Private equity, LP/GP narratives, founder stories, country and sector focus tracks, keynote sessions & fireside chats.

〉8 am to 9 am – Registration & Networking Coffee

〉9:00 am – Welcome Address

by Joji Thomas Philip, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, DealstreetAsia

〉9:15 am to 9:45 am – Joining the Premier League in Fund Management: What does it take for a real assets manager to go global? 

with John Lim, Founder & Group CEO of ARA Asset Management

In conversation with: Jeffrey Perlman, Managing Director & Head of SE Asia, Warburg Pincus

John Lim is no stranger to the real estate industry in Singapore. Since he privatised the company in 2017, the Group has leapfrogged from its stronghold in Asia Pacific to Europe and the United States, covering over 100 cities in 23 countries today. Find out from the man behind it all on what it takes to bring a real assets fund manager global in a conversation with Jeffrey Perlman from Warburg Pincus. 

〉9:45 am to 10:25 am – PEs enter VC territory to capture early deals in SE Asia

Southeast Asia’s growth story, fuelled by a growing middle class and a vibrant internet economy, has lured private equity investors. However, the region’s nascent startup ecosystem calls for a tweak to their investment strategy and the investors are not shying away from accommodating by cutting smaller checks. How will this strategy play out?  

Jeffrey Perlman, Managing Director & Head of Southeast Asia, Warburg Pincus

Tak Wai Chung, Partner, Head of Southeast Asia, EQT Partners

Bert Kwan, Managing Director, Northstar Group

Jackson Chiam, Director, Apis Partners

Nick Nash, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Asia Partners (Moderator)

〉10.25 am to 10.50 am – Networking Coffee Break

〉10:50 am to 11:10 am – Keynote Presentation: Southeast Asia needs growth capital firepower to build unicorns & drive mega listings 

by Nick Nash, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Asia Partners

Southeast Asia has the potential to create over $400 billion of new technology sector equity value over the next decade. Its startups will, however, need plenty of growth capital to take them to the next level. Firms such as Nash’s Asia Partners, which will invest $20-100 million per startup, are hoping to fill in that funding gap.

〉11:10 am to 11:45 am – Fireside Chat: Creating superior returns in Southeast Asia

with Brahmal Vasudevan, Founder & CEO, Creador

In conversation with: Ka Kay Lum, Writer, DealstreetAsia

Creador, by focusing on high-growth markets in South and Southeast Asia, has garnered a deep understanding of said markets, which gives the firm unique insights and value creation opportunities. We will hear from Vasudevan on the challenges of investing in Southeast Asia and how he plans to continue his momentum at Creador.

〉11:45 am to 12:25 pm – The evolving LP-GP relationship dynamics as investment paradigms shift

Are LPs now following a more differentiated approach of spreading their allocations across global funds, regional funds, veteran fund managers raising first-time funds, local vehicles and direct investments in Asia in general and SEA in particular? This panel will explore some of the core, perceptible changes in the way LPs and GPs engage, given the changing context. 

Low Han Seng, CEO, UOBAIM

Dave Richards, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Capria Ventures

Wai San Loke, Managing Director, Novo Tellus Capital Partners

Ellen Li, Managing Director, Head of Asia, Investor Development Group, Actis

Deepshikha Monga, Editor, DealstreetAsia (Moderator)

〉12:25 pm to 1:25 pm – Lunch (Sponsored by Redhill)

〉1:25 pm to 2:05 pm – Are LPs increasingly entering the GP arena? 

With LPs stepping up their game with direct investments, co-investments and platform structures in Asia, the gaps between investors and GPs are narrowing to an extent. How is this playing out in the Asian markets and does this amount to increased competition with GPs for deals? Do LPs have to invest in requisite talent, technology and specialist areas to get into the GP sphere?  

Yar-Ping Soo, Partner, Adams Street Partners

Saima Rehman, Investment Officer, PE Funds, East Asia Pacific, IFC (World Bank)

Saifulbahri Hassan, Senior Vice President, Private Equity, KWAP

Audrey The-Dumas, Alternatives Director, Schroders

Deviana Chuo, Senior Writer, DealstreetAsia (Moderator)

〉2.05 pm to 2:35 pm – Fireside Chat: Perspectives on dealmaking from buy vs build & exits in India

with Sameer Sain, Co-founder & CEO, Everstone Group

In conversation with: Joji Thomas Philip, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, DealstreetAsia

Straddling the pillars of private equity, venture capital, real estate, and green infrastructure, Everstone Group believes building great businesses require more than just capital. Everstone, which makes control, minority and platform deals, adopts an active hands-on approach with a strong local and global network. Sameer Sain will take us through Everstone’s long and varied investment journey in India and SEA, especially Indonesia.

