Square Peg Capital promotes Ed Barker to principal

(From left) Square Peg principal Ed Barker, and partners Piruze Sabuncu and Tushar Roy / Photo credit: Square Peg Capital

Venture capital firm Square Peg Capital has promoted Ed Barker to principal. Barker was previously a senior associate at the VC firm, and his new role will see him adopt a greater leadership position.

“[Access to financial services and healthcare] are the areas that I’ve probably spent most of my time over the last two years on, and I’m planning on doubling down on [these] over the next few years as well,” he tells Tech in Asia.

Barker relocated to Singapore from Australia in 2020 along with three other team members to help set up Square Peg’s Southeast Asian operations.

He has been involved in leading and supporting the company’s key deals, including investments in Pluang, LottieFiles, StashAway, and Kula.

“Ed has been integral to the growth of our investment portfolio and brand in the region, and his elevation to principal is a recognition of the leadership and trusted relationships he has nurtured over the last few years,” Square Peg’s Southeast Asia partner, Tushar Roy, said.

See also: VC funds tracker: Motion Ventures closes debut maritime fund

The move aligns with the firm’s plans to focus on Southeast Asia. The company says it has invested more than US$250 million in the region, with the total number of investments doubling within the past two years.

After closing a US$550 million fundraise last year, the VC firm is keen on investing in startups in the seed to series B stages across the fintech, climate tech, healthtech, and software-as-a-service verticals. Though it is focused on Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the company has also met with founders from Malaysia and the Philippines.