR 33/2026 data protection rules[100].
15 → 9 → 8months to a client's first, second and third enterprise deals in Jakarta. Proposals needed a one-page summary in Bahasa Indonesia.

Philippines

English-speaking, hard to reach cold
28.1%LinkedIn reach
12spam calls a month
25%withholding tax
n/ano payment survey
Start withLinkedIn, then Manila executive summits; Viber or WhatsApp after the meeting.
Slows youForeign bidders limited in government tenders; a domestic bid within 25% wins[116]. Bank deals pass risk, product, security, legal and compliance[21].
Next date31 Dec 2026: e-invoicing for large taxpayers[102].
We do not publish a Philippines figure yet.

The six-market sheet

The benchmark for ANZ and Southeast Asia on one page.

Built from the sources above and from the accounts we run. Forward it to whoever owns your APAC plan. On a phone, swipe sideways to see all six markets.

RowAustraliaNew ZealandSingaporeMalaysiaIndonesiaPhilippines
Start withLinkedIn, then role-relevant emailLinkedIn, then email to published addressesLinkedIn, B2B email, eventsLinkedIn, then WhatsAppLinkedIn, then WhatsApp, in BahasaLinkedIn, then Manila summits
Avoid as a first touchCold callsNothing restricted beyond the rulesCalls from overseas numbersCold calls; cold WhatsAppCold calls; cold WhatsAppCold calls
Partner needed?For government workFor government workFor licensed security servicesFor security services and tendersFor state-linked buyersFor government tenders
Next dated rule10 Dec 2026: automated decisions1 May 2026: IPP 3A (in force)31 Dec 2026: Cyber Trust mark30 Sep 2027: RMiT stand-in16 Jan 2027: GR 33/202631 Dec 2026: e-invoicing
Withholding tax on royalties30%15%10%10%20%25%
Paid late by68 days (2024)Not covered66 days (2026)67 days (2024)36% of suppliers 30%+ overdueNot covered
Government pays within5 days (e-invoices)5 business days (e-invoices)30 days14 daysNot foundNot found
Time to first deal, evidenceCelonis: 5 customers in about 3 yearsNo published figureJuspay: 'the initial year or two' was hard[XpandEast figure]Our client: 15, then 9, then 8 monthsTrusting Social: bank cycles 'pretty long'
Deal sizes in our accounts[XpandEast figure][XpandEast figure][XpandEast figure]US$25K to 100K+ a yearUS$25K+ a year (one platform's floor)[XpandEast figure]

What to do with this

Six decisions, in the order they come up.

1Before you go

Pick the market by channel fit and the rule calendar

Choose where your buyers answer the channels you can run, and where a dated rule gives them a reason to act within 12 months.

2Months 0 to 4

Get on the list before buyers start

92% of wins go to a vendor already on the first list. Content, events and partner introductions in the market put you there.

3First meeting

Map the buying group

Plan for 15 people inside the buyer and 11 outside it. Ask early who signs, who sponsors and who can stop the deal.

4Before the proposal

Clear the gates

Licences, a local partner, certified hosting, the security questionnaire, a withholding-tax clause and the buyer's e-invoice steps.

5At signature

Budget for about 4.5 months of cash

Terms plus late payment average 138 days in APAC. Agree the tax gross-up or the treaty paperwork before the first invoice.

6Month 6

Judge on leading signals

Meetings held, the buyer role that converts, opportunities opened, proposals requested. The second deal comes faster.

Get one live account like these every Tuesday.

The Tuesday Brief: the channel that reached the buyer, the message that got a reply, and the days to a first meeting, from accounts we run in Southeast Asia and ANZ. Two-minute read.

Get the Tuesday BriefTalk to us about one market

How we built this

Sources published from 2025 to November 2026 wherever a 2025 or 2026 edition exists; older sources are dated in the list. Where a figure comes from a press report of a study, the list says so. "Our accounts" and "XpandEast client" figures come from XpandEast engagements in Southeast Asia and ANZ, with client names removed. Industry ranges and the 12 to 18 month range are our estimates, built from the evidence shown. Laws and rates change: check the source before you sign a contract. This article is not legal or tax advice.

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