Antler Closes USD 72 Mn SEA Fund II to Drive Early-Stage Innovation Over the next six to nine months, Antler SEA Fund II plans to allocate USD 27 million to approximately 45 early-stage startups.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Antler, the Singapore-based early-stage venture capital firm, has announced the closing of its second Southeast Asia-focused fund, Antler SEA Fund II, with a substantial USD 72 million in capital.
The new fund will continue investing in early-stage tech-enabled companies in Southeast Asia with pre-launch, pre-seed, and seed capital, Antler said in a statement.
Over the next six to nine months, Antler SEA Fund II plans to allocate USD 27 million to approximately 45 early-stage startups.
Part of the funding will support startups formed during Antler's residency programs in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
The fund claims to have already invested in promising companies like Farmio, a food supply chain technology platform; Zora Health, which focuses on reproductive health and family planning; and Clout Kitchen, an app development platform for GenZ creators.
Jussi Salovaara, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Antler, said, "As a global multi-stage investor, we believe there has never been a better time than now to build. Technological advancements in AI, access to capital, and a growing market in Southeast Asia have created a remarkable environment for innovation and breeding global leaders. We are also grateful for the support of our investors as Antler continues to champion founders from inception through their growth with innovative solutions such as ARC."
The fund benefits from significant backing by global and regional limited partners, with over 50 percent of its composition coming from institutional investors, including a sovereign wealth fund, pension fund, and university endowment. Additionally, Antler has introduced a new initiative called the Agreement for Rolling Capital (ARC), which allows early-stage founders to secure up to USD 600,000 within the first six to nine months of their company's lifecycle.
Antler will also continue to provide growth-stage investments through its Antler Elevate fund, supporting startups from Series A onwards with up to USD 10 million in scale-up capital.
Since its inception, Antler SEA Fund I has invested in 91 companies, including notable names such as Airalo, Reebelo, Qashier, Bluesheets, and Volopay.
Globally, Antler has invested in over 1,000 startups across diverse industries and technologies, with an ambitious goal of backing more than 6,000 by 2030. The firm operates in over 30 cities worldwide, including major hubs such as Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, and more.
