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Think Equity: Society Pass (Nasdaq: SOPA) – Path to Profitability

Think Equity, LLC (Think Equity) issues research report on Society Pass Inc. (Nasdaq: SOPA) (SoPa), Southeast Asia’s (SEA) next generation, data-driven, loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem.

Click Here (on Society Pass website) to view the full Think Equity research report. https://thesocietypass.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ThinkEquity_SocietyPass_Initiation_ResearchReport_26Sep2022.pdf

Summary Points:

Path to Profitability – Revenues are forecast to grow from $6 million in 2022 to $42 million in 2023. The company is well capitalized, with an estimated cash position of $20 million. Monthly cash burn has declined from an average of $1.2 million for the nine months through September 2022 to $150K by December 2022. The company’s objective is to achieve operational breakeven by the second quarter of 2023. The company’s target EBITDA for 2023 is 10%.
Holding Company – The group has acquired eight companies, seven of which were in 2022. Management targets 7 to 10 acquisitions in 2023. The company has pivoted away from organically developing a loyalty platform to making acquisitions. The acquisition model focuses on three KPIs – revenues, users, and merchants. Revenues have grown from $10,000 in 2019 to $50,000 in 2020, $520,000 in 2021, and $6.1 million in 2022. In addition, the company has on-boarded 3.3 million registered consumers and 200,000 registered merchants.
Loyalty – The company beta launched its loyalty platform in June 2022 and plans a hard launch in the second quarter of 2023. The company has an impending digital wallet partnership with Alipay, the payments arm of the Alibaba Group. The company intends to build out the loyalty app with its digital wallet partnership with Alipay into a de facto payments platform for Southeast Asia.
Lifestyle – Society Pass acquired Leflair, based in Vietnam, out of bankruptcy in 2021. The company has rebuilt the platform, onboarding users and merchants. Up from $500,000 in revenues in 2021, Leflair generated over $2 million in sales in 2022. The company intends to spin out Leflair as a separate publicly listed company in 2023.
Food and Beverage Delivery – The company acquired three F&B delivery companies in Vietnam and Philippines in 2022. The company generated $100,000 in food and beverage delivery in 2022. The company is not investing in food and beverage delivery as it is inherently an unprofitable business. But the company has on-boarded 700K registered users onto its platform. That’s in addition to the 1.5 million registered users on-boarded via the Leflair acquisition.
Telcoms – Gorilla is a Singapore-based, blockchain/web3 technology-enabled mobile virtual network operator. Society Pass acquired it for its technology. The company is taking that blockchain/Web three technology and infusing it into the rest of the ecosystem.
Digital Media – Thoughtful Media, a leading influencer advertising company in Southeast Asia, generated $6.5 million in sales in 2022. Thoughtful Media has over 200 channels on its multichannel network and over 300 influencers. The company targets to grow revenues from $6.5 million in 2022 to $30 million by 2023, with a target 15% EBITDA margin.
Travel – With NusaTrip acquisition, Society Pass has on-boarded a total of 3.3 million registered users and over 200,000 registered merchants. An estimated 99% of business at NusaTrip is airlines versus 1% hotels. The revenue rate earned from selling airline tickets is 2% – 3% compared to 7% – 20% for hotels. NusaTrip plans to change the revenue mix from 99%/1% to 80%/20% by the end of the year.
Valuation – Our 12-month price target is $6 based on 4x FY23 sales per share estimate. This valuation multiple is within the peer group valuation range.

About Society Pass Inc.
Founded in 2018 as a data-driven loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem in the fast-growing markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, which account for more than 80% of the SEA population, and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, Society Pass Incorporated (Nasdaq: SOPA) is an acquisition-focused holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, digital media, travel, telecoms, lifestyle, and F&B), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

Society Pass completed an initial public offering and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SOPA in November 2021. SOPA shares were added to the Russell 2000 index in December 2021.

