Singapore government launches $716m PE fund

The vehicle, known as Makara Innovation Fund (MIF), will target high-growth companies with strong IP and proven business models, and leverage Singapore as a base for their growth into global markets. It is claimed to be Southeast Asia’s first PE fund that sources IP-driven companies internationally for cross-border regional expansions.

MIF is intended to combine the expertise and networking resources of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) with Makara’s commercially-driven investment approach. It will invest S$30-150 million across 10-15 companies in sectors including urban solutions, advanced technologies, financial technology, consumer, alternative energy and healthcare.

“The partnership between SBF and IPOS will promote companies’ understanding, appreciation and use of IP to create a strategic edge for themselves through the various initiatives that we will jointly work on. IP is vital to the success of businesses; it is intangible yet highly valuable in its ability to set businesses apart from their competitors,” Ho Meng Kit, CEO of SBF, said in a statement. 

The launch represents part of the government’s IP Hub Master Plan initiative, which aims to establish Singapore as a regional focal point for helping companies integrate IP into business strategies early while scaling up. As part of the effort, IPOS will collaborate with IP management consultancy firm EverEdge Global to reach out to more than 150 local companies over the next three years.

Makara Capital was founded in 2005 as a joint venture with Credit Suisse and made independent by its founding partners in 2008.  Its core investment focus areas span infrastructure, energy and innovation ecosystems driven by the development of IP rights.

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• Topics
• Southeast Asia
• Financials
• Technology
• Healthcare
• Fundraising
• Growth
• Singapore
• Growth capital