#Asia Cross-border VC firm K2 Global has closed a US$183M fund to bridge East and West

//

The VC seeks ‘third wave’ entrepreneurs that actively take-on incumbents in the biggest industries

K2 Global, a Venture Capital firm with its headquarters in Silicon Valley and Singapore, announced today it has closed a US$183 million fund with the primary goal of “bridging Asia and Silicon Valley to create impact on a global scale”.

The VC was the lead investor in Paktor’s US$32.5 million funding from October 2016. It also is an investor in India’s Paytm — which recently crossed the 150 million user mark.

Western companies in K2’s portfolio include Magic Leap, Spotify, Twilio and Uber.

The firm was founded in 2015 by former Startup/VC lawyer Minal Hasan and Ozi Amanat (who gained recognition for selling a block of Alibaba shares to wealthy Asian families that ended with returns of 48 per cent on the IPO-day closing price).

Also Read: Fancy holding a meeting in an igloo or a theatre? Check out Huone Singapore’s 11 funky concept rooms

K2 Global pitches itself as being particularly well-positioned to bring American companies in the the Asian markets while equally helping Asian companies compete on a global scale. While many factors contribute, Paktor has made an aggressive push to globalise its company since the funding last fall.

The VC stresses that its advantage is the fact that it has operational and investment teams ‘on the ground’ in both Silicon Valley and Asia (highlighted by its dual-HQ status).

“We are seeing a universal convergence of ideas, markets, economies, and technologies, resulting in companies expanding into international markets much more rapidly than before due to the explosion of Internet and mobile technology,” said Hasan in a statement.

“K2 Global’s unique mix of expertise and deep understanding of key global markets enables our team to punch above our weight and win deals over larger and more prominent VC firms,” she added.

Also Read: Recommender engine part 1: What it is and why you need it

K2 Global also said it wants to work with “third-wave” startups — defined as companies that actively challenge incumbent players in major industries. The strategy for accomplishing this goal is to build alliances to create impact at scale.

“I have seen the inner workings of so many successful, and some failed, tech start-ups from nearly every angle — engineering, marketing, investing, and law. I was tired of sitting on the sidelines,” said Hasan.

“The tech industry is my tribe. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and actively help other entrepreneurs by leveraging my experience and resources.”

Copyright: malchev / 123RF Stock Photo

The post Cross-border VC firm K2 Global has closed a US$183M fund to bridge East and West appeared first on e27.

from e27 http://ift.tt/2meuylg

This entry was posted in #Asia by Startup365. Bookmark the permalink.

About Startup365

Chaque jour nous vous présenterons une nouvelle Startup française ! Notre pays regorge de talents et d'entrepreneurs brillants ! Alors partons à la découverte des meilleures startup françaises ! Certaines d'entre elles sont dans une étape essentielle dans la vie d'une startup : la recherche de financement, notamment par le financement participatif (ou crowdfunding en anglais). Alors participez à cette grande aventure en leur faisant une petite donation ! Les startups françaises ont besoin de vous !