Southeast Asia
Singapore's NRF to invest $107m in AI
Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) has agreed to invest S$150 million ($107 million) over five years in a new multi-agency initiative aimed at fostering an artificial intelligence (AI) development ecosystem.
Southeast Asia VC: Common tastes
Venture capital investors increasingly view Southeast Asia as a single market as start-ups focus their attentions on a handful of large cities whose young populations have similar consumption habits
Fund focus: SeedPlus focuses on LP selectivity
Jungle Ventures' SeedPlus took its time accumulating $18 million from a set of LPs that can offer particular value-add to complement an operationally experienced investment team
Fund focus: Makara goes global in IP search
Makara Capital has a $716 million fund and a remit to invest in intellectual property-rich assets globally in order to bring greater industrial and technological value to Singapore
VCs target Southeast Asia's urban consumers - AVCJ Forum
Indonesia is sitting at the heart of an increasingly homogeneous Southeast Asia market in which start-ups can execute cross-border strategies by leveraging similar consumer habits across major cities.
LPs play the long game on Indonesia - AVCJ Forum
Institutional investors are keen to increase their exposure to Indonesia but the relative immaturity of the local market continues to be a deterrent, LPs told the AVCJ Indonesia Forum.
Private to public: Indonesia taps PE talent for government
Saratoga Capital's Sandiaga Uno is the latest Indonesian PE professional to enter public service following his election as deputy governor of Jakarta. This trend is a function of a relatively shallow talent pool
Singapore Life gets $50m Series A round
UK private equity investor IPGL has joined a $50 million Series A funding round for Singapore Life, a financial technology start-up targeting the insurance and savings services industry.
Singapore government launches $716m PE fund
The Singapore government and domestic GP Makara Capital have launched a S$1 billion ($716 million) private equity fund that will focus on intellectual property (IP)-driven companies.
KV Asia exits Singapore nursing home business
KV Asia Capital has exited its 100% interest in Singaporean nursing home services provider Orange Valley Healthcare to a local media company for about S$164 million ($117.5 million).
Fund focus: DSG wins with early-stage angle
Deepak Shahdadpuri's DSG Partners Asia has secured $40 million for its second fund, which targets early-stage consumer opportunities in India and Southeast Asia
SeedPlus Singapore closes debut fund at $18m
SeedPlus Singapore, a Southeast Asia-focused seed fund run by Jungle Ventures, has closed its debut fund at S$25 million ($18 million).
DeClout launches incubator in Singapore
DeClout, a holding company focused on developing IT and cloud computing technology providers, has launched a start-up incubator via its venture capital arm in Singapore.
Saratoga's Uno elected deputy governor of Jakarta
Sandiaga Uno, one of the founding partners of Indonesia-focused GP Saratoga Capital, has been elected deputy governor of Jakarta. Uno and his running mate Anies Baswedan (pictured right, with Uno), a former education minister, secured a comprehensive...
KWAP joins investor roster for SE Asia telecom spin-out
Malaysia’s public sector pension fund, KWAP, has joined Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Khazanah Nasional in backing the spin-out of an infrastructure unit of Southeast Asian telecom company Axiata.
Navis-owned Village Grocer makes Malaysia bolt-on
Village Grocer, a Malaysian premium grocery chain owned by Navis Capital Partners, has taken over domestic rival Bens Independent Grocer (BIG).
VCs back Filipino fintech start-up
Philippines-based financial technology company First Circle has received $2.5 million from a group of VC firms, including a seed stage investment unit of emerging markets microfinance group Accion International.
Indonesia investment: Venture rising
Venture capital has come to the fore in Indonesia, propelled forward by the attractions of a youthful population, rising disposable incomes and growth in smart phone adoption
Indonesia's GP landscape: Slim pickings
While the number of GPs active in Indonesian venture capital has mushroomed in recent years, there has been no change on the private equity side. The market suffers from talent and perception issues
Q&A: Indonesia Infrastructure Finance's Harold Tjiptadjaja
Harold Tjiptadjaja, managing director at government-backed non-bank financial institution Indonesia Infrastructure Finance, discusses the qualities foreign investors need to navigate the sector
Indonesia resources: Storms and blue sky
Indonesia’s resources sector has proven a socially and politically tumultuous investment environment in recent years. GPs are monitoring the headline issues and maintaining long-term confidence
Indonesia VC: Corporate kingpins
The corporates and family groups that dominate Indonesia’s economy are becoming increasingly active in the VC space. To independent GPs, they are more friend than foe, but agendas and approaches vary
IFC set to re-up as LeapFrog seeks $800m for Fund III
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has proposed an investment of up to $25 million in LeapFrog Investments’ emerging markets-focused third fund, which is targeting as much as $800 million.
Dragon Capital sets up microfinance business in Myanmar
Vietnam-based private equity firm Dragon Capital has made its first investment in Myanmar, teaming up with a local strategic partner to seed a Yangon-based microfinance services business.