SoPa acquires fast growing e-commerce companies and expands its user base across a robust product and service ecosystem. SoPa integrates these complementary businesses through its signature Society Pass fintech platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points, which has entered beta testing and is expected to launch broadly at the beginning of 2023. Society Pass loyalty program members earn and redeem Society Points and receive personalised promotions based on SoPa’s data capabilities and understanding of consumer shopping behaviour. SoPa has amassed more than 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants and brands. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Thoughtful Media Group, a Thailand-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network; NusaTrip, a leading Indonesia-based Online Travel Agency; Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator; Leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform; Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines; Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam; and Mangan.ph, a leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines.

For more information on Society Pass, please visit:
Website at https://www.thesocietypass.com or
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/societypass or
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesocietypass or
Twitter at https://twitter.com/society_pass or
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/societypass/.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

Society Pass Inc. (Nasdaq: SOPA)’s NusaTrip Continues Expansion in Southeast Asia (SEA), Extending Services to Vietnam

NusaTrip, Indonesia’s first IATA-certified online travel agency (OTA) and the travel vertical of Nasdaq-listed Society Pass Incorporated (SOPA), today announces the opening of an office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, representing its third SEA regional office outside of Jakarta, following the opening of its offices in Singapore and Manila earlier this year.

Post the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam reopened its doors to international travelers back in March 2022, and since then domestic tourism has seen a strong recovery, receiving about 4 million international travelers last year. According to ASEANFocus, 16 million international tourists and 80 million domestic travelers are projected to spend US$34 billion total travel revenue from 2024 to 2026. In addition, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam also expects a full travel recovery by December 2023 with around 34 million passengers from Vietnam expected to travel internationally, tripling the travel volume from 2022.

With the aim of increasing its service portfolio across SEA as well as boosting tourism in Vietnam, NusaTrip is well-positioned to grasp the huge market potential and serve additional communities in the region. NusaTrip regional offices focus on creating more variety of marketing initiatives and managing existing business relationships with airlines, hotels and tourism promotion board as partners.

NusaTrip CEO Johanes (Joe) Chang said, “The opening of our office in Vietnam reaffirms our commitment to bring the unparalleled travel experience to more customers in one of the fastest growing regions throughout SEA. NusaTrip will continue to enhance its service portfolio and innovate to cater to changing customer behaviors and fuel growth in the region. Considering the market potential, NusaTrip also plans to open more offices across SEA to bring customers an intimate and one-stop booking experience”.

Leveraging the upbeat momentum of the travel and tourism industry post-COVID-19 pandemic, NusaTrip is striving to expand its service offerings in the travel market.

“We are beyond excited to welcome domestic and international travelers onboard our NusaTrip platform. With revenge travel in full swing, this additional choice for consumers is highly timely, especially for those who intend on visiting some of the 3,000 over beautiful islands in Vietnam. SEA is a dynamic and diverse engine of growth for NusaTrip. As recovery continues, we are optimistic towards the market in Vietnam”, explained Ngo Thi Cham, Society Pass Vietnam Country Manager.

Last year, Society Pass acquired NusaTrip, a Jakarta-based online travel agency to foray into the travel business in SEA. The deal also marked SoPa’s entry into Indonesia as well as to its growing ecosystem of technology-enabled companies located in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

About NusaTrip
Founded in 2013, NusaTrip is an IATA-licensed online travel agency that serves both local and global customers and partners by optimizing cutting-edge technology and providing 24/7 customer-centric support team-as-a-service. NusaTrip is now an integral member of Society Pass (Nasdaq: SoPa) ecosystem. For more information, please visit: https://www.nusatrip.com.

About Society Pass Inc.
Founded in 2018 as a data-driven loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem in the fast-growing markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, which account for more than 80% of the SEA population, and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, Society Pass Incorporated (Nasdaq: SOPA) is an acquisition-focused holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, digital media, travel, telecoms, lifestyle, and F&B), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

Society Pass completed an initial public offering and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SOPA in November 2021. SOPA shares were added to the Russell 2000 index in December 2021.

