PETALING JAYA: Global venture capital (VC) firm Antler has teamed up with national sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd to expand its operations into Malaysia.
This partnership marks Antler’s entry into the Malaysian market, further solidifying its international reach that spans across six continents, including Southeast Asia. Antler has already established positions in Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
In a joint statement today, Antler and Khazanah expressed their shared objective of uncovering and nurturing Malaysia’s entrepreneurial talents, and providing them with valuable access to Antler’s extensive global platform and network.
By doing so, the partnership seeks to empower aspiring entrepreneurs in Malaysia, enabling them to pave their way towards becoming the transformative companies of the future.
The partnership with Antler is the latest addition to Khazanah’s Future Malaysia Programme, an initiative under its Dana Impak mandate, which aims to support the local startup ecosystem of entrepreneurs, startups, VC, and corporate venture programmes through collaborations with domestic and international partners.
Khazanah managing director Amirul Feisal said the collaboration with Antler underscores Khazanah’s determination to drive forward-thinking initiatives that contribute to the advancement of the nation’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Going forward, we will continue to identify potential partners with proven track records, expertise, and strategic value propositions to join us in nurturing and empowering the next generation of Malaysian entrepreneurs through this programme, offering comprehensive support throughout the entire funding lifecycle, spanning from the pre-seed stage right up to the growth stage,” he said.
Meanwhile, Antler co-founder and Asia managing partner Jussi Salovaara said the VC firm enables business founders to scale their companies at a faster pace by providing them with essential resources and support.
“Founders scale their companies faster with Antler, where they can build remarkable teams, join a global community of founders, and access capital to accelerate growth.
“We are especially thrilled about partnering with Khazanah to unlock this opportunity for entrepreneurs in Malaysia,” he said.
Antler is one of the most active early-stage investors globally and has invested in over 792 companies across 26 cities worldwide, amassing a cumulative portfolio value of US$3.7 billion (RM16.56 billion), according to the statement.
From its new Kuala Lumpur office, Antler aims to invest in over 30 startups across Malaysia over the next three years. Its inaugural Venture Generation Programme is set to begin in October 2023.
