The demographics and talent pool of Indonesia and Vietnam are the key reasons for Access Ventures to select these markets to focus on in Southeast Asia, said an executive at the South Korea-based venture capital firm.
Access Ventures’ portfolio in Southeast Asia includes fintech firm Moca, Kata.ai, Omni Labs, Kofera and Ecotruck. The firm closed its debut fund in September 2018.
In an interaction with DEALSTREETASIA, Access Ventures partner Charles Rim said the VC firm is also drawn to the region due to more acquisitions happening in the region that provide an exit route for venture capital.
“One of the reasons we launched our fund is that one of the biggest improvements happening in Southeast Asia is the exit environment,” Rim said, adding that large global and regional corporations are eyeing Southeast Asia for investment deals. An increasing part of it will be acqui-hiring, as they will need talent for expansion in the region.
Access Ventures is also investing in Korean and US startups with a Southeast Asia strategy. Rim said the firm planned to raise its second fund this year, with a strong focus on Southeast Asia.
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