Debut investment into Allrites, a global film, TV, and sports content marketplace
US$40mil fund target with seven year operation period targeting SEA startups
OSK-SBI Venture Partners Ltd. (OSK-SBI) today announced the launch of its second venture capital fund to invest in category-defining companies across Southeast Asia.
The first close of US$20 million (RM94.19 million) in capital commitments highlights the continued strength of the cross-region collaboration between OSK Ventures International Bhd (OSKVI), an investment firm listed on the KL stock exchange, and SBI Holdings, a Japanese financial group, through its subsidiary, SBI Ventures Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SBIVM). Active fundraising for Fund 2, called OSK-SBI Dynamic Growth Fund 2 Ltd P, is on-going with the target to hit final close of capital commitments of US$40 million (RM188.38 million). The fund has an operation period of seven years.
“We believe there’s never been a better time to invest in Southeast Asia and this may represent the startup ecosystem’s second act, as the community of experienced founders and employees grows, business models strengthen, and technological innovation increases to tackle ASEAN’s most pressing issues,” said Yoshihiro Ishiwata (pic), Managing Director of SBIVM.
SBIVM and OSKVI established their inaugural fund back in 2018. Fund 1 has since grown its investment portfolio to include category leading companies such as Doctor Anywhere, which provides healthcare to over 2.5 million users in six countries; Sunday Insurance, one of the region’s largest insurtechs with over US$100 million in revenue; and Java Offshore, whose clients include many of the world’s largest oil & gas companies.
The successive fund will be investing across a broad range of technology sectors, such as healthcare, financial services, enterprise software, education, environmental and renewable energy. Consistent with the firm’s strategy over the inaugural fund, investments will span company stages from Series A to pre-IPO and include follow-on funding for portfolio companies to support their journey.
“As we embark on this journey into Southeast Asia’s dynamic and fast-growing tech landscape, we are driven by a vision to empower innovation, accelerate growth and facilitate many of these startups’ ‘second act’. Our commitment to fostering the region’s brightest talents and groundbreaking ideas reflects our belief in the transformative power of technology to shape the future,” said Amelia Ong (pic), CEO of OSKVI.
For Fund 2 debut investment, OSK-SBI is leading a growth stage round in Allrites, a global film, TV, and sports content marketplace, where broadcasters and streaming platforms can buy content from major Hollywood studios and independent producers alike. The Content-as-a-Service platform (CaaS) founded by former television producer Riaz Mehta, is home to more than 150,000 hours of content, with customers in five continents.