SoPa acquires fast growing e-commerce companies and expands its user base across a robust product and service ecosystem. SoPa integrates these complementary businesses through its signature Society Pass fintech platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points, which has entered beta testing and is expected to launch broadly at the beginning of 2023. Society Pass loyalty program members earn and redeem Society Points and receive personalised promotions based on SoPa’s data capabilities and understanding of consumer shopping behaviour. SoPa has amassed more than 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants and brands. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Thoughtful Media Group, a Thailand-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network; NusaTrip, a leading Indonesia-based Online Travel Agency; Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator; Leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform; Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines; Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam; and Mangan.ph, a leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines.

For more information on Society Pass, please visit:
Website at https://www.thesocietypass.com or
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/societypass or
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesocietypass or
Twitter at https://twitter.com/society_pass or
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/societypass/.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

Verofax to raise US$750,000 on Beban Crowdfunding Platform

Offering GCC retail investors interactive access to private equity investment opportunities

Verofax, the leader in brand marketing and AI-powered solutions for enterprise, was featured on Beban 2 (Episode 9, Mar 1, 2023), the hit entrepreneur & investment-themed reality TV program airing on Bahrain TV, Alrai TV and Dubai TV, as well as Shahid, the region’s largest video-on-demand platform.

Wassim Merheby, CEO & Co-Founder, and Jamil Zablah, CMO & Co-Founder, Veromax, a product winning SaaS provider helping brands achieve growth by turning offline products interactive for immersive experiences & engagements.

One of the four Professional Investors to be pitched during episode 9, Khalid Almahfouz was clearly impressed with the Verofax story, encouraging them. “I can tell that we will celebrate Verofax as a Unicorn one day.”

Beban Crowdfunding platform, for entrepreneurs to pitch retail investors. Wassim Merheby, Verofax CEO & entrepreneur, addressing Crowdfunding investors across the GCC, “We would like to become a leading tech company that started in the Middle East.”

Verofax, winning award for ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence at LEAP Saudi Arabia (Feb 2023), announced setting-up in Ryadh, key 2023 growth market, with Saudi (MCIT) Tech Champions, a soft-landing accelerator powered by Plug and Play.

Beban is the world’s first TV show to provide an interactive crowdfunding element – Beban Crowdfunding, a secure platform licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain which offers retail and accredited investors a unique interactive access to private equity investment opportunities, such as Verofax.

GCC investors can participate in Verofax’ US$750,000 fundraising round through the Beban Crowdfunding platform, with investments beginning as reasonably as $100. The new investors will be joining leading VC investors including 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Benson Oak Ventures, Privity FZ LLE and Wami Capital.

An alumnus of government-sponsored programs MBRIF (Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund & Accelerator) and Hub71, the UAE-based Verofax is a growth-stage startup serving a diverse clientele including Fortune 100 brands and sustainable enterprise through operations in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Verofax recently won the award for ground-breaking use of Artificial Intelligence at LEAP Saudi Arabia (Feb, 2023), and announced the setting-up of operations in Ryadh, a key growth market for 2023, with the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Tech Champions, a soft-landing accelerator powered by Plug and Play.

Wassim Merheby, CEO of Verofax, said “Participating in the Beban program provided us with a platform to showcase our technology, and through the Beban Crowdfunding Platform, to offer retail investors an opportunity to invest in our solutions which disrupt online marketing, and deliver unmatched results to customers and amazing experiences to end consumers.

“Investors in Verofax will benefit from the potential disruption to online marketing, and turning the products into a brand’s best marketing channel. At Verofax, our aim is to empower brands to connect with their customers in new and innovative ways,” said Merheby.

Fatima Al Naqbi, Chief Innovation Officer at the Ministry of Finance and MBRIF representative, said: “We are thrilled to see such progress at Verofax, a company that we have proudly supported throughout its growth journey. Moreover, it’s exciting to offer retail investors the chance to share in the growth of a dynamic company, transforming the online marketing industry through its innovative solutions.

“MBRIF is committed to accelerating innovation by providing startups with the necessary resources to achieve the goals of expansion and growth. Through our Accelerator program, we offer tailored support, paving the way for these companies to succeed. Our role in Verofax’ journey is testament to our unwavering support of innovative and ambitious companies as they strive to impact the community. We look forward to continuing our support,” said Ms Al Naqbi.

