Sawasdee CyberAgent Ventures…
The collective attitude of entrepreneurs and businesses in Thailand is positive and welcoming, as the Venture Capitalists establish a new office in Bangkok and bring much needed experience, expertise and capital to the Kingdom of Thailand. There are currently many promising startups coming about, and it is exciting to see investors starting to recognize the size and potential in both Thailand and in the Region.
CyberAgent Ventures is not a newcomer to the startup scene in Southeast Asia, having already invested in 23 companies in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia to date.
Some of their portfolio companies in Thailand include Priceza Co. Ltd., and aCommerce Co. Ltd. (run by notable investor and entrepreneur Adrian Vanzyl, who is also the head of Ardent Capital), who recently raised a bridge round through CyberAgent Ventures.
From CyberAgent Ventures press release:
“Given the popularity of the Internet and the abundance of entrepreneurs in Thailand, we consider Thailand as a very attractive market, and will enhance our investment and incubation activities by establishing the new office in Thailand.
After establishing the Bangkok Office, CyberAgent Ventures, Inc. now has offices in 4 cities in SEA including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Bangkok (Thailand). We will fully utilize our experience accumulated in our investments in global to expand our business in Thailand.”
This is an interesting movement in the Venture Capital scene in Thailand, which has few investors, but many promising companies. Other VCs that have invested in Thai startups include Galaxy Ventures and Golden Gate Ventures, located in Singapore.
Golden Gate was one of 6 VC firms selected for the “series A” placement of venture capital with 1:1 matching from NRF (The National Research Foundation of Singapore, under the prime ministers office). These funds will be able to start making investments in late July.
Overall, there is a shortage of venture capital in Thailand, and very few angels or VCs actually writing checks. CyberAgent Ventures has been one of the more active investors in the region, and it is great to see them set up an office in the country. Hopefully this is a sign that they are looking to make more placements within Siam in the coming years.
For more information please head to: http://www.cyberagentventures.com/en
We welcome CyberAgent Ventures to Thailand, and wish them luck as they continue their strategic investment in the region.