Japanese consumer finance company Credit Saison today announced the launch of its corporate venture capital (CVC) arm Saison Capital, that is set to invest up to US$55 million to early-stage startups in India and Southeast Asia.
The fund already made an investment in Indonesian P2P lending platform KoinWorks.
It expects to invest in six to eight companies every year with initial ticket sizes of up to US$1 million.
Prior to the launch of the CVC arm, Credit Saison had invested in leading names in Southeast Asian startup ecosystem such as Grab and Shopback.
It has also been a limited partner in various funds such as Cyberagent Ventures, East Ventures, Gree Ventures and Beenext.
Also Read: ShopBack raises US$25M funding round led by Japan’s Credit Saison
In a press statement, Credit Saison explained that Saison Capital will invest in founders building ecosystems that have the potential to distribute financial services to the underbanked, though they also have a mandate to invest in a wide variety of verticals outside fintech.
“The establishment of Saison Capital is Credit Saison’s latest commitment to its international expansion and the constant innovation and modernisation of its operations and product offering. We can be a long-term growth partner for some of the world’s most exciting startups, supporting their internationalisation and scaling up. We are taking these startups to the next level, from seed to Series A, B, and beyond,” said Kosuke Mori, Managing Partner at Saison Capital.
Saison Capital also stated that its portfolio companies will have access to Credit Saison’s network of experts and partners, which included a joint venture with HCM Development Bank in Vietnam and Grab.
“Our unique value proposition is our strong institutional knowledge of the financing space, the investment team’s tech backgrounds, and the speed of our conviction. We move quickly and have an independent decision making process from Credit Saison,” said Chris Sirisereepaph, Partner at Saison Capital.
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