Investing in people, not just the technology
We are
the leading early-stage venture capital firm in Southeast Asia dedicated to investing and supporting solutions in Enterprise, Deep Tech, and Sustainability.
We invest
in entrepreneurs with unique solutions to unaddressed problems that will change the industry for the better.
We offer
seasoned perspective, vast network, and unhurried time to see the venture through. Most importantly, we offer trust in the founders’ vision.
Together we can pioneer change.
Celebrating the story, not just the result
Intuit Agrees to Buy Singapore Inventory Software Maker
Read MoreThey are TradeGecko
A global inventory and sales management software-as-a-service company
Together we were:
Awarded VC Exit of the Year by SVCA in 2021
We take pride in this story for many reasons. First, it serves as a reminder of our own growth; this company was one of our first investments under our tech incubator. Today we are a VC with the capacity to nurture partnerships from seeding, all the way to exit.
TradeGecko was founded in early 2012 by three entrepreneurs – Carl Tompson, Cameron and Bradley Priest, from New Zealand. Deciding they needed access to global reach and funds, the founders relocated to Singapore through JFDI.Asia’s incubator program. Wavemaker won the competition to lead the seed round; we like to think the founders took a chance on us too during our own early stages of the business. We raised US$650,000 and TradeGecko became a portfolio company. In 2020 they were acquired by Intuit for US$80 million.
Additionally, we see this as a shared triumph for Singapore. We believe TradeGecko’s exit has marked the city as a globally recognized startup hub. We expect a new wave of investors looking to access what Singapore offers, and we are excited to be part of the movement.
They are Growsari
A B2B platform for family-owned stores that allows direct access to manufacturers’ products
Together we were:
Awarded VC Deal of the Year by SVCA in 2021
New Waves: How GrowSari
became a movement
Read More This is the story of bolstering efficiency to change not only the industry, but the livelihoods of those in it. Wavemaker has invested in several culturally tailored solutions throughout Southeast Asia that outfit their markets’ family-owned convenience stores with digital infrastructure.
The multi-faceted startup based in the Philippines first started as an online ordering platform. Rather than working to equip all sari-sari stores at once, Growsari’s CEO and co-founder Reymund Rollan strategized on identifying specific target shops that could offer invaluable data to bigger FMCGs. It was the efficiency in the solution that led us to believe in Reymound’s unique insight as a B2B founder.
As Growsari grew, they quickly realized the need to build a new ecosystem and develop their own logistics. Unwavering in their ‘do it yourself’ attitude, GrowSari’s services have grown to include: free next-day delivery of goods to stores, as well as multiple microservices such as telco load, bills pay, e-commerce, wifi and other e-services, and offers working capital loan program, “Paylater.” They currently serve over 50,000 sari-sari stores.
New Waves: eFishery is putting
farmers first
Read More They are eFishery
A data-gathering automated fish and shrimp feeder that has revolutionized aquaculture in Indonesia
Together we will:
Drive the aquaculture industry towards sustainability
We are very excited about the next few chapters of what we call the ‘fish-tech’ story. After spending a whole day wandering fish ponds with Gibran Huzaifah, co-founder and CEO of eFishery, we believe he has provided an incredible multi-layered solution to two of the biggest challenges of our time – world hunger and sustainability.
eFishery has built an ecosystem where fish and shrimp farmers could easily upscale their productivity, while creating a more sustainable environment. From offering automated fish feeders installed with smart-tech, eFishery also provides financial loans or ‘pay later’ type plans for their farmers, and distributes the highest quality, nutritionally packed fish and shrimp products that are obtained directly from the farmers.
By empowering farmers with better tech and data, pooling together a co-op style collective, and offering much-needed financial aid before a harvest, efishery offers better industry practices and products that are ecologically safer and healthier for everyone. We are proud to see this venture take off.
They are Silent Eight
An AI technology company creating custom compliance models for the world’s leading financial institutions
Together we will:
Combat money laundering and terrorist financing
Fintech startup Silent Eight raises
US$40m; to add over 150 in headcount
Read More Silent Eight is the story of technology’s power to do good, reducing the devastating human cost associated with money laundering and terrorist financing. Wavemaker saw the urgency in the market and invested in Silent Eight’s first-of-its-kind approach.
Martin Marckiewicz, Julia Markiewicz, and Michael Wilkowski realized that the banks’ financial crime compliance departments were paying for the same mistake twice. First through the high-cost/low-efficiency screening system of financial crimes. Thousands of analysts would manually flag suspicious transactions for human trafficking, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities. Banks would then incur another fee: fines for non-compliance due to system failure. The cost became astronomical.
The founders and their team created an AI powered alert resolution software that learns directly from analysts’ decision making and reasoning process. Their customized solution has reduced both the cost of compliance and the margin for error. Silent Eight’s technology has been implemented by major financial institutions to mitigate risks and block bad actors from accessing the financial system.
Working on solutions, not just talking about it
We are
taking steps to become more sustainable. ‘Green Wave’ is our internal initiative and commitment to sustainability.
We invest
in sustainability startups. Today, 75% of Wavemaker’s active portfolio startups are aligned with at least one UNDP Sustainable Development Goal.
We offer
to be a leader driving the sustainability movement. We launched Wavemaker Impact – the first venture co-builder dedicated to investing, supporting, and developing climate tech in Southeast Asia.
