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The complete list of investors in South East Asia
Looking for top investors in South East Asia? Search and find your ideal investor with Aspire’s comprehensive list including angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate investors etc. Whether you are looking for a pre-seed investment or a Series D, this list will help you find the right partner for your business growth.
List of investors in SEA
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Investor
Geography
Industry
Funding stage
Action
Iconiq Growth
Affiliated with ICONIQ Capital, ICONIQ Growth invests in B2B and B2C companies. They collaborate with top entrepreneurs that aim to create global impact and change through a structurally differentiated platform. In addition, they provide exclusive access to proprietary insights, commercial opportunities and strategic introductions across their worldwide network.
Iconiq Growth
Affiliated with ICONIQ Capital, ICONIQ Growth invests in B2B and B2C companies. They collaborate with top entrepreneurs that aim to create global impact and change through a structurally differentiated platform. In addition, they provide exclusive access to proprietary insights, commercial opportunities and strategic introductions across their worldwide network.
Iconiq Growth
Affiliated with ICONIQ Capital, ICONIQ Growth invests in B2B and B2C companies. They collaborate with top entrepreneurs that aim to create global impact and change through a structurally differentiated platform. In addition, they provide exclusive access to proprietary insights, commercial opportunities and strategic introductions across their worldwide network.
Iconiq Growth
Affiliated with ICONIQ Capital, ICONIQ Growth invests in B2B and B2C companies. They collaborate with top entrepreneurs that aim to create global impact and change through a structurally differentiated platform. In addition, they provide exclusive access to proprietary insights, commercial opportunities and strategic introductions across their worldwide network.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Capital X is a rolling fund firm launched by VC Cindy Bii with the aim to build high-impact companies at different stages from seed to series C. Since 2011, Cindy has made investments in over 100 start-ups, including 11 unicorns.
Capital X
Headquartered in San Francisco, Capital X is a rolling fund firm launched by VC Cindy Bii with the aim to build high-impact companies at different stages from seed to series C. Since 2011, Cindy has made investments in over 100 start-ups, including 11 unicorns.
Capital X
Headquartered in San Francisco, Capital X is a rolling fund firm launched by VC Cindy Bii with the aim to build high-impact companies at different stages from seed to series C. Since 2011, Cindy has made investments in over 100 start-ups, including 11 unicorns.
Capital X
Headquartered in San Francisco, Capital X is a rolling fund firm launched by VC Cindy Bii with the aim to build high-impact companies at different stages from seed to series C. Since 2011, Cindy has made investments in over 100 start-ups, including 11 unicorns.
Driven by a mission to empower the world’s leading technology entrepreneurs in the real estate space, Zigg Capital is a global investment firm that seeks meaningful entrepreneurial partnerships to radically transform real estate values and impact the places that we engage, work and live in.
Zigg Capital
Driven by a mission to empower the world’s leading technology entrepreneurs in the real estate space, Zigg Capital is a global investment firm that seeks meaningful entrepreneurial partnerships to radically transform real estate values and impact the places that we engage, work and live in.
Zigg Capital
Driven by a mission to empower the world’s leading technology entrepreneurs in the real estate space, Zigg Capital is a global investment firm that seeks meaningful entrepreneurial partnerships to radically transform real estate values and impact the places that we engage, work and live in.
Zigg Capital
Driven by a mission to empower the world’s leading technology entrepreneurs in the real estate space, Zigg Capital is a global investment firm that seeks meaningful entrepreneurial partnerships to radically transform real estate values and impact the places that we engage, work and live in.
Launched in 2016, Yellowdog is an impact venture capital firm focused on start-ups that provide solutions to address social problems ranging from economic inequality to climate change. By tackling these challenges through investment, they are committed to investing in innovative businesses and entrepreneurs that create both social impact and commercial value.
Yellowdog
Launched in 2016, Yellowdog is an impact venture capital firm focused on start-ups that provide solutions to address social problems ranging from economic inequality to climate change. By tackling these challenges through investment, they are committed to investing in innovative businesses and entrepreneurs that create both social impact and commercial value.
Yellowdog
Launched in 2016, Yellowdog is an impact venture capital firm focused on start-ups that provide solutions to address social problems ranging from economic inequality to climate change. By tackling these challenges through investment, they are committed to investing in innovative businesses and entrepreneurs that create both social impact and commercial value.
