(Phnom Penh): Cambodia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Strengthening Conference 2025 (CAMESCO25) is held with around 250 participants from close to 150 institutions and organizations. The theme for CAMESCO25 is “From Collaboration to Catalyzing Systemic Change”, a collaborative effort organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact Cambodia and co-financed by Khmer Enterprise (KE), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). This conference is one of the sub-activities under the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investment Initiative (3EI).
Since 2022, this marks the fourth consecutive year of organizing the conference, which continues to foster a vibrant and dynamic environment for entrepreneurship in Cambodia. Over the years, the event has grown in scale and impact, driven by the active contributions from ecosystem actors. This collective effort reflects a significant milestone in strengthening collaboration, expanding opportunities, and attracting greater investment to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambodia.
Chhieng Vanmunin, Delegate of the Royal Government in charge as Chief Executive Officer of Khmer Enterprise, said, “Through collaboration, Khmer Enterprise and our partners have been working to build and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing the right support and creating meaningful impact for entrepreneurs in Cambodia. Each Entity plays a unique role in contributing resources and expertise to address challenges collectively.”
CAMESCO25 continues to uphold its objectives each year by strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through sharing knowledge, best practices, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders under the 3EI initiative. The initiative has been implemented consistently through key activities such as Give A Day (GAD) and the Ecosystem Builders Network (EBN).
Reto Grueninger, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Cambodia, representing the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), highlighted Switzerland’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and fostering local economic development in Cambodia. He noted that recent global developments have underscored the urgency of accelerating efforts to build a more diversified, formalized, and resilient economy. In this context, a strong, dynamic SME sector can play a pivotal role in creating value, driving innovation, and promoting inclusive growth in Cambodia, Grueninger stated. To achieve this, he pointed to the need to further improve the regulatory business environment and expand access to affordable finance”.
As a full-day event, the conference offered a range of activities—from presentations to panel discussions—highlighting significant topics and emerging trends, addressing key challenges, and showcasing effective solutions implemented across various countries. Overall, the conference featured five main topics ranging from impact to investment, which connect our ecosystem to regional and global best practices.
Daniel Nugraha, Country Director of Swisscontact, said, "Swisscontact continues to contribute to and support the entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster sustainable growth. Through the 3Ei initiative, our focus as an ecosystem builder is to strengthen collaboration, innovation, and shared ownership in driving Cambodia’s entrepreneurial development. CAMESCO embodies this commitment by bringing stakeholders together to turn collective ambition into scalable solutions through learning and partnerships."
Alongside the strategic partnership with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), the Nippon Foundation, ADB Frontier, GIZ, and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), the conference also featured breakout sessions and a speed dating segment to foster networking and investment opportunities between startups/SMEs and investors.
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