Southeast Asian investors are taking significant steps to bolster the region’s startup ecosystem through strategic investments in innovative companies. Among the key players, Petronas Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Malaysia’s Petronas, is collaborating with Twin Towers Ventures and Gobi Partners to support sustainable innovation in Southeast Asia and China’s Greater Bay Area.
With US$1.6 billion in assets, Gobi Partners continues to nurture startups, while Artem Ventures partners with Google for sustainable development. Other firms like Asia Fund X, ScaleUp Malaysia, and 500 Global are also actively driving growth in the startup landscape.
Here is the list of investors that invested in the region’s startups this week:
Petronas Ventures
Petronas Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Petronas, Malaysia’s global energy and solutions company. It invests in visionary entrepreneurs with breakthrough technologies and innovative business models supporting the parent company’s business growth and sustainability agenda.
It also aims to be the growth accelerator partner in Malaysia to influence the technology-driven startup ecosystem while serving PETRONAS business needs. PTV International Ventures, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, manages its direct investments in Asia and indirect investments into VC funds.
This week, Petronas Ventures’s investment arm Twin Towers Ventures (TTV) and VC firm Gobi Partners announced the collaboration to invest in the ecosystem of sustainable innovation within Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area in China.
Gobi Partners
Gobi Partners is a pan-Asian VC investor with US$1.6 billion in assets under management. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, the VC firm supports entrepreneurs from the early to growth stages and focuses on emerging and underserved markets.
Founded in 2002, Gobi has raised 17 funds, invested in over 380 startups and nurtured ten unicorns. Gobi has grown to 15 locations across key markets in Bangkok, Cairo, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Manila, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and Surabaya.
This week, Gobi invested in Kiddocare, an on-demand caregiving platform in Malaysia.
Artem Ventures
Artem Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Malaysia. It currently manages TIM Ventures, a fund that invests in early-stage fintech and insurtech firms. The fund has invested in 12 companies. Artem also actively engages with the venture capital ecosystem as a member of the Malaysian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association. As part of a global initiative to support high-impact and sustainable startups, Artem partnered with Google for their Startups for Sustainable Development programme.
Artem invested in Kiddocare, an on-demand caregiving platform in Malaysia this week.
Asia Fund X
Asia Fund X (AFX) is an opportunity fund. It invests in promising startups in the digital economies of Southeast Asia, particularly in data tech, enterprise tech, sustainability, food tech and agritech, with established product-market fit and experienced founders.
Asia Fund X invested in Kiddocare, an on-demand caregiving platform in Malaysia this week.
ScaleUp Malaysia
Launched in October 2019, ScaleUp Malaysia is a startup accelerator that helps companies raise their next round. Its philosophy is building businesses with high revenue growth and a path to profitability.
ScaleUp invested in Kiddocare, an on-demand caregiving platform in Malaysia this week.
500 Global
500 Global is a VC firm with US$2.4 billion in assets under management that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. It focuses on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth.
It invests far and wide across sectors and geographies, including 35+ companies valued at US$1 billion+ and 160+ companies valued at more than US$100 million.
This week, 500 Global invested in NexMind, an AI-powered multilingual digital marketing platform.
pitchIN
pitchIN is a digital platform for investing and fundraising that connects entrepreneurs with potential investors. pitchIN started its journey in crowdfunding, firstly as a reward crowdfunding platform in 2012.
Its platform allows entrepreneurs to create profiles, share their business plans, and connect with potential investors. It also offers resources and tools to help entrepreneurs improve their pitch and increase their chances of success.
This week, pitchIN launched pitchIN Academy to offer practical and easy-to-understand educational programmes, activities and content on alternative financing and investment.
AlteriQ Global
AlteriQ is an Asia-focused private credit strategy with a strong edge in Southeast Asia. It builds a fully integrated financing ecosystem as a capital partner with a regional presence, proprietary network of relationships, and risk management expertise.
Aument Capital Partners
Aument Capital Partners is a multi-family office geared towards entrepreneurs, offering family office services from investment management, reporting, consolidation, cashflow planning and access to its venture partner programme.
Orange Bloom
Orange Bloom was started in 2012 as a ship-recycling consultancy and provider of turn-key solutions for ship owners’ ship decommissioning requirements within Southeast Asia. It recently set up The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund to provide financial support to individuals/SMEs working on projects that counter climate change, advance environmental sustainability and involve the communities in Asia. Orange Bloom also assists SMEs in transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
This week, AlteriQ, Aument, and Orange Bloom invested in the Southeast Asian SME digital finance platform Funding Societies (known as Modalku in Indonesia).
Peak XV Partners
Formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA, Peak XV is a VC and growth investing firm investing across India, Southeast Asia and beyond. Over the last 17 years of its operations in the region, Peak XV has grown to manage over US$9 billion in capital across 13 funds and invested in over 400 companies. It works from five offices – Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, and Dubai.
This week, PeakXV backed Bright Money, a fintech company helping users get out of debt using AI and credit products.
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Copyright: vectortone
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