Kumpulan Wang Persaraan has announced the first batch of investments made under its Dana Perintis strategy, amounting to RM100 million which comprises of two direct investments in Malaysian startups and two Venture Capital (VC) fund commitments.
KWAP invested in two promising Malaysian companies, Bateriku (M) Sdn Bhd and Lapasar Sdn Bhd to further support their growth and expansion plans. Bateriku is a rapidly growing automotive service provider with a network of partners nationwide, providing job opportunities and increasing financial inclusion. Meanwhile, Lapasar is an online wholesale marketplace that focuses on meeting the needs of the FMCG industry, accelerating the adoption of digitalisation throughout the economy.
Additionally, the pension fund has also made commitments to two VC funds, namely, Vynn Capital, a home-grown fund that invests from the seed stage with a focus on the mobility and supply chain sectors, and Antler, the world’s most active early-stage VC from pre-seed to Series A and beyond. Antler recently expanded its flagship residency programme to Malaysia, designed to support founders get their startups launched and funded. The group said these are the first in a portfolio of fund investments that will be carefully curated to inject capital into sections of the local ecosystem that most require it.
The Chief Investment Officer of KWAP, Hazman Hilmi Sallahuddin, said, “are confident in the prospects and potential of the investment in these four entities and look forward to working closely with them; adding value and lending KWAP’s support to ensure their success. There will be more investments and announcements to come, as KWAP continues its rollout of Dana Perintis.”
Launched in September 2023 with a targeted total deployment of RM500 million, Dana Perintis is designed to accelerate the development of the Malaysian early-stage ecosystem whilst generating strong returns for beneficiaries via investments in startups and VC funds.
