East Ventures names new managing partner

Koh (pictured), who joined East last year as a venture partner, will be responsible for building out the business in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. He brings more than 10 years of experience and network in the investment industry.

At Pavilion, Koh spearheaded investments in China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia including in several tech unicorns such as Gojek, Didi, Xiaohongshu, Toss, and Freee. Prior to setting up Pavilion, he served in investment, strategy, and portfolio management functions at Temasek. Last year, he established and led a licensed fund management platform.

East was founded in 2009 to make seed and Series A investments across a range of IT-related sectors with a strong geographic focus on Indonesia. The firm, which also maintains an office in Japan, closed its sixth flagship fund in 2019 at USD 75m. Its latest vehicle, styled as Fund VIII, reached a first close of USD 57m in 2020 on a target of USD 88m.

Notable team building in recent years includes the appointment of Triawan Munaf, a former member of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s cabinet, as a venture advisor. This followed the promotion of Melisa Irene from principal to partner. Irene, who joined the firm in 2015 with no investment experience, became the first woman at the firm in that position.

“East Ventures is the leading venture investment platform in Indonesia and Southeast Asia,” Koh said in a statement. “It is a privilege for me to join the team that has delivered outperformance and outsized impact to the region’s tech ecosystem. I look forward to working with the team, founders, and partners to bring East Ventures to the next level.”

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