Verofax has developed a proprietary, patented AI-powered product winning service that provides enterprises with increased supply chain transparency, reduced operational cost, and enhanced customer engagement. By leveraging Verofax’ award-winning, scalable technology with low-cost rapid deployment, businesses can begin to accrue benefits immediately with:

* MarTech solutions: Turning every product into an interactive direct communication channel to consumers, allowing brands to acquire and retain customers by providing relevant and personalized recommendations. By simply scanning unique identities on primary packaging, brands can convert the 60% of consumers that decide on a purchase in multi-branded stores while lowering acquisition costs by 20X vs. online marketing channels.

* Web3 rewards: helping brands to build lasting relationships with consumers and increase Customer Lifetime Values (CLTV) by adopting Web3 rewards such as brand NFTs that cost a fraction of loyalty programs.

* Retail and eCommerce virtualization: Delivering immersive and personalized shopping experiences with in-store Augmented Reality and 3D shopping experiences in e-commerce marketplaces, offering delight to 83% of consumers that expect an upgraded shopping experience vs. the current flick & click experience.

* Supply Chain transparency: providing brands with end-to-end inventory traceability to optimize availability and prevent price dilution. Counterfeiting and product diversion eats up to 30% of some industries, damaging brands’ reputations and posing severe threats to public health.

* Sustainable passporting: Helping brands become sustainable by measuring and certifying their products across complex multi-tiered supply chains and engaging directly with consumers for loyalty and advocacy.

Verofax’ solution is validated and available on partner platforms, including Oracle, Microsoft, Ant Group, Zebra, SAP and AWS. Discover the benefits of partnering with Verofax at www.verofax.com.

Investors interested in learning more about the fundraise and participating in Verofax’ journey through the Beban Crowdfunding platform should visit the Beban website at www.beban.me, and refer to the Verofax crowdfunding page at www.beban.me/campaign/verofax-.

Contact Verofax, and register for social updates:
Website: https://verofax.com/contact-us/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verofaxltd/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@verofaxlimited8482
Promo Video: https://youtu.be/tmekYUuRDjI
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/verofax
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@verofaxlimited
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VEROFAXLTD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verofax-limited/

About Verofax
Verofax is the leader in product digitization, providing innovative solutions that empower brands, retailers, and governments to secure supply chains and transform customer engagement. Utilizing latest technologies such as blockchain and AI, Verofax offers a comprehensive suite of tools, immersive omni-channel consumer engagement and compliance validation. By leveraging the Verofax solution, brands can ensure supply chains are compliant and sustainable and customers are engaged through every step of the product lifecycle. Please visit www.verofax.com.

About MBRIF Accelerator
The MBRIF Innovation Accelerator program focuses on innovation and cooperation and provides world-class services and training to founders to accelerate their business, raise capabilities and expertise, boost standards, and create added value. Its objectives are in line with the Dubai National Innovation Strategy as it aims to help innovative companies realize their potential and contribute to shaping the future of the national economy. Visit www.mbrif.ae.

For additional information, visit:
CB Insights: https://www.cbinsights.com/company/verofax
CrunchBase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dhonor
StartUp Buffer: https://startupbuffer.com/startup/verofax-limited

Institutional Analyst: Our Number #1 Internet Company, Society Pass (Nasdaq: SOPA), Holds Appeal for Both Traders and Long-Term Investors

Institutional Analyst Inc (Institutional Analyst) issues Equity Research Report on Society Pass Incorporated (SoPa) (Nasdaq: SOPA), Southeast Asia’s (SEA) next generation, data-driven, loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem.

Click here to view the full Institutional Analyst Equity Research Report. https://internetstockreview.com/sopa-report-ii/

Summary Points:

Compelling investment thesis – With near $20 million of cash in the bank, versus a $28 million current market capitalization, and with four Wall Street firms price targets averaging $6.60 (500% higher) and their revenue projections ranging from $40 to $60 million in 2023, SoPa can only be defined as compelling.

