(Sept 9): Jason Cloth manages risk in his film-financing business just like he did as an investment banker, scrutinising deals with one big question in mind: “How do I not get screwed?”
That means staying focused on business and not getting bedazzled by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
“People play on the vanity of it,” Cloth, 53, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Toronto office. “But if you strip away the vanity, bright lights and you run it as an asset-backed lending play, then you just dig into the value and understand it.”
SINGAPORE (Sept 5): Southeast Asian ride-hailing startup Grab Holdings Inc intends to invest US$150 million ($207.5 million) into artificial intelligence research over the next year, accelerating its expanding business that now includes food delivery, digital payments and digital content.
SINGAPORE (Sept 2): Those who have always wanted to get in on property development deals but lacked the capital to do it alone can now ride along with seasoned investors at a smaller quantum of $10,000 to $50,000.
A few property gurus have come together to create a co-investment platform called Fraxtor (short for “fractional investor”) that will allow investors to pool resources to invest in development projects.
SINGAPORE (Aug 26): Singapore-based ride-hailing firm Grab is set to invest “several hundred million dollars” in Vietnam where the company sees its next major growth market, just weeks after it unveiled a US$2 billion ($2.8 billion) plan in Indonesia.
The proposed investment is the latest example of a top-notch regional brand deepening its commitment to Vietnam, one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. It also shows the eagerness of Grab, which has raised billions of dollars from investors, to put its cash to work.
(Aug 8): Singapore-based OCBC, via OCBC Bank (Malaysia) and Lion-OCBC Capital Asia Fund I (LOCAF I), has invested about RM60 million ($19.7 million) in YYC Holdings Sdn Bhd (YYC Group), a homegrown advisory firm.
Established in 1974, YYC Group is a Malaysian accounting, advisory and business advisory firm which serves more than 20,000 clients in KL, Selangor, Penang, Johor and Singapore.
The company also provides services including cloud transformation, headhunting, payroll outsourcing and business school.
SINGAPORE (July 23): Shares in The Trendlines Group opened 28.2% higher at 10 cents on Tuesday from its 7.8 cents close on Monday, hitting a intraday high of 10.2 cents minutes later.
The surge came on the back of news that the group has received a US$8 million ($10.9 million) investment from Librae Holdings.
As at 11.10am, the stock was trading 20.5% higher at 9.4 cents with 6.2 million units traded.
The three-month average daily volume traded for the counter was 2.4 million.
SINGAPORE (July 17): Visa has invested in Gojek, the mobile on-demand service and payments platform, as part of the latter’s ongoing Series F fundraising round.
Visa and Gojek will also collaborate to provide greater options on cashless payments and more seamless experiences for consumers across Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
(July 11): Ride-hailing giant Go-Jek has secured an investment from Siam Commercial Bank, the Thai lender that counts King Maha Vajiralongkorn as its biggest shareholder, according to people familiar with the matter.
It’s unclear how much Thailand’s biggest bank is investing in Go-Jek, the people said, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Their partnership will help Indonesia’s most valuable technology startup bolster its financial services, while Siam Commercial is counting on online growth to help increase revenue, they added.
SINGAPORE (June 27): Local ride hailing and financial e-services platform Grab has received an additional investment of US$300 million ($406.3 million) from existing investor Invesco.
This brings the global independent investment management company’s total investment in Grab to US$703 million. Invesco earlier this year acquired OppenheimerFunds, which initially invested US$403 million in Grab in July 2018.
SINGAPORE (June 21): Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over global growth, there is one region presenting hope and opportunity: Asia. The International Monetary Fund expects it to grow 5.6% this year, accounting for two-thirds of global economic growth.
Yet, not all its inhabitants are experiencing the fruits of the region’s progress. Studies have shown that income inequality and inequality of opportunities still loom in Asia and can hamper economic growth.
