<article><a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Vertex%20Ventures">Vertex Ventures</a>, a venture capital firm backed by Singapore&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Temasek%20Holdings">Temasek Holdings</a>, is launching a $770-million fund, 20 per cent of which will be contributed by Japanese investors.</article>

<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Vertex%20Ventures">Vertex Ventures</a>, a venture capital firm backed by Singapore&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Temasek%20Holdings">Temasek Holdings</a>, is launching a $770-million fund, 20 per cent of which will be contributed by Japanese investors.
<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Risa%20Partners">Risa Partners</a>, an investment company and subsidiary of NEC Capital Solutions, has pledged $50 million while Japanese commercial lender <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/?s=Aozora%20Bank">Aozora Bank</a> has committed $20 million to the fund, which will be allocating about $100 million each in the US, China, India and Southeast Asia, and Israel.
Risa acts as an intermediary for Japan-based investors who intend to invest in the fund, according to an announcement. Aozora, meanwhile, intends to act as an intermediary between Japan and markets in Singapore by supporting the delivery of Japanese technology and services to Vertex’s investment targets.
According to a Nikkei Asian Review report, the new fund will invest in startups that have the potential to become unicorns &#8211; companies with a valuation of $1 billion or more. It will be the first Vertex Venture fund that will be heavily backed by foreign players.
Vertex Ventures was an early backer of Singapore-based ride-hailing decacorn Grab, which is one of the world’s 18 startups worth over $10 billion. The fund seeks to create another Grab in the four regions that it intends to invest.
“In Japan, Vertex expects to build strategic relationships in order to improve the value of existing portfolio companies and future investment targets by leveraging Japan’s technological capabilities and industry knowledge,” Aozora said in a statement announcing its investment.
Vertex is a global network of venture capital funds. The Vertex network of funds invests in early-stage opportunities in technology through Vertex Ventures and healthcare through Vertex Ventures HC and growth-stage opportunities through Vertex Growth.
Each of the Vertex Ventures funds in Israel, USA, China, and Southeast Asia &amp; India operate independently, with separate local teams that raise and manage respective funds independently.
Early in April, Vertex held the first close for its $250-million global growth fund, which will target post-Series B investments globally. This is Vertex Ventures’ sixth and largest fund to date that will write cheques between $10 million and 15 million.
All of Vertex’s five other funds focus on early-stage opportunities. Vertex also keeps a strict 10 per cent cap on its investment per portfolio company within a fund to diversify investment risk.

RISA Partners has pledged $50 million while Japanese commercial lender Aozora Bank has committed $20 million to the fund.

Vertex Ventures launches $770m fund, secures commitments from Japanese LPs

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Vertex Ventures launches $770m fund, secures commitments from Japanese LPs

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