〉2:35 pm to 3:15 pm – Special situations investing in Asia – Is the time right for this opportunistic play? 

Special situations – covering a broad spectrum of play from M&A, public stocks, direct lending, stressed assets, distressed situations, refinancing, restructuring – is attracting a lot of interest in Asia. How does the risk-return profile work for this kind of investing?

Benjamin Crilly, Director, Borrelli Walsh

Abhinav Jhunjhunwala, Founder & CIO, AJ Capital

Kulbhushan Kalia, VP, Strategic Investments (Asia), Allianz Investment Management

Anupum Khaitan, Principal, Symphony Asia Holdings

Joji Thomas Philip, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, DealstreetAsia, (Moderator)

〉3:15 pm to 3:45 pm – Networking Coffee Break

〉3:45 pm to 4:15 pm – Keynote Chat: Executing the SuperApp strategy in Southeast Asia

with Tan Hooi Ling, Co-Founder, Grab 

〉4:15 pm to 5:00 pm – The GP Narrative: Bracing for a market correction, while uncovering value

Is the peak past, or will the bonanza continue? 2018 saw record fundraising by Asia-focused vehicles. How are fund managers looking to deploy dry powder and keep the money from sitting idle? What’s shaping the 2019/2020 deal environment?

Abrar Mir, Founder & Managing Partner, Quadria Capital

Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir, CEO, Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas)

Kyle Shaw, Founder & Managing Partner, ShawKwei & Partners

Raj Shastri, Partner, Kaizen PE

Stefania Palma, Singapore Correspondent, Financial Times (Moderator) 

〉5:00 pm to 5:20 pm – Closing keynote: Creating global consumer brands from Asia – the next opportunity for Private Equity

by Ravi Thakran, Chairman & Managing Partner, L Catterton Asia; Group President, LVMH South and South East Asia and Australia/NZ

The rising middle class in China, India and Southeast Asia is driving the demand for high-end products and opening up opportunities for private equity firms. Can Asian managers tap this opportunity, and leverage the region’s innovative strengths, attractive demographics, rising consumption and increasing affluence to create global consumer brands?

〉5:20 pm to 7:30 pm – Cocktails (Sponsored by IHS Markit)

Venture capital investment outlook & trends, fireside chats with unicorns, frontier markets, and future growth sectors

〉8 am to 9 am – Registration & Networking Coffee

〉9 am to 9.15 am – Welcome Address

by Joji Thomas Philip, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, DealstreetAsia

〉9.15 am to 10 am – The making of Indonesia’s top unicorns and the road ahead

Fireside chat with the region’s prominent unicorns and tracing their journey.

Patrick Cao, President, Tokopedia

Henry Hendrawan, President, Traveloka Group Operations

Jason Thompson, CEO, OVO

In conversation with

Willson Cuaca, Co-founder & Managing Partner, East Ventures 

Unicorns may no longer be as rare in the startup world as when the term was first coined but the lure of that hallowed $1-billion valuation persists. What does it take to become one? Is the emphasis on becoming one misplaced or is it a true indicator of a startup’s perceived value? And finally, what milestones are Indonesia’s top unicorns Tokopedia, Traveloka and OVO pursuing next? Join us to find about their journey and the road ahead.

〉10 am to 10.40 am – Investing into future unicorns and tapping growth drivers of tomorrow

In this panel, we move beyond today’s unicorn-spawning sectors such as consumer internet plays and fintech. We try to look at some sectors that might already be on the threshold of becoming the ‘next big thing.’

Hsien-Hui Tong, Head, Venture Investing, SGInnovate (Moderator) 

Edith Yeung, Partner, Proof of Capital

Nir Arbel, Operating Partner, Esco Group

Nicko Widjaja, CEO, BRI Ventures

Jeremy Tan, Co-founder & GP, Tin Men Capital

〉10.40 am to 11.05 am – Networking Coffee Break 

〉11.05 am to 11.45 am – Is Chinese money shifting direction to invest closer to home

Chinese venture capital firms and top internet companies (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) are increasingly looking closer to their geography to deploy growth capital and create potential new unicorns.

Yinglan Tan, Founding Managing Partner, Insignia Ventures Partners

Helen Wong, Partner, Qiming Venture Partners

Benny Chen, Managing Partner, BAce Capital

Patrick Cheung, Founding & Managing Partner, ZWC Ventures

Mercedes Ruehl, Asia Tech Reporter, Financial Times (Moderator)

〉11.45 am to 12.25 pm – Founders’ perspective: Handling transition, scale, growth and investors expectations after raising large funding rounds

A panel of prominent founders who have raised large-ticket rounds. They will talk about the journey so far, how they broke that barrier and also the road ahead from now. 

