KUALA LUMPUR (July 13): Global early-stage venture capital (VC) firm Antler is joining hands with national sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd to extend its footprint into Malaysia.

According to a joint statement on Thursday (July 13), the collaboration between Khazanah Nasional and Antler serves to support Malaysia’s entrepreneurial talents by providing them access to Antler’s global platform and network.

Antler, set to launch in Malaysia with its first venture generation program in October this year, has set a target to invest in over 30 startups across Malaysia over a three-year period.

“Following this launch, the firm is now present in four countries in Southeast Asia — including Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam — and across 26 locations worldwide, further anchoring its position as a global platform for scaling and capital,” the VC firm said.

The partnership falls under Khazanah Nasional’s Future Malaysia Programme — an initiative under the sovereign wealth fund’s Dana Impak (Impact Fund) mandate equipped with a RM6 billion commitment over five years — that aims to support the local start-up ecosystem of entrepreneurs, start-ups, VC and corporate venture programmes via collaborations with domestic and international players.

“By drawing upon Antler’s global network of investors, founders, and advisors, this partnership will infuse new opportunities into the Malaysian entrepreneurial scene, subsequently accelerate the growth trajectory of Malaysian entrepreneurs and startups, propelling them towards international expansion and success,” the pair said.

Khazanah Nasional managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said the fund will continue to identify potential partners with proven track records, expertise and strategic value proposition to join it in nurturing and empowering the next generation of Malaysian entrepreneurs via the programme.

Antler co-founder and Asia managing partner Jussi Salovaara said with the help of Antler, founders scale their companies faster by enabling them to build remarkable teams, join a global community of founders, and access capital to accelerate growth.

According to the joint statement, Antler is one of the most active early-stage investors globally and has invested in over 792 companies across 26 cities worldwide, amassing a cumulative portfolio value of US$3.7 billion.