Tracking active LPs in SEA’s, India’s startup ecosystems

Here are some caveats about the data before we dive in:

• The data was compiled from Tech in Asia’s database, Angel Match, YNOS, and the TeamWave Blog.
• The information presented mostly covers the past three years.
• The data primarily focuses on startup funding in Southeast Asia.
• The list is indicative, not exhaustive.

Southeast Asia and India have become hotspots for tech startup funding. Last year alone, Southeast Asia saw US$30 billion funneled into funds focused on the region, while India-centric funds banked US$18.3 billion.

Venture capital may be synonymous with startup investments, but the funding landscape is filled with many more entities: family offices, sovereign wealth funds, angel investors, and more. VC firms and startups rely on a diversity of limited partners to keep their operations running.

See also: VC funds tracker: Four VCs raise $320m for Asian startups

Tech in Asia’s data shows that the most active investors in the region are from Singapore, India, the US, and Indonesia.

Singapore’s domination on the investor list is no surprise. With a high concentration of millionaires and founders, generous incentives from the government through support schemes, and a sharp focus on innovation, the country has become a hotbed for startups within and outside of the region.

One of Singapore’s government initiatives pushing to attract financiers is the Global Investor Programme, which helps investors become permanent residents of the city-state. With a large volume of high-net-worth investors residing in the country, a wealth of Singapore-based individual investors contribute to the regional startup ecosystem, our data shows.

India, in second place, also has a large number of individual investors.

Much of this is attributed to the maturation of the country’s startup ecosystem, which is home to roughly 50,000 startups. A barrage of investors coming from backgrounds beyond tech entrepreneurship and the perception that startup investing is an alternative to buying stocks on the foreign exchange are also other reasons.

In the US, investors have also been looking at Southeast Asia and India, as recent meltdowns – such as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank – highlight the importance of diversifying investments across geographies.

These regions are relatively less mature than Europe or the US’ local startup ecosystem, but there is faster digital adoption, a younger population, and more space for innovation.

Globally, the number of unique investors participating in venture funding has also increased greatly within the past few years.