Paul Srivorakul, Group CEO, aCommerce

Shashank Dixit, CEO, Deskera

Roshni Mahtani, Founder & CEO, Tickled Media

Aaron Tan, Founder & CEO, Carro

Deepshikha Monga, Editor, DealstreetAsia (Moderator)

〉12.25 pm to 1.20 pm – Networking Lunch (Sponsored by Redhill)

〉 1.20 pm to 1.55 pm – Building Indonesia’s first Decacorn & the road ahead to tackling SEA

with Andre Soelistyo, President, GOJEK

In conversation with: Joji Thomas Philip, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, DealstreetAsia

Lessons learnt from building a digital empire & becoming a household name in Indonesia. Going forward, can GOJEK replicate that strategy across SEA?

〉1.55 pm to 2.40 pm – Asia’s Emerging Markets – Is it worth the wait?

The IndoChina region – covering Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand – as well as other emerging markets like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Philippines have slowly emerged as a serious contender for venture and private equity capital, impact investment and cross-border deals thanks to the opening up of the economies coupled with suitable demographics and steady macro indicators.  Can these markets be Asia’s next rising stars as they attempt to go digital, and talent that has left to work overseas returns?

Hussain Elius, CEO & Co-Founder, Pathao

Muneeb Maayr, CEO, Bykea

Minette B. Navarrete, President, Kickstart Ventures

Dmitry Levit, Partner and Founder, Cento Ventures 

Tuan Pham, Founder & CEO, Topica Edtech Group

Sarah Chen, Principal, FedTech; Founding Partner, The Billion Dollar Fund for Women (Moderator)

〉2.40 pm to 3.20 pm – Corporate Venture Capital is here to stay in Asia

Asian companies have attracted record investments from global corporate venture capital firms in 2018. What is the region’s draw?

Aireen Omar, Deputy Group CEO, Digital Transformation & Corporate Services, AirAsia

Sae Min Ahn, Managing Partner, Rakuten Ventures

Paul Ark, Managing Director, Corporate Venture Capital, Digital Ventures

Aditi Sharma, Head, Startup Investments and Programs, Grab Ventures

Andrey Terebenin, Managing Partner, Sistema Asia Capital (India)

Ngoc Nguyen, Senior Writer, DealstreetAsia (Moderator)

〉3.20 pm to 3.45 pm – Networking Coffee Break

〉3.45 pm to 4.15 pm – Fireside Chat: 2 billion reasons why India & SE Asia are the next big thing for investors 

with Hans Tung, Managing Partner, GGV Capital 

In conversation with: Ken Koyanagi (Editor-at-large, Nikkei Asian Review)

Amid the uncertainty caused by the ongoing US-China trade war, many investors are seeking refuge in India and Southeast Asia – which together offer a captive market of nearly 2 billion users – and are betting on these markets to offer the next growth wave. China and US-focused VC firm GGV Capital – an early backer of ride-hailing decacorn Grab — opened an office in Singapore earlier this year to explore opportunities in these two markets at close quarters. Tung, a veteran investor, will talk at length about the opportunity set and the challenges in these markets.

〉4.15 pm to 4.45 pm – VC learnings from investing in SE Asia: What will they do differently with their next vehicles?

More than 35 venture capital (VC) funds with a complete or partial focus on Southeast Asia are currently in the market to raise over $4.2 billion. This panel will cover experiences of fund managers who are on to their second or third vehicles, their investment outlook, exit performance and shift in strategies for their new vehicles. We will ask some of this region’s top fund managers to share their investing experiences and what they are doing differently with their next funds.

Michael Lints, Partner, Golden Gate Ventures

Eddy Chan, Founding Partner, Intudo Ventures

Deepak Shahdadpuri, Managing Director, DSG Consumer Partners

Nikhil Kapur, Partner, Strive

Kabir Narang, Partner & Co-Head Asia, B Capital

Thomas Tsao, Founding Partner, Managing Partner, Gobi Partners (Moderator)

〉4.45 pm to 5.20 pm – Closing Fireside Chat: Building HK’s first unicorn & succeeding in China

with Steven Lam, Co-founder and CEO, GoGoVan

In conversation with: Kristie Neo (Senior Writer, DealstreetAsia)

GoGoVan became Hong Kong’s first unicorn in August 2017 following a strategic merger with 58 Suyun, allowing the logistics company to crack the mainland Chinese market. We will speak with GoGoVan’s Steven Lam to discuss the challenges faced during the early years of building the company, lessons learned, and what it takes to succeed in China.

〉5.20 pm to 5.25 pm – Closing Address

〉5.30 pm to 7.30 pm – Cocktails (Sponsored by IHS Markit)