ADB approves at least $50-million Southeast Asian private equity fund investment
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has greenlit an investment of at least $50 million in a regional private equity fund targeting mid-sized companies in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, and India.
Project documents seen by Manila Bulletin showed that the Manila-based multilateral lender approved equity financing for Growtheum Capital SEAI Fund II, LP (Growtheum II) last May 26.
The ADB earlier disclosed that it was considering an up to $50-million equity investment in Growtheum II, a regional growth equity fund with a target size of as much as $750 million.
According to the ADB, Growtheum II aims to provide growth capital to 10 to 12 mid-sized firms in the business and financial services, consumer, education, as well as healthcare sectors.
In terms of location, the regional fund targets the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as India.
The ADB’s website showed approval of equity financing worth $50 million and another amount of $25 million, both from the lender’s ordinary capital resources (OCR).
“The project is expected to generate jobs through business creation and expansion, supported by increased capital for investee companies,” the ADB said.
To recall, the ADB in December 2022 signed an up to $30-million equity investment in Growtheum Capital Partners SEA Fund I LP (GCP SEA Fund I) to inject equity capital into socially responsible, middle-market Southeast Asian companies with growth potential in the consumer, digital and financial services, education, as well as healthcare sectors.
Back in 2022, the ADB said Growtheum’s maiden fund aimed to make eight to 12 equity investments in middle-market firms valued between $50 million and $125 million each, with transactions of up to $250 million for larger deals requiring co-investment capital.
The ADB had said its participation in GCP SEA Fund I would help catalyze fresh third-party institutional capital for the fund, which had a target size of $600 million to $800 million.
Singapore-headquartered Growtheum is a five-year-old private equity firm mainly targeting Southeast Asian investments.