Season One

Season one of Founders' Valley is a 10-part TV series that follows Fridtjof Detzner– the founder of successful German startup Jimdo– on a journey through Asia. Looking for visionary ideas, Fridtjof meets with startup founders, organizations and activists working on innovative and inspiring solutions: artificial ice-stupas fighting climate change, revolutionary materials to save the world's oceans, smart apps to fight hunger... we'll feel the pulse of the Asian startup ecosystem and what makes it unique.

Of course entrepreneurship isn't always glorious as it is often portrayed. It requires a ton of sacrifice and complete dedication. That's why we don't shy away from showing the challenges founders need to overcome, as well as the troubles and opportunities in a digitalized and globalized world.

Above all, Founders' Valley wants to showcase these unique characters and their stories, thereby highlighting solutions to some of the world's most intractable issues.

Where we've been

India - Drowning in Plastic

India - The Climate Challenge

Indonesia - Water – Sacred and Scarce

Indonesia - The Future of Food

Singapore - Horizons of Health

Bangladesh - Worlds of Work

Malaysia - Energize the World

Taiwan - Technology – Promise or Peril?

Hong Kong - Urban Visions

Mongolia - Between Tradition and Globalization

About Deutsche Welle (DW)

DW, Germany's international broadcaster, is a trusted source for reliable news and information that provides content in 30 languages to audiences around the world via TV, radio and online. It has a global network of over 4,400 partners that carry and rebroadcast our content and employs around 3,000 employees and freelancers from 60 countries in DW's headquarters in Bonn and main studio in Berlin.