Singapore remains Asia’s private-markets hub, but regional rivals are catching up: panellists
Expertise is no longer limited to the Republic and is increasingly spreading across the region, they say
Singapore maintains its position as the leading private-markets hub in Asia, although neighboring markets are rapidly closing the gap, according to panelists at private-markets conference SuperReturn Asia. While key investment functions remain concentrated in Singapore, expertise is spreading across the region, said panelists during the event held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Hero Choudhary, founder and CEO of Accelerate Capital, noted that local ecosystems in different countries are developing at varying paces. Vinnie Lauria, founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures, highlighted talent, ease of doing business, and Singapore's international reputation as key attractions. Kuo-Yi Lim, managing partner at Monk’s Hill Ventures, described Singapore as a "great" base for funds to operate across the region and other Asian markets, citing the robust ecosystem of investment professionals, fund administration, legal services, compliance, and tax.
Eric See, partner at Capritaur Ventures, a venture debt and private-credit-focused firm, echoed that Singapore remains the firm's regional center due to its supporting infrastructure, but acknowledged that other Asian markets have made significant progress over the past decade, with Japan, India, and Malaysia catching up in fundraising and talent.
The panellists emphasized that investing remains highly localized, stressing the importance of on-the-ground experience and building teams and expertise in individual markets. Investing strategies are becoming more thematic, focusing on sectors such as energy, semiconductors, tech, and defence. Despite Singapore's strengths as a private-markets hub, exit opportunities remain a challenge, with panelists citing capital controls and a lack of growth-stage initial public offerings as hurdles.
Despite these challenges, the panellists remained optimistic about Singapore's prospects, citing its attractive position amid global uncertainties.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Companies & Markets's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
