이 기사는 2019년 11월 26일 08:00 thebell 에 표출된 기사입니다.

Korea Investment Partners (KIP), a Seoul-based venture capital and private equity firm, sets to speed up investments in Southeast Asia, as it seeks to diversify investment portfolios across different geographic regions.

KIP has recently launched its Singapore office, which will serve as a base to extend its reach to the Southeast Asian market, and is currently in the process of obtaining a venture capital fund manager (VCFM) license, industry sources said on November 21.

"It will take two to three months to obtain a VCFM license. We expect [the Singapore office] to be in full operation in the first quarter of next year after the license is received," a representative for KIP said.

KIP is one of the leading domestic venture capital firms that have great interest in expanding into global markets. Recognizing a limitation in the domestic market early, the firm has continued to put efforts to build a network and find investment opportunities in the overseas market.

By launching its own office in Singapore, the investment firm has made a more aggressive move to expand its business in a bid for geographical diversification.

KIP has focused on investing in China so far. By investees' countries, China accounts for more than half of the total investment, followed by the U.S. and European countries, which also take nearly 30 percent in aggregate. Now, the firm is pushing its way toward Southeast Asia.

Optimism over the future of startups in the region also played a role in the decision. Southeast Asian startups are considered undervalued overall, while having a great potential to grow into unicorns, which refer to startup companies valued at over one billion dollars. Earlier this year, KIP participated in funding rounds to invest 2.5 million dollars and 2.3 million dollars, respectively, in Singapore-based digital talent agency Gushcloud and Vietnamese proptech platform Rever.

The investment firm also intends to increase the size of its $30 million Southeast Asia fund jointly launched with Singapore-based Golden Equator Capital (GEC). To that end, KIP, as a Co-GP with GEC, has recently applied for a role of an external manager of Korea Venture Investment's Foreign Venture Capital Investment Fund (KVCIF).

KIP reportedly plans to focus on fintech startups, with demand for digital banking services increasing in Southeast Asian countries fuelled by the rapid penetration of smartphones. Fintech companies are one of the main beneficiaries of such a change, continuing to grow at a rapid pace.

The firm's tentative decision to choose Synclare Kim, Managing Director of KIP's venture capital team, to lead the Singapore office is also consistent with its strategies to focus on the fintech area.

KIP plans to launch funds in local markets in the future, too, after building plenty of investment experience enough to convince LPs of its ability. "We expect it will take at least three to four years. We will focus on further strengthening our competitiveness for some time," the representative said.

(By reporter Ahn Kyung-ju)