More and more asset managers are laying emphasis on exercising Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies, driven primarily by the requirement of their investors. In addition to development finance institutions, whose focus is to drive impacts through fund investments, other limited partners (LPs) are increasingly demanding fund managers to showcase their commitment to and ability in incorporating ESG practices. Fundraising in Asia Pacific fell to a 10-year low in 2023, with private equity firms raising just $100 billion. As it is time for investors to separate the wheat from the chaff, a clear ESG agenda allows funds to have a distinguishing advantage.
- Vineet Rai, Founder and Chairman, Aavishkaar Group
- Rob Kaplan, Founder & CEO, Circulate Capital
- Nandita Beri, Associate Director, LeapFrog Investments
- Daniel Oehling, Managing Director & Partner, Singapore, Boston Consulting Group (Moderator)
Private investors are increasingly finding investable bets in sectors tackling climate change. But is everyone ready? The diversity in Asia poses multiple risks for investing in climate and energy projects, thus necessitating the need for special structure for smoother the private capital flow into the sector. While blended finance has been seen as a solution in Asia, public, private, and philanthropic players still need to amplify the model’s impact to meet the region’s net-zero goal. This panel will discuss how new creative financing structures act as a derisking mechanism for private funds, the scope for collaboration in Asia, and what future returns will look like.
- Eric Tam, Managing Director, Blackstone Strategic Partners
- Michael Hu, Managing Director and Head of Asia, HQ Capital
- Kerrine Koh, Head of SEA, Hamilton Lane
- Javad Movsoumov, Managing Director, Head of APAC PFG, Singapore, UBS
- Pimfha Chan, Correspondent, Singapore, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
The private equity secondary market has undergone significant transformations in recent years, largely driven by evolving market dynamics and the innovative strategies of GPs and LPs. Although secondaries remain small there are reasons to believe they will scale going forward. With private capital seeking innovative liquidity solutions and high-net-worth individuals drawn to alternative investments, the stage is set for a surge in market activity. The current environment—characterised by slow IPO re-openings, high interest rates, and a growing appetite for diversification—further underscores the potential for secondaries to gain prominence. If these trends continue, this could be the decade when secondaries reach their full potential.
Private Credit: Scratching the surface of the Asia opportunity?
- SJ Lim, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Asia Private Credit, KKR
- Stéphane Delatte, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer, Keppel Credit
- Bo Hu, Head of Private Credit, Asia-Pacific, HSBC
- Celia Yan, Managing Director, Head of APAC Private Credit, BlackRock
- Ngoc Nguyen, Deputy Editor, Vietnam, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
While Asian enterprises still rely predominantly on bank capital for their financing needs, the nascent performing private credit market is looking to fill the gap left by the traditional financial services sector amidst growing demand. The private credit asset class is gaining ground with companies seeking alternative ways to raise capital and facilitate expansion plans. Private credit investments in India and Southeast Asia have witnessed unprecedented growth amid rising interest rates and diminished equity funding. The growth prospects have also led to a flurry of funds entering the market, trying to tap into investment opportunities. Is this the golden period for private credit in Asia?
LP View: Can emerging managers beat the first-time fund blues?
- Shelly Porges, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Beyond the Billion
- Sharon Liang, Principal & Head of Southeast Asia, Siguler Guff & Company
- Sean Yoo, Head Asia Pacific, Private Equity, Federated Hermes
- Geetali Kumar, Regional Lead for Venture Capital and Disruptive Technologies, East & SE Asia, IFC, World Bank
- Ngoc Nguyen, Deputy Editor, Vietnam, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
As limited partners (LPs) are putting a greater emphasis on distributions, they rely on the track record of fund managers to generate liquidity throughout market cycles. The fundraising environment for emerging managers has therefore continued to deteriorate due to the selection bias by global LPs. Risk-adverse investors understandably tend to favour established general partners (GPs), but at the same time, LPs who can be patient with performance are poised for potential upside by investing in burgeoning fund managers. What does it take for first-time fundraisers to beat the current market downturn? This panel will discuss the value of partnering with emerging managers; the private capital landscape and its impact on GP selection; the history of outperformance by smaller GPs; partnership dynamics in emerging managers and LPs’ due diligence checklist.
