Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) has co-founded SMBC Asia Rising Fund in Singapore with Japan’s early-stage venture capital firm Incubate Fund (IF).
The corporate venture capital fund aims to invest in high potential Asian startups. With US$200 million ($265 million) under management, SMBC Asia Rising Fund targets startups that contribute to SMBC Group’s business through collaborations or business development in areas such as lending tech, payment, supply chain finance, banking-as-a-service and digital assets. The fund has an investment period of 10 years.
Under its Asia Multi-Franchise Strategy — which seeks to build a second and third SMBC Group over the medium to long term in Asia’s emerging markets — SBMC has been expanding its Asia businesses through investments and acquisitions of local financial institutions, aside from enhancing its existing businesses in the region.
SMBC Asia Rising Fund was established in Singapore to carry out investments in leading Asian companies, bringing together the robust global network the company has as a major financial institution coupled with IF’s expertise accumulated through its various investment activities in India and Southeast Asia.
Since its inception in 2010, IF has invested more than 98.3 billion yen in more than 450 startups. The SMBC Asia Rising Fund will be managed by IF’s Singapore office.
