Current Role | Co-founder & Group CEO, Catcha Group |
Previous Position | Executive Chairman, iFlix | Co-founder of Rev Asia |
Key Recognition | EY Technology Entrepreneur of the Year (Malaysia) | World Economic Forum Young Global Leader |
Background and Early Foundations
Patrick Grove was born in Singapore, raised in Malaysia, and educated in Australia — a multicultural foundation that later defined his approach to business: fast, bold, and borderless.
After graduating from the University of Sydney, he co-founded Catcha Group in 1999. Against the backdrop of the first dot-com crash, he took risks few dared — launching Southeast Asia’s early digital giants in property (iProperty), media (Rev Asia), streaming (iFlix), and SPACs.
Today, Grove is one of the region’s most prolific internet entrepreneurs, having listed five companies across Australia, Malaysia, and the U.S.
Career Milestones and Impact
Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
1999 | Co-founded Catcha.com, one of Southeast Asia’s earliest digital startups |
2007 | Launched iProperty Group; later acquired by REA Group for $530M |
2013 | Co-founded iFlix, Southeast Asia’s first homegrown video streaming service |
2021 | Launched Catcha Investment Corp SPAC on NYSE |
- IPOs/Exits: 5+ listed companies
- Capital Raised: $1.5B+ across ventures
- Key Brands: iProperty, iFlix, Rev Asia, Catcha Digital
- Focus Markets: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia
- Model: Build-operate-spin-scale — often targeting underserved SEA verticals
Leadership Style and Influence
Grove leads with a founder-first, no-fear approach:
- Believes in MVP-first execution and rapid market validation
- Builds lean startup teams, then scales with strategic exits
- Invests in entrepreneurs across ASEAN via Catcha Ventures
- Regularly speaks at WEF, Tech in Asia, and Slush Singapore
He also mentors new digital founders and advocates for capital market access for Southeast Asian startups, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Legacy and Future Focus
Patrick Grove’s legacy lies in pioneering Asia’s first internet wave and showing that exits, IPOs, and global partnerships were possible outside of China or India.
- Sparked IPO trends in Malaysia’s startup scene
- Proved SPACs could work for Southeast Asia
- Built cross-border digital businesses in highly fragmented economies
Looking ahead, he is:
- Scaling Catcha Digital into a programmatic adtech and e-commerce ecosystem
- Exploring tokenized equity models for early-stage funding
- Backing female and minority founders in the region’s second-tier cities