Yellowdog
Launched in 2016, Yellowdog is an impact venture capital firm focused on start-ups that provide solutions to address social problems ranging from economic inequality to climate change. By tackling these challenges through investment, they are committed to investing in innovative businesses and entrepreneurs that create both social impact and commercial value.
Since its launch in 2005, Y Combinator has established itself as a leading technology start-up accelerator with the primary objective of providing seed funding over two annual batches一the first from January through March and the second from June through August. Besides funding, they also leverage their expertise to help start-ups not just grow their initial idea but to prepare founders to pitch and build relationships with investors.
Y Combinator
Since its launch in 2005, Y Combinator has established itself as a leading technology start-up accelerator with the primary objective of providing seed funding over two annual batches一the first from January through March and the second from June through August. Besides funding, they also leverage their expertise to help start-ups not just grow their initial idea but to prepare founders to pitch and build relationships with investors.
Y Combinator
Since its launch in 2005, Y Combinator has established itself as a leading technology start-up accelerator with the primary objective of providing seed funding over two annual batches一the first from January through March and the second from June through August. Besides funding, they also leverage their expertise to help start-ups not just grow their initial idea but to prepare founders to pitch and build relationships with investors.
Y Combinator
Since its launch in 2005, Y Combinator has established itself as a leading technology start-up accelerator with the primary objective of providing seed funding over two annual batches一the first from January through March and the second from June through August. Besides funding, they also leverage their expertise to help start-ups not just grow their initial idea but to prepare founders to pitch and build relationships with investors.
Gustaf Alstromer, Tim Brady, Paul Buchheit, Dalton Caldwell, Nicolas Dessaigne, Aaron Epstein, Brad Flora, Jared Friedman, Anu Hariharan, Surbhi Sarna, Michael Seibel, Harj Taggar
Established in 1993, WI Harper Group is one of the earliest venture capital firms in China and now has operations in Beijing, Taipei and San Francisco. Over the span of 26 years, they’ve invested in more than 400 companies, of which 8 companies have raised more than 1 billion USD in assets under management (AUM). They continue to provide support and drive innovation for the next generation of global entrepreneurs by leveraging their extensive network of local and global partners.
WI Harper Group
Established in 1993, WI Harper Group is one of the earliest venture capital firms in China and now has operations in Beijing, Taipei and San Francisco. Over the span of 26 years, they’ve invested in more than 400 companies, of which 8 companies have raised more than 1 billion USD in assets under management (AUM). They continue to provide support and drive innovation for the next generation of global entrepreneurs by leveraging their extensive network of local and global partners.
WI Harper Group
Established in 1993, WI Harper Group is one of the earliest venture capital firms in China and now has operations in Beijing, Taipei and San Francisco. Over the span of 26 years, they’ve invested in more than 400 companies, of which 8 companies have raised more than 1 billion USD in assets under management (AUM). They continue to provide support and drive innovation for the next generation of global entrepreneurs by leveraging their extensive network of local and global partners.
WI Harper Group
Established in 1993, WI Harper Group is one of the earliest venture capital firms in China and now has operations in Beijing, Taipei and San Francisco. Over the span of 26 years, they’ve invested in more than 400 companies, of which 8 companies have raised more than 1 billion USD in assets under management (AUM). They continue to provide support and drive innovation for the next generation of global entrepreneurs by leveraging their extensive network of local and global partners.
White Star Capital is a multi-stage technology investment platform with operations in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Montreal, Toronto and Hong Kong. By capitalising on their presence, perspective and people, they invest in top entrepreneurs with innovative businesses and work closely with their founders to help them scale aggressively from Series A and beyond.
White Star Capital
White Star Capital is a multi-stage technology investment platform with operations in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Montreal, Toronto and Hong Kong. By capitalising on their presence, perspective and people, they invest in top entrepreneurs with innovative businesses and work closely with their founders to help them scale aggressively from Series A and beyond.
White Star Capital
White Star Capital is a multi-stage technology investment platform with operations in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Montreal, Toronto and Hong Kong. By capitalising on their presence, perspective and people, they invest in top entrepreneurs with innovative businesses and work closely with their founders to help them scale aggressively from Series A and beyond.