SoPa is building a portfolio of eCommerce start-ups and has all the ingredients in a major winner:
— Easy to Understand Business Model
— Underfollowed
— Scaleable Sector, Offering 100X Growth Potential
— Offers US Investors Back Door Entry Into Fast Growing SE Asia
— Market Capitalization Under $500 Million
— Financially Sound
— Management Team With Both Financial and eCommerce Expertise
— Summary and How to Trade and Invest in SOPA
— Wall Street Coverge

Sustainable incubator business model – While still early (bottom of the first inning), the Society Pass business model is off to an excellent start, with six acquisitions last year alone. Institutional Analyst views incubators and accelerators as having the most ‘durable’ model of any in the technology sector, in that they are on a constant search for early-stage companies that are creating the latest and most innovative technologies or services.
Underfollowed – At $1.00 currently, Society Pass has a market value of $28 million with only 28 million shares outstanding. While we consider Society Pass to be under-followed, by no means is it un-followed. There are four Wall Street firms that have initiated coverage with lengthy research reports, totaling over 70 pages, including this report. With price targets averaging $6.60 or better than 500% higher than where it is currently trading, we could have headlined this section, “Loved But Under-followed”.
Easy to Understand Game Plan – SoPa doesn’t buy and fix. It buys or partners, and then supercharges or scales early technology start-ups. Led by former investment banker Dennis Nguyen, SOPA looks for visionary founders with three to four years of experience under their belt. Companies that may be growing at 50-70% a year. These are not companies needing to be fixed. Investing in SoPa is very much like investing in the experienced manager of a venture capital firm. Not investing in the venture capital fund
but in the experienced manager of the fund. This is where the Society Pass business attractiveness comes in. There are hundreds of viable acquisition candidates in SE Asia and any single one has the potential to be the next Tik-Tok (Tik-Tok after all didn’t know it was going to be the next Tik-Tok, when it was started in a three-bedroom apartment).
Scaleable Sector Offering 100X Growth Potential – There are very few limitations to the scalabilty of the Society Pass business plan. They need analysts and deal-makers to bring the acquisition targets under the SOPA umbrella. And they need to ensure the acquired companies understand the benefits of integrating with SOPA’s Loyalty program called ‘Society Points’, a digital wallet, and a defacto currency. It will tie all of its acquired companies together, enabling data integration (who’s buying what) leading to enhancing revenues for all its controlled properties and outlets. They’re not looking to grow this operation to 10x or 20x. They’re looking to expand this 100-fold.
Offers US Investors Back Door Entry Into Fast Growing SE Asia – Investing in Society Pass offers US investors a back door entry into these fast-growing start-ups, with considerably less risk, as we can rely on an experienced management team to do all the hard work for us. The CEO is an entrepreneur who has taken six companies public. As a former investment banker, he can identify thousands and acquire scores of start-ups. We believe he is well-suited to guide us through a maze of opportunities.
Deep Management Team With Both Financial and eCommerce Expertise – The company is run by a deep bench of C-suite executives, country managers and business unit heads.

London-based Downtown International enters JV with ONERHT to expand Asia-Pacific presence

London-headquartered multinational real estate agency Downtown International has entered into a joint venture (JV) partnership with Singapore-based RHT AlDigi Financial Holdings, a member of ONERHT, as part of its expansion into Asia.

Downtown International is an award winning multinational real estate agency offering an extensive range of brokerage services for residential and commercial properties in downtown areas of major cities across the globe. With over 1000 agents and 150,000 real estate investors on its books, it has become a market leader in its field since its founding in 2011.

The JV partnership adds significant value and synergies to ONERHT’s ecosystem of multidisciplinary professional services, including members RHT Real Estate and SDAX. RHT Real Estate’s Singapore portfolio for its clients will now be complemented with Downtown’s portfolio of international properties.

The JV will look into tokenisation of real estate assets on SDAX. Supported by its strategic shareholders ESR, PSA and Straits Trading, SDAX is a Monetary Authority of Singapore licenced platform that serves institutional, accredited and retail investors, providing uniquely curated assets including tokenised real estate. Through the combined strengths of both partners in origination and distribution of real estate investments, the JV will be able to offer tokenised international real estate for clients.

