DBS & Heritas Capital Launch $50 Million Social Enterprise Fund Asia Impact First Fund with $20 Million Raised, Anchored by DBS with $10 Million & Investors Including IMC Group, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Tsao Family Office, ANF Family Office & Octava Chairman Pang Sze Khai
16th March 2023 | Hong Kong
DBS & Heritas Capital (private equity firm) have launched a $50 million social enterprise fund (Asia Impact First Fund) with $20 million raised (first close), anchored by DBS ($10 million) and another $10 million from leading investors including IMC Group, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Tsao Family Office, ANF Family Office & Octava Chairman Pang Sze Khai. DBS on Asia Impact First Fund: “While working with social enterprises in Asia over the years, DBS Foundation found that the lack of financing options often hindered their growth. It then started exploring solutions to address the funding gap, and at the same time, foster an ecosystem of like-minded investors to help high-potential social enterprises to scale. This led to DBS Foundation’s partnership with Heritas Capital, which designed the AIFF … … The AIFF has a target fund size of USD 50 million and expects to provide catalytic growth capital to 10 to 15 social enterprises in Asia. These social enterprises would have clearly demonstrated social and/or environmental impact in the fund’s impact themes – “Improving Lives and Livelihoods” and “Protecting the Environment” – as well as viable business growth plans to scale their double bottom-line of impact and profitability.” DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Heritas Capital is a Singapore-based private equity and venture capital investment firm, building a multi-fund impact investment platform that invests in companies across the healthcare, education, environment, and technology sectors. More info below.
“ DBS & Heritas Capital Launch $50 Million Social Enterprise Fund Asia Impact First Fund with $20 Million Raised, Anchored by DBS with $10 Million & Investors Including IMC Group, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Tsao Family Office, ANF Family Office & Octava Chairman Pang Sze Khai “
Karen Ngui, DBS Strategic Marketing and Communications and Board Member of DBS Foundation: “As a purpose-driven organisation, we are guided by our commitment to help pave the way towards a better world for generations today and tomorrow. Businesses for impact, which pursue a dual bottom-line of profit and impact and are addressing key societal gaps from a systemic level, play an increasingly important role in this. There’s a heightened need to cultivate a strong ecosystem to support their growth – and through the AIFF, we hope to bring together like-minded partners who share our desire to empower more of these innovative and meaningful businesses, and enable them to thrive, scale, and go on to create greater positive impact.”
Lee Woon Shiu, Group Head of Wealth Planning, Family Office and Insurance Solutions at DBS Private Bank and DBS Foundation Board Member: “Through AIFF, clients can have peace of mind that their money is going towards a carefully curated and stringent selection of social enterprises that will make the best of it to drive real impact, for the betterment of society.”
Chik Wai Chiew, CEO &Executive Director at Heritas Capital: “Heritas Capital is pleased to launch and deploy the AIFF, amongst the first of its kind within the impact investment space. We are grateful to like-minded investors such as DBS and the other founding members of the AIFF, who seek to co-create a new impact investment category which prioritises impact over profit. We look forward to raising awareness and shifting consciousness within societies across Asia towards addressing the funding gaps for fast-growing social enterprises that offer innovative solutions for enhancing livelihoods of disadvantaged communities and protecting the environment.”
DBS Private Banking on Doing Good in Society via $50 Million Asia Impact First Fund (AIFF)
DBS Private Banking: With more of DBS Private Bank’s clients expressing interest in being a force for good in society and a willingness to engage in venture philanthropy, the bank also sees the AIFF as a means through which they can contribute impact capital and take an active role in shaping the direction of their giving. This is especially so with the emergence of next-generation business owners and impact investors, many of whom are actively seeking out giving and investment opportunities that align with their values and have a positive impact on society.
$50 Million Asia Impact First Fund
Guided by an impact-first philosophy, the AIFF views returns not only through the lens of financial gain, but also prioritises long-term impact outcomes. This allows the fund to take a patient stance when investing in social enterprises, as compared to traditional financing options which often prioritise short-term profitability metrics. Such patient catalytic capital is key in enabling social enterprises to thrive, considering that businesses pursuing dual bottom-lines require experimentation to develop innovative solutions, and often require a longer time-horizon to fulfil their potential. In a 2019 study by the World Economic Forum, close to half of the social enterprises surveyed cited the lack of consistent access to capital as the primary barrier to scaling their company.