- Chenhua Shen, Fund Partner, I Squared Capital
- Khan Yow, Managing Director, Seraya Partners
- Wymen Chan, Head of Asia, SUSI Partners AG
- Tsubasa Suruga, Singapore Correspondent, Nikkei Asia (Moderator)
Asia Pacific’s vulnerability to climate change is clear. Nearly 13 out of 30 countries in the region are forecast to be adversely impacted by extreme weather, according to the World Bank. As investors join hands in taking action, energy transition investment in Asia Pacific has driven global growth for several years. Investment activities have also proven attractive opportunities for private equity players in a sector that was meant for impact investors in the past. Private equity firms are expected to bring their unique value creation approach to enhance performance in this risky space. This panel will explore how private equity can play a further crucial role in the region’s energy transition agenda.
- Andi Taufan Garuda Putra, Founder and CEO, Amartha
- Kenny Man, Managing Partner, 01Fintech Limited
- Caesar Sengupta, CEO & Co-Founder, Arta Finance
- Genping Liu, Partner, Vertex Ventures
- Joolin Chuah, Chief of Staff, Carro; General Manager, Genie Financial Services (Singapore)
- Dmitry Levit, Partner, Cento Ventures (Moderator)
While the region is yet to emerge from the funding winter, investments into fintech startups show encouraging signs as capital flow appears to be on an upward trend in the past three quarters, according to DealStreetAsia DATA VANTAGE. Led by Singaporean startups, fintechs clocked 38 equity funding deals in Q2 2024, relatively on par with the previous quarter, with proceeds rising by 64% to $521 million. Despite the resurgence in funding, questions remain on how long the momentum will sustain. This panel will explore how the fintech thesis is shaping up in SE Asia.
Unlocking China’s playbook to deep tech supremacy
- Murong Yang, Managing Director and Investment Committee Member, Future Capital
- Rafael Ratzel, Managing Partner, TH Capital International
- Mark Munoz, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Vectr Fintech Partners
- Eudora Wang, Deputy Editor, Greater China, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
As the rivalry for tech supremacy continues to heat up between China and the US, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are delving into homegrown breakthroughs in spheres from AI to chipmaking for the “Next Big” opportunities. How will the rise of China-born deep tech reshape the regional and global tech worlds? What does the future hold, and what are the lessons learned from the ascendance of OpenAI’s viral chatbot ChatGPT?
Scaling Electric Mobility: Infrastructure, Batteries, and Emerging Transport Solutions
- Sebastian Togelang, Founder & Managing Partner, Rigel Capital
- Leon Farrant, CEO and Co-founder, Green Li-Ion
- Kunal Khattar, Founding Partner, AdvantEdge Founders
- Son Nguyen, Founder & CEO, Dat Bike
- Tanah Sullivan, Group Head of Sustainability, GoTo
- Khamila Mulia, (Former) Senior Correspondent, Indonesia, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
The global automotive industry is swiftly moving toward sustainable mobility, and Southeast Asia is following suit. In the past five years, electric mobility in the region has made significant strides, with adoption gaining momentum. This transition presents exciting opportunities to foster more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth. As numerous new EV manufacturers emerge, the attention has shifted to developing the entire EV ecosystem. This includes the upstream supply chain, components, charging infrastructure, and a battery recycling strategy to minimize waste, along with securing necessary investments. This panel will explore the current state of the electric mobility ecosystem in Southeast Asia, strategies for scaling up, and the challenges ahead.
Tech-Driven Resilience: Integrating Food, Agri, and Fintech for Climate Adaptation
- Chik Wai Chiew, CEO & Executive Director, Heritas Capital Management
- Thomas Berry, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Nutrition Technologies
- Benjamin Soh, Co-Founder, Managing Director, STACS
- Guntur Mallarangeng, Chief Executive Officer, Delos
- Cindy Zhang, Executive Director, Gobi GBA
- Tabita Diela, Correspondent, Indonesia, DealStreetAsia (Moderator)
Climate change has arrived as an unprecedented global challenge that severely impacts agriculture and food system. Agritech innovations that could increase productivity, reduce environmental impact, and improve the overall food production quality can optimise resource use. Meanwhile, fintech solutions can provide them with tailored tools to meet their goals. This panel will explore how technological advancements can enhance the resilience of these sectors, ensuring food security and sustainability in the face of climate-related risks.