Mr Martin Ashkuri, Group Chief Executive Officer of Downtown International, said, “This partnership represents a significant milestone as we expand our reach and capabilities in Asia with the addition of real estate tokenisation. Access to the ONERHT ecosystem of multidisciplinary firms will place Downtown International at the forefront of future real estate trends.”

“With a presence now firmly established in Asia, Downtown International will look to other major centres in the region to further develop its distribution channels. Beyond its regional headquarters in Singapore, Downtown has identified 7 additional centres in an ambitious 3-year expansion plan initiated by our Senior Management team,” he added.

The JV will capitalise on Asian Pacific investors’ sustained appetite for European real estate as well as the region’s relative optimism on growth.

Dr Han Bin, Managing Director of the JV, Downtown Realty Pte. Ltd., said, “We plan to leverage the emerging trend of cross- border capital flows and potential of tokenisation in the real estate market to create cutting edge investment solutions. We have been working closely with institutions and family offices across the region to realise initial deal flows. We believe in the potential of tokenisation to reach out to a larger pool of investors. Tokenisation will enhance the ability for diversification and risk management of portfolios and promote liquidity in the real estate sector.”

About ONERHT

ONERHT is an integrated multidisciplinary platform of professional services. Since 2011, RHTLaw Asia’s founding team aspired to develop a second engine of growth through ONERHT, an independent ecosystem of professional services, associated companies and networks, complementing RHTLaw’s full service legal offerings. Please visit www.onerht.com.

About Downtown International

Downtown International is an award winning multinational real estate agency offering an extensive range of brokerage services for residential and commercial properties within downtown areas across the globe. Downtown International specialises in the sale and marketing of off-plan residential developments and represents leading residential property developers showcasing an extensive portfolio of properties to our clients. For details, please visit www.downtowninternational.com.

About SDAX

SDAX is a regulated investment and trading platform providing multi asset securities and fund units. It fractionalises and tokenises institutional-grade real assets for trading on SDAX’s blockchain powered exchange. SDAX democratises access into the universe of securities – private funds, private equity, private credit across different industries – for the benefit of a wider investor base. For more details, please visit www.sdax.co

For media queries, please contact:
Elliot Siow / elliot.siow@rhtgoc.com / +65 8375 0417

Dennis Nguyen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Nasdaq-listed Society Pass Inc (Nasdaq: SOPA) to Speak at NXT CX Summit Indonesia

Society Pass Incorporated (“SoPa”) (Nasdaq: SOPA), Southeast Asia’s (SEA) next generation, data-driven, loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem, today announces that company founder, chairman, and CEO Dennis Nguyen has been invited to serve as the keynote speaker at the 8th NXT CX Summit Indonesia to be held on Wednesday, 22 February 2023. The title of the conference is “Holistic Approach to Indonesia’s Customer Transformation.”

Mr. Nguyen is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of SoPa. He has been an investment banker and venture capitalist with more than 25 years of deal experience in the SEA, Greater China, US, EU, Korea and Middle East markets. He founded Society Pass in 2018 and led the company to its historical initial public offering on Nasdaq in November 2021, being the first Vietnam-based company to complete a traditional IPO outside of Vietnam. SoPa aims to transform the entire retail value chain towards a more digital future in SEA with SoPa’s first-in-class loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem.

During the conference, Mr. Nguyen will talk about “Society Pass: Building the Next Generation Digital Ecosystem in Southeast Asia” at 10:45 am on Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023.

Event details:
Event: 8th NXT CX Summit Indonesia https://www.nxtcxsea.com/
Date: Wednesday, 22nd February 2023
Location: Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta, Indonesia (In-person Conference)

About Society Pass Inc.

Founded in 2018 as a data-driven loyalty, fintech and e-commerce ecosystem in the fast-growing markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, which account for more than 80% of the SEA population, and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, Society Pass Incorporated (Nasdaq: SOPA) is an acquisition-focused holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, digital media, travel, telecoms, lifestyle, and F&B), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

Society Pass completed an initial public offering and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SOPA in November 2021. SOPA shares were added to the Russell 2000 index in December 2021.