The AIFF is managed by Singapore-based impact investment platform Heritas Capital, and is availed to accredited investors. It aims to achieve capital preservation and/or appreciation with a target internal rate of return of 5 to 10%. DBS Foundation serves as its knowledge partner, providing in-depth expertise, a strong track record, and deep networks in its capacity as a leading champion in Asia’s social entrepreneurship scene. The AIFF will also benefit from the deep expertise of its Impact Advisory Panel, which comprise of the following advisors:
- Helge Muenkel, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at DBS Bank;
- Dr Mary Ann Tsao, Chairwoman and Founding Director of the Tsao Foundation;
- Caroline Seow, Co-Founder and Director at B Lab Singapore; and
- Dr Loke Wai Chiong, Clinical Director and Program Lead at MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation
Frederick Chavalit Tsao, Chairman, IMC Group: “IMC Group as a fourth-generation family business has continually stayed relevant to stakeholders, adding value to humanity and service well-being of life while creating wealth at the same time. We are pleased to co-anchor Heritas’ Asia Impact First Fund for backing leading social enterprises as we further shift consciousness in business to mindfully improve livelihoods and protect the environment in a new era of impact-first investing.”
Bryan Goh, CEO of Tsao Family Office: “Tsao Family Office is glad to support the Asia Impact First Fund, an impact-first fund investing to help scale social enterprises that are contributing to the benefit of society and the environment across Asia.”
Albert Li and Alvin Li, ANF Family Office: “Through our experience in Impact Investment over the years, we have interacted with many social entrepreneurs, and recognise their need for more patient catalytic capital to achieve their full potential. This is where we see impact-first investing coming in, and we are glad to support and work with Asia Impact First Fund whose aim is to help and support social enterprises in their growth.”
Pang Sze Khai, Chairman of Octava Foundation and Octava Pte Ltd: “We have observed that there is a funding gap for social enterprises looking to scale, which limits the size of the meaningful work that they do. With the Asia Impact First Fund, I look forward to working alongside with like-minded impact-first investors and venture philanthropists across Asia to support these enterprises.”
Divya Patel, Chief Operating Officer at Ishk Tolaram Foundation: “At Ishk Tolaram, being impact-driven and collaborative are core to our ethos. This is why we are supporting Asia Impact First Fund in its effort to provide patient catalytic funding to social enterprises which, we have found, is crucial to enabling them to move beyond grant and seed stage capital and grow and scale their impact.”
Varen Chng, C Plus V Foundation: “My interest in philanthropy is very aligned with this new way of giving back to society and the environment through the Asia Impact First Fund, which takes a fresh approach of investing in and growing social enterprises’ capacity to do good in a financially self-sustaining way.”
About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank’s “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
About DBS Foundation
The DBS Foundation is committed to uplifting lives and livelihoods by igniting change in businesses and communities. Since 2014, the DBS Foundation has been championing social enterprises in Asia, businesses that are for profit, and impact. The Business for Impact chapter now catalyses the growth of innovative, purpose-driven businesses, including SMEs, designed to address pressing issues facing our planet and society. In 2022, the DBS Foundation raised the bar with the formation of a new Community Impact chapter, to equip the underserved with digital and financial literacy skills to face the future with confidence, and enable communities to be more food secure and resilient. Our vision is to spark collective action, together with our partners and DBS People of Purpose, to help build a better world for generations today and tomorrow.
About Heritas Capital
Heritas Capital is a Singapore-based private equity and venture capital investment firm, building a multi-fund impact investment platform that invests in companies across the healthcare, education, environment, and technology sectors. Guided by its investment philosophy, “Invest with Purpose, Impact Across Generations”, Heritas Capital backs innovative companies to become emerging champions and drive inclusive growth that improves the lives of local communities and the environment while delivering sustainable returns to investors. Heritas Capital is a Licensed Fund Management Company regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, serving only accredited investors and institutional investors.
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