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Joseph Schooling quits competitive swimming, turns VC investor

Joseph Schooling

Singapore’s only Olympic gold medalist, Joseph Schooling, has announced his retirement from competitive swimming to pursue a new venture in startup investing.

Partnering with investment banker Cliff Go and serial entrepreneur Ben Ling, the professional swimmer has founded Swaen Schooling Capital.

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Established in August 2022, Swaen Schooling Capital, led by Go, focuses on early-stage investments in three key sectors: impact and sustainability, sports and wellness, and tech. The firm also explores opportunities to create original businesses internally or through strategic joint ventures.

While no investments have been announced yet, Schooling has previously participated in the pre-seed round of the mental health startup Huddleverse in May 2023, per Crunchbase. It remains unclear whether this investment was made through Swaen Schooling Capital or independently as an angel investor.

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The move into venture capital aligns with a growing trend in Southeast Asia, with investors increasingly focusing on impact and sustainability. Notable investors like Temasek Holdings, East Ventures, Openspace Ventures, and Wavemaker Partners have been actively supporting startups in this space.

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