White Star Capital
White Star Capital is a multi-stage technology investment platform with operations in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Montreal, Toronto and Hong Kong. By capitalising on their presence, perspective and people, they invest in top entrepreneurs with innovative businesses and work closely with their founders to help them scale aggressively from Series A and beyond.
Since 1996, Wellington Management has been a solutions provider for both institutional and sub-advisory clients across Southeast Asia. Besides managing funds for clients in a variety of equity, fixed income, and multi-asset approaches, they manage assets across a variety of investment approaches and work with colleagues throughout their globally integrated investment platform.
Wellington Management
Since 1996, Wellington Management has been a solutions provider for both institutional and sub-advisory clients across Southeast Asia. Besides managing funds for clients in a variety of equity, fixed income, and multi-asset approaches, they manage assets across a variety of investment approaches and work with colleagues throughout their globally integrated investment platform.
Wellington Management
Since 1996, Wellington Management has been a solutions provider for both institutional and sub-advisory clients across Southeast Asia. Besides managing funds for clients in a variety of equity, fixed income, and multi-asset approaches, they manage assets across a variety of investment approaches and work with colleagues throughout their globally integrated investment platform.
Wellington Management
Since 1996, Wellington Management has been a solutions provider for both institutional and sub-advisory clients across Southeast Asia. Besides managing funds for clients in a variety of equity, fixed income, and multi-asset approaches, they manage assets across a variety of investment approaches and work with colleagues throughout their globally integrated investment platform.
Founded in 2003, Wavemaker Group is a multi-faceted cross-border venture capital firm with headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore. They have invested in over 400 companies over 18 years, establishing them as one of the most active early-stage investors in Southern California and Southeast Asia. To date, they have raised over 600 million USD across various funds.
Wavemaker Partners
Founded in 2003, Wavemaker Group is a multi-faceted cross-border venture capital firm with headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore. They have invested in over 400 companies over 18 years, establishing them as one of the most active early-stage investors in Southern California and Southeast Asia. To date, they have raised over 600 million USD across various funds.
Wavemaker Partners
Founded in 2003, Wavemaker Group is a multi-faceted cross-border venture capital firm with headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore. They have invested in over 400 companies over 18 years, establishing them as one of the most active early-stage investors in Southern California and Southeast Asia. To date, they have raised over 600 million USD across various funds.
Wavemaker Partners
Founded in 2003, Wavemaker Group is a multi-faceted cross-border venture capital firm with headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore. They have invested in over 400 companies over 18 years, establishing them as one of the most active early-stage investors in Southern California and Southeast Asia. To date, they have raised over 600 million USD across various funds.
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India invests in high-growth start-ups seeking their first round of funding, with a primary focus on Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India and beyond. A trusted partner to some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, Vertex supports growth by tapping into their unparalleled operating experience and vast access to the capital, talent, partners and customers start-ups need to scale globally.
Vertex Ventures SEA and India
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India invests in high-growth start-ups seeking their first round of funding, with a primary focus on Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India and beyond. A trusted partner to some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, Vertex supports growth by tapping into their unparalleled operating experience and vast access to the capital, talent, partners and customers start-ups need to scale globally.
Vertex Ventures SEA and India
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India invests in high-growth start-ups seeking their first round of funding, with a primary focus on Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India and beyond. A trusted partner to some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, Vertex supports growth by tapping into their unparalleled operating experience and vast access to the capital, talent, partners and customers start-ups need to scale globally.
Vertex Ventures SEA and India
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India invests in high-growth start-ups seeking their first round of funding, with a primary focus on Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India and beyond. A trusted partner to some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, Vertex supports growth by tapping into their unparalleled operating experience and vast access to the capital, talent, partners and customers start-ups need to scale globally.
Geographic Focus:
APAC
Industry:
Consumer
Enterprise
FinTech
HealthTech
AgriTech
Funding Stage:
Seed
Series A
Series B
Series C
Series D and beyond
Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D and beyond
1,859
What are the different types of investors you can approach?
As your business grows, you may want to look for investors. The reasons can be either financial or strategic. As an entrepreneur, here are the different types of investors that you can approach.
Friends and family
Friends and family are often the first investors in most businesses. They may or may not take equity and may be willing to invest even when there is little or no base for a calculated investment decision. These are people who know you, trust you, believe in your abilities and vision.The investment amount they offer may be comparatively lower (~$1,000 to $200,000) but it may prove to be extremely useful for your business to release an MVP (Minimal Viable Product) or a prototype into the market.
