In 2023, a diverse array of international investment firms has been actively fueling the burgeoning fintech ecosystem in Southeast Asia. These firms, hailing from the United States, Switzerland, Belgium, Lithuania, and more, have strategically chosen to invest in promising startups and companies across the region.
PayPal Ventures, LGT Capital Partners, and EscapeVelocity are among the notable players in this fintech investment landscape, partnering with innovative startups such as Aspire, Tazapay, and CrediLinq.Ai.
With a focus on fostering innovation and financial inclusivity, these global investors are helping to reshape the financial technology landscape in Southeast Asia.
Here is a list of 20 investment firms who backed fintech firms in the region in 2023 so far:
Paypal Ventures (US)
PayPal Ventures is the global corporate venture arm of PayPal. It invests in companies at the forefront of innovation in fintech, commerce enablement, digital infrastructure, and crypto/blockchain technologies. Its portfolio companies include Pine Labs, Pulsate Carro, and GoTo.
In February this year, PayPal Ventures co-invested in Aspire’s US$100M round.
LGT Capital Partners (Switzerland)
LGT Capital Partners is an alternative investment company. Over the last 20 years, it has invested over US$95 billion in a broad variety of alternative asset classes across almost 100 countries.
In February this year, PayPal Ventures co-invested in Aspire’s US$100M round.
EscapeVelocity (US)
Escape Velocity is an early-stage venture fund focused on helping Indian entrepreneurs expanding into global market. It invests pre-seed to Series A technology businesses.
In February this year, it invested in Tazapay, a fintech company specialising in cross-border payments.
Big Sky Capital (US)
Big Sky Capital invests in exceptional founders in emerging markets building disruptive SaaS solutions for enterprise. The size of its Fund I is US$20M.
In February, it invested in CrediLinq.Ai, a B2B online financing and payments infrastructure company in Singapore.
Lendable (UK)
Lendable supports the growth of fintech and climate solutions in emerging and frontier markets by providing debt financing. Debt financing is an alternative to equity financing, allowing fintech firms to scale without diluting ownership.
In March, it invested in Advance, a Philippine-based fintech company that provides on-demand access to credit and other financial solutions to employees and businesses.
Oyster Ventures (US)
Oyster Ventures invests in exceptional new-frontier technology companies. It targets companies that bring liquidity and efficiency to antiquated industries, companies that enable globalisation, with leverage to massively scale.
In March, it invested in Advance.
Cross Ocean Ventures (US)
Cross Ocean Ventures is an early-stage investor for ambitious international founders with global ambitions. It collaborates, deal-shares, and co-invests with many investment companies and is an active participant in the Southern California, Silicon Valley, New York, and European startup ecosystems.
In March, it invested in Advance.
Next Billion Ventures (US)
NBV is a venture capital partnership investing in startups serving the next billion digital consumers and small businesses across global emerging markets.
It invested in Advance.
Hummingbird Ventures (Belgium)
Hummingbird is global seed investor investing from US$500,000 at seed to US$50M+ when doubling and tripling down. It invested in SkorLife.
Seedstars International Ventures (Switzerland)
Seedstars invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across emerging and frontier markets. Seedstars International primarily invests in B2B fintech, retailtech, and supply chain.
In June, it invested in Finfra, a fintech company providing credit and financial services to businesses in Indonesia.
FirstPick (Lithuania)
FirstPick is VC-fund-accelerator for tech startups in the Baltics. It invests in early-stage companies in fintech, SaaS, deeptech, consumer, and marketplaces.
It invested in Finfra.
BADideas Fund (EU)
BADideas.fund is an early-stage angel syndicate that provides EUR50K-100K funding for startups in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
It invested in Finfra.
Alpine Ventures (US)
Alpine is a people-driven private equity firm investing in software and services businesses. It invested in Bunker.
Argentem Creek Partners (US)
Argentem Creek Partners is a debt fund for emerging markets. Argentem Creek was founded in 2015 by Daniel Chapman and his former team from Cargill, Inc. subsidiary, Black River Asset Management.
It invested in Salmon.
Delivery Hero Ventures (EU)
Founded in January 2021, Delivery Hero Ventures is an independent VC firm backed by Delivery Hero. The VC firm’s mission is to support the next generation of founders who are disrupting some of the most dynamic industries across the world.
It invested in Qashier.
DEG (Germany)
DEG offers financing, advice and support to private sector enterprises operating in developing and emerging-market countries. It focuses on the manufacturing, trade and service industries in developing markets.
It invested in PasarMikro.
Ceniarth (UK)
Ceniarth is a single-family office focused on funding market-based solutions that benefit underserved communities. It funds non-profits, for-profits, and hybrid organisations. Founded in 2013 by Diane Isenberg, Ceniarth works in conjunction with the Isenberg Family Charitable Foundation.
It invested in PasarMikro.
Citi Ventures (UK)
Citi Ventures invests in category-defining fintech startups with the potential to augment and enhance Citi’s products and services.
It invested in Endowus.
TEN13 (Australia)
Ten13 is a venture syndicate based in Australia. It co-invests in companies from their pre-seed to Series D stages. It recently invested in TANGGapp.
Goodwater Capital (US)
Goodwater Capital calls itself a regenerative investment platform. It invests in tech companies in the housing, healthcare, food delivery, finances, education, entertainment, and transportation sectors.
It invested in TANGGapp.
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