East Ventures, a pioneering venture capital firm in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has successfully closed its inaugural GP-led secondary transaction. This strategic transaction, led by global secondary firm Coller Capital, provided liquidity to limited partners in East Ventures 5 L.P. (“EV5” or “the Fund”), bringing the Fund’s total distributions-to-paid-in capital (DPI) to approximately 2.0x.
As a high-performing, top-quartile fund within the East Ventures platform, EV5 was initially established to invest in seed and early-stage rounds of promising Southeast Asian technology companies. The Fund’s portfolio includes high-profile companies such as IDN and Waresix, which have continued to thrive within the East Ventures ecosystem. The secondary transaction reflects East Ventures’ ongoing confidence in these emerging companies and its commitment to long-term value creation.
Strategic Transaction for Long-Term Growth
Coller Capital fully underwrote the transaction, reinforcing its confidence in East Ventures’ investment strategy. A key component of the deal includes profit participation, allowing EV5 to crystallise an attractive return for its limited partners while retaining exposure to the future growth of its portfolio.
East Ventures remains a significant and active shareholder in these companies, continuing to provide strategic guidance and operational support. The firm’s deep expertise in corporate governance and its extensive network across Southeast Asia will further strengthen the growth trajectory of these portfolio companies.
Strengthening Partnerships and Future Prospects
Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures, highlighted the importance of this milestone: “We are pleased to partner with Coller Capital in a fast and efficient process to design a solution that not only provides our limited partners with an attractive liquidity milestone but also enables us to continue supporting the entrepreneurs and management teams driving these companies forward. We believe this portfolio is well positioned to benefit from the rapid expansion of Indonesia’s digital economy, reinforcing our long-term vision for Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem.”
Coller Capital, a global leader in the secondary market, has been instrumental in structuring this innovative transaction. Peter Kim, Partner and Head of Asia and RMB at Coller Capital, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with East Ventures on this transaction in Southeast Asia, a dynamic market with immense growth opportunities. Building on our long-standing relationship, we have delivered swiftly to meet East Ventures’ objectives, providing meaningful value to their investors. This transaction exemplifies Coller’s expertise in delivering innovative, tailor-made liquidity solutions while aligning interests between sponsors and their limited partners.”
A Growing Secondary Market in Asia
The successful completion of this transaction highlights the evolving venture capital and secondary investment landscape in Asia. As Southeast Asia’s digital economy continues to expand, strategic liquidity solutions such as this GP-led secondary transaction will play a critical role in unlocking capital for investors while maintaining long-term growth opportunities.
UBS Private Funds Group acted as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction. Legal advisory was provided by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for East Ventures and Debevoise & Plimpton for Coller Capital.
This milestone further cements East Ventures’ reputation as a forward-thinking venture capital firm committed to driving growth and innovation in Southeast Asia’s technology ecosystem.
