At a time of heightened macroeconomic challenges, Southeast Asia’s private equity & venture capital (PEVC) sector continues to advance. Although the region’s global assets under management (AUM) is modest (as of December 2018, the region made up less than 1% of the $3.6tn in total global AUM), the industry is growing fast. Preqin Pro data shows that between 2017 and 2018, ASEAN’s combined PEVC AUM rose by 8.6%, from $26bn to $28bn.
In this Southeast Asia edition of our Markets in Focus series, we explore advancements in the region’s PEVC space, and look at how the industry is fostering the growth of unicorns and regional champions. The report features exclusive insight from on-the-ground experts including East Ventures, Mekong Capital, Navis Capital and Novo Tellus. Plus, we talk to a range of Southeast Asian LPs about diversity, local expertise, impacting investing and more.
Key findings:
- VC is one of the key strategies in ASEAN, with investors remaining upbeat and fundraising strong in spite of global economic volatility.
- Midway through 2019, ASEAN-focused buyout & growth funds have matched the total amount raised in all of 2018, but deal values are declining, showing that Southeast Asia is not immune to the economic environment.
- Social and cultural variation across Southeast Asia combined with an emerging middle class makes the region attractive to investors and has contributed to exponential growth.
All the data in this report is also available to download in Excel format.