Pakistan grants first VC licence to Lakson Investments

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By Antonia Timmerman

June 9, 2017

Asset management firm Lakson Investments has secured a licence to conduct venture capital activity in Pakistan, the firm announced recently.

The new venture capital arm of the company, Lakson Investments Venture Capital (LI VC), will invest seed capital in Pakistani startups and local businesses.

“We are actively seeking to build another high-calibre investment team for LI VC combining local knowledge with international experience,” CEO Babar Lakhani said in a statement he published on Linkedin.

“LI VC will work with LI’s team of over 50 experienced professionals while, at the same time, leverage the operational experience of the Lakson Group,” he added.

Lakhani also announced that the VC will work with Sybrid, which will be its key partner to review both the IT capabilities of the firms that the Funds invest in and also evaluate how IT will create scalable opportunities. Teams and offices will be based in Pakistan in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Over 14,000 people are employed by Lakson in Pakistan in sectors such as tech, media, FMCG, insurance, and QSR.

Lakson Investments, which belongs to the Lakson Group, is one of the largest private sector asset managers in Pakistan, managing over $300 million of assets.

Late last year, the firm launched a private equity entity that is led by “a senior team of partners” who were previously Directors at Goldman Sachs and Abraaj. This PE fund is currently in pre-launch and expects to be investing by the fall of 2017.

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Singapore Reporter/s

In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
  • A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.
APPLY NOW

Singapore Reporter/s

In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
  • A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.
APPLY NOW