Australian VCs in Asia
I wrote previously that Australian real estate funds are risk-averse when it comes to expanding overseas (especially to Asia). But it got me wondering…. what about Australian venture capital funds? VCs often talk about the need for their portfolio companies to go global, but are Australian VCs themselves global?
Australian VCs have had a short and spotted history since the 1970s, with the more famous names like Blackbird, Square Peg & Airtree Ventures popping up after the 2008 Financial Crisis. However, the recent success of investments in companies like Canva and Hyper Anna has solidified VC as a legitimate investment class.
Not to be outdone, Asia has generated its fair share of unicorns. Grab (Singapore), Bukalapak (Indonesia), Sky Mavis (Vietnam) and Flash Group (Thailand) are just some examples that represent the opportunities and growth in SE Asia.
Well, who are they?
Given our geographical location in the Asia Pacific, I have a look at how many Australian VCs actually have a presence in the region, outside of Australia & New Zealand. I’ll keep updating the list when I discover more:
- TNB Aura (Aura Group) – HQ in Singapore
- Square Peg Capital – appears a handful of employees are based in Singapore
- Right Click Capital – no offices in Asia but has invested in some Singapore startups (e.g. Horangi & Beam)
- Artesian Ventures – website quotes that they have offices in Shanghai and Singapore
- Taronga Ventures – a presence in Singapore
- Arkblu Capital – an Indonesian focused private investment firm
- Sapien Ventures – appears to have partners in China
Others worth mentioning:
- Touch Ventures (formerly AfterPay Ventures) – not focused on Asia but has invested in a Chinese BNPL company
- Haymarket HQ – not a VC firm but one of the few startup hubs in Australia with a focus on Asia