Important
It is important that you communicate to them the risks of investing in an early-stage company. Preferably ask only those friends or family members who have high disposable income.
Remember that personal relations will now include business - choose individuals you can manage a business relationship with.
Angel Investors and Angel Groups
Angel investors are wealthy individuals looking for an alternative investment to invest their spare money. Angel investors can be reached either online through emails, social media etc. or offline through networking events or through introductions from other startup founders. Angel investors aim to earn good profits when the startup prospers. At times, they may also invest out of personal inclination towards a certain cause/industry. Besides the monetary help they provide, you can also rely on them for business guidance and networking opportunities. Angel groups have been rising slowly in popularity and numbers. These are multiple angel investors who work together as a group to invest with larger check sizes and lower risk exposure. However, since angel groups are composed of multiple individual angel investors, their approvals and evaluation generally take longer and maybe comparatively more stringent.
Important
Angel investors have a better understanding of the risks involved and are more experienced than ‘Family & Friends’ who invest.
Understand that Angel investors may also invest due to other factors than just the financial upside of your business, so tailor your pitch accordingly.
Incubators and accelerators
Incubators and accelerators can be thought of as programs/ecosystems for startups to shape and grow. If selected, you may receive a seed funding of anywhere from $10,000 to $125,000 to shape your idea and gain market traction. Both incubators and accelerators support businesses beyond funding. They provide an ecosystem that includes infrastructure, advisory, manufacturing aid, training, networking and guidance. If successful, through them, you can also get an opportunity to pitch to larger investors. View 10 best start-up incubators in Singapore
Important
Incubators and accelerators are preferred by many entrepreneurs over angel investors as the value add they provide are way higher comparatively.
Remember, incubators and accelerators provide the ecosystem, but you need to make the most out of it. Expect support and guidance, not handholding.
Family Offices
Family offices are increasingly being drawn to the advantages of investing in startups. They invest funds on behalf of high-net-worth individuals or their extended families. Family offices and angel investors work in a very similar manner but family offices are usually less specialised when it comes to startups.
Important
Family offices generally operate faster and with more flexibility than traditional investment firms due to the absence of a formal mandate or an investment committee.
Try to find a family office that has some experience or expertise in your industry and can help you with building networks and relationships in your domain.
Venture Capital Firms (VCs)
Venture capitalists/Venture capital firms are the big players in the world of equity financing. Unlike other investors mentioned higher in the list, these firms are dedicated to generating returns for the limited partners (LPs). Besides the financial investment, VCs provide guidance and direction to the companies they invest in. They also take an active part in the decision-making process. Venture capital firms invest across various stages of the business growth right from Pre-seed to Series D: Pre-seed/Seed: These venture capitalists/firms make one of the first investments in a company. They evaluate the team, product, or market and invest in hope of generating massive returns. Series A / Series B: These investors generally invest in companies that are generating decent revenues and have successfully found the product-market fit. Series C/Series D: These venture capitalists/firms are looking for companies in the expansion or growth stage i.e. companies eyeing an IPO or major acquisition. They have deep pockets and write huge checks in huge companies.
Important
It is important to find the right investors for your business. Use our database above to find the right fit. Filter using locations they invest in, the industry they invest in and the stages they fund at.
The venture capital fundraising process can be extremely intimidating and cumbersome. Keep things organised, be efficient and most importantly be thorough with your business plans and vision.
Be prepared for rejections, less than 1% of companies who apply succeed in securing venture capital.
Corporate Investors
Corporate investors are nothing but bigger corporations who have capital funds that they invest into startups which may prove beneficial to them in future. This is also known as ‘corporate venturing’. One such example in Singapore is Singtel. In such investments, beyond the equity, corporate investors also use the groundbreaking idea, innovative technology, or fresher minds from the startup to diversify assets, support their growth numbers, fend off industry changes, and increase revenues. It may happen that the corporate investors acquire the whole startup later if the partnership is fruitful.
Important
A corporate investor may only invest in ideas that align with their growth plans. If your business idea is not beneficial to theirs, regardless of your profit potential, they may choose not to invest.
