14
Nov
Venture capital - building up inclusive entrepreneurship in the region
There is now ample evidence to support the business case for increasing diversity in the venture capital industry. Across the region, particularly in Southeast Asia, we have witnessed increased efforts to improve DEI metrics, whether it be within VC firms or the entrepreneurs that they choose to back. As the VC ecosystem continues to evolve in the region, VCs must not only increase diversity within investment-decision making roles, but also continue to have explicit conversations with their portfolio companies and encourage the C-suite to look at DEI as a matter of strategic importance. Our panel of leading regional venture capitalists will highlight the steps they have taken to create a more inclusive and equitable playing field for the next generation of fund managers and discuss developments in the region.
- What are the initiatives firms have made to ensure that more capital is being committed towards female founders and diverse companies?
- Building diverse investment teams - what needs to be looked at beyond gender, and for the uninitiated, why is this so important?
- Inclusive entrepreneurship - what is the opportunity set like in Southeast Asia and beyond? What more can be done to encourage the next generation of female founders?
- What is the best way for VCs to have conversations with portfolio companies on issues regarding DEI?
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SpeakersNick Gainsley Partner ONEVENTURES
Michael Lints Partner GOLDEN GATE VENTURES
Joyce Ng Partner IGLOBE PARTNERS
Marietta Wu Managing Director QUAN CAPITAL
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Nick Gainsley is a Partner at OneVentures and leads the credit practice of the firm. He also serves on the Investment Committee of the 1V Venture Credit Fund IV and the OneVentures Growth Fund V.
Nick has 15 years of debt experience both in direct lending and advisory, in Europe and Australia. Specifically he has over 8 years of venture credit experience having led investments to over 100 high growth technology companies.
Prior to joining OneVentures in May 2019, Nick was based in the UK and was a Principal at Kreos Capital, Europe’s largest growth debt fund. His experience there covered deal origination, execution and portfolio management for a significant number of transactions across European markets. He has wider sector experience across technology sub-sectors including FinTech, software, cybersecurity, hardware, e-commerce/DTC, AdTech and life science, investing in both private and public companies.
Prior to this, Nick was a Manager at KPMG in London within the Debt Advisory team where he was involved in managing and advising on a range of debt transaction from mid-market to large cap. Transaction experience covered leveraged finance, corporate refinancing, capital market issuance and strategic financing advice.
Nick holds an BSc (Hons) in Management from UMIST, UK. He is also an Associate member (AMCT) of the Association of Corporate Treasurers in the UK. He is a keen skier and loves to travel the world.
Michael is a partner at Golden Gate Ventures. He joined the firm in 2013 and is currently leading the Growth venture fund. His entrepreneurial journey began in 2000 when he co-founded an IT managed services startup that was acquired in 2006. In 2007, Michael founded a venture fund focused on Dutch small- and medium-sized enterprises to help them with capital financing, business development, and strategy. During the same period, he was invited to join the Economic Development Board Rotterdam as vice-chairman. In that role, he launched the Young Economic Development Board. He brought together a highly influential Dutch network to increase public-private relationships to ensure business leadership invested in local while leveraging the public infrastructure.
Michael was introduced to Golden Gate Ventures in 2013 and relocated with his family to Singapore to join as a Venture Partner in 2013, helping with fundraising, strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Since then, Michael has helped to raise over USD $60M for Golden Gate Ventures and its portfolio companies, including helping to raise later stage rounds from external investors as well as leading two early strategic acquisitions.
Sport is an essential part of Michael’s life. He is a former member of the Dutch karate team and the former ambassador for Treknology ( Trek bikes distributor in Singapore). Michael actively participates in Ironman 70.3 races and marathons. Besides sport, Michael is an active writer and writes articles regarding life, balance and venture capital on michaellints.com
Ms Joyce Ng is a Partner at iGlobe Partners. She has over 20 years of experience in venture capital, fund management, insurance and financial services.
Ms. Joyce held several board seats of iGlobe’s investee companies in Singapore and US. In Singapore, she is currently a Board Member of SWAT Mobility and has been instrumental in helping and syndicating the company’s Series A fund raising round. She led investments in MindFiand Partipost. Currently, she also sits on the board of Partipost and Sourcesage. She was a Board Observer of Tonik Financial (a digital bank).
In the United States, she has been actively involved in overseeing iGlobe’s investment in Unity Software Inc. (a 3D real-time development tool company) (NYSE: U). Other listed portfolios under her charge include Nerdwallet Inc. (a fintech company) (NYSE: NRDS), Matterport Inc. (solutions for 3D scanning of spaces) (NASDAQ: MTTR) and Hippo Holdings Inc. (data-driven online home insurance) (NASDAQ: HIPO). She was a Board Observer of Starmaker Interactive Inc. (acquired by a Chinese entertainment company in 2016).
Ms. Joyce worked from 1996 to 2003 with Vertex Management Pte. Ltd. In 1996, she joined as an Analyst responsible for portfolio monitoring of Vertex European investment. She was later promoted to Assistant Manager in charge of fund of fund investments.
Ms. Joyce comes with diversified experience. She was previously a team leader & trainer at ACE Insurance (acquired by Chubb), responsible for all training needs of the call centre staff. She started her career in the Credit Admin Department of Bank Indosuez.
Ms Joyce was a Mentor with CRIB and was serving as Mentor at Ulu Pandan Stars (a non-profit organisation providing tuition to children from low-income families).
Dr. Marietta Wu is Managing Director of Quan Capital, a life sciences venture fund with offices in China & US, and deep expertise in global investments and cross-border value creation. She is a founding member of Zai Lab (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 09688) and served as COO and Director of the company prior to Quan Capital. Dr. Wu represents Quan Capital on the board of Alebund Biotech, Crescendo Biologics, Eluminex Biosciences, Innoforce, MEDx Translational Medicine, RareStone Group, Zenas Biopharma and Zidan Medical, and was a Director of Kira Pharmaceutical. Over the past decade, Dr. Wu has been active in cross-border ventures and value creation in the life sciences industry, and is a founding member of the China Healthcare Investment Conference. She was Managing Director at Burrill & Company, and led its investments and operation in Greater China. Prior to her focus on healthcare investments and company building, Dr. Wu held various roles with increasing responsibilities at Edwards Lifesciences and Eli Lilly & Company.
Dr. Wu received her medical degree from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (formerly Shanghai Second Medical University), a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Medical College of Ohio, and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.