The thought process of an entrepreneur/founder is very different from that of a corporate investor - It’s important for both to understand and respect each others’ opinions to be successful.
Crowdfunding
Becoming increasingly popular over the last few years, thanks to sites like Kickstarter and Indigogo etc., crowdfunding is one of the investment options startups can now look at. It allows you to receive small amounts of money from a large number of people without necessarily having to dilute your equity. There are 4 types of crowdfunding in Singapore: -- Reward-based crowdfunding -- Donation-based crowdfunding -- Equity-based crowdfunding -- Lending based crowdfunding (Also known as Crowdlending or P2P lending)
Important
This may be more suitable when you are raising initial capital to get your product/service launched in the market. This is a more digital approach to investment, whereby you list your idea online and people invest in them online compared to one-to-one pitches which you conduct with other investors. Top crowdfunding Sites in Singapore:Kickstarter, Indiegogo, FundedHere
Government Bodies
The Singapore government, in multiple ways, provides support for the growth of startups in the country. These include multiple grants, tax incentives, loan and insurance support as well as financial investments. You can access the complete list here.
Important
Government programs may come with certain restrictions and limitations, you must review very carefully what those restrictions and limitations are before.
Banks
Taking a loan from a traditional bank is one of the most common ways for financing a business. A large number of entrepreneurs prefer debt over funding by an investor as it doesn’t dilute their equity. This kind of financing is often useful for startups who want to kickstart their business before securing larger funding.
Important
Getting a bank loan may require you to have a consistent stream of income and/or keep collateral at stake for approval.
This stream of financing requires regular re-payments of instalments immediately post disbursement regardless of how the business performs.
Tip:
An interesting alternative to taking a bank loan would be to consider a virtual card with credit limits from Aspire. Receive up to 50% of your monthly revenues as the credit limit, use it for 51 days without any interest, post which you can use it at an additional interest. You also get more credit as your business scales. Apply for a virtual card and a credit line
Crowdlending or P2P lending
Like crowdfunding is a direct alternative to investment from family and friends, crowdlending is a direct alternative for bank loans/new-age lenders and debt-based investing. Crowdlending also called peer-to-peer lending (P2P lending), is where entrepreneurs get loans directly from individuals through online platforms in exchange for repayment with an amount equivalent to the principal amount they have lent plus an interest in lieu of the risks associated.
Important
If you are interested in debt funding but can’t get loans from traditional banks for some reason, Crowdlending platforms can be a good alternative for you. The loan amount on such crowdlending platforms generally range from $1,000 to $40,000 and can be repaid in 36 months. Top crowdlending sites in Singapore: Moolah Sense, Funding Societies
Angel investor, venture capitalists or crowdfunding whom should you choose?
Before seeking investment, ask yourself these questions:
What stage is your business in and what is the objective of investment
How much investment are you looking for
Are you willing to dilute your equity? If yes, how much
Are you prepared to share control of your business
The answer to this question will determine which investor is the most suitable for you.
Example #1 If your business is in the stage where you have not found the right product fit, you are more likely to receive an investment from Friends and Family.
Example #2 If you are not willing to dilute your equity then debt-based investments (bank loan, crowdlending etc.) may be more suitable to you.
How to evaluate the right investment offer for your business?
Assuming you did all the hard work and you now have multiple investment offers in your hand. How should you evaluate which investor you should partner with? Given here are some quick questions you should ask, and then, rate every investor out of 10 points on each of these metrics.
Out of these 4 metrics, the most fungible one is the capital they are willing to invest and it is easy to get swayed by large amounts of money that an investor may provide. It is important here that you also evaluate them on the basis of how much expertise they will add, how many networking/funding opportunities they will provide and lastly, but importantly, how aligned is their thinking and interest with yours. Once you put a score against each of these metrics, you will be able to make a more sound decision.
How much industry expertise will they bring to your business?
How many more networking/funding opportunities can they help you provide?
How much capital are they willing to invest?
How good a rapport will they have with you?
Summary
Finding an investment is not easy and there are numerous factors you need to consider before you consider going for the investment itself. Use this information to not only find the list of investors but also to decide which investors suit you the best and which investment offer is the best for your business.
Remember, always put your business needs and expectations at the centre. With numerous financing options now becoming available, more entrepreneurs will have opportunities to succeed.