SoPa acquires fast growing e-commerce companies and expands its user base across a robust product and service ecosystem. SoPa integrates these complementary businesses through its signature Society Pass fintech platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points, which has entered beta testing and is expected to launch broadly at the beginning of 2023. Society Pass loyalty program members earn and redeem Society Points and receive personalised promotions based on SoPa’s data capabilities and understanding of consumer shopping behaviour. SoPa has amassed more than 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants and brands. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

SoPa leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Thoughtful Media Group, a Thailand-based, a social commerce-focused, digital advertising platform; NusaTrip, a leading Indonesia-based Online Travel Agency; Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator; Leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform; Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam; Mangan.ph, a leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines and Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines.

For more information on Society Pass, please visit:
Website at https://www.thesocietypass.com or
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/societypass or
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesocietypass or
Twitter at https://twitter.com/society_pass or
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Verofax Wins Artificial Intelligence Award at LEAP23

Verofax, the leading MarTech solution for marketing and operational efficiencies, was crowned the winner of the Artificial Intelligence Award at the Rocket Fuel Startup Competition during the LEAP23 event in Riyadh (Feb 6-9). The award, powered by the Saudi Arabian National Technology Development Program and worth $150,000, recognizes Verofax’s disruptive approach to product digitization, utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and computer vision to deliver unmatched marketing results.

LEAP23 Rocket Fuel Start-Up Competition Winners [Image: LEAP23]

Verofax, Winner of the LEAP23 Artificial Intelligence Award [Image: LEAP23]

An esteemed panel of judges, consisting of successful serial entrepreneurs, investors, and Dragons from BBC’s Dragons’ Den, including Ghazal Alagh, Karen Brady CBE, James Caan CBE, Steven Bartlett, and Tala Al Jabri, chose Verofax from among 90 semi-finalist global startups.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition and grateful to our partners and customers who have helped us get to where we are today,” said Wassim Merheby, CEO of Verofax. “Our goal is to empower brands, retailers, and sustainability agencies with the tools they need to secure their supply chain, simplify compliance, and transform customer experience. With our innovative AI and blockchain solutions, we are leading the way in product digitization and helping to create a more sustainable future.”

Verofax has developed and patented an AI powered product winning service that provides enterprises with increased supply chain transparency, reduced operational costs, and enhanced customer engagement. By leveraging Verofax’s scalable blockchain technology with low-cost and rapid deployment, businesses can accrue immediate benefits, including:

MarTech solutions: Turning every product into an interactive direct communication channel to consumers, allowing brands to acquire and retain customers and provide relevant and personalized recommendations. By simply scanning unique identities on primary packaging, brands can convert the 60% of consumers that decide on purchase in multi-branded stores, all while lowering cost of acquisition by 20X vs online marketing channels.
Web3 rewards: Helping brands build lasting relationships with consumers and increase Customer lifetime values (CLTV) by adopting Web3 rewards such as brand NFTs that cost a fraction of loyalty programs.
Retail and eCommerce virtualization: Delivering immersive and personalized shopping experiences with Augmented reality in store and 3D shopping experience in ecommerce marketplaces, offering delight to 83% of consumers that expect an upgraded shopping experience vs current flick & click experience.
Supply chain transparency: Providing brands with end-to-end inventory traceability to optimize availability and prevent price dilution. Counterfeiting and product diversion eats up to 30% in some industries, damaging brands reputation and posing serious threats to public health.
Sustainable passporting: Helping brands turn sustainable by measuring and certifying their products across complex multi-tiered supply chain and engage directly with consumers for loyalty and advocacy.

Verofax is supported by leading government sponsored programs such the Hub71, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund and leading investors such as 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Benson Oak Ventures, Privity FZ LLE and Wami Capital.

With offices in key regions such as Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, UAE-based Verofax serves a diverse clientele, including Fortune 100 brands like Budweiser, Corona, and sustainable entities. Verofax has confirmed its strategy to set up offices in Saudi, a key growth market for 2023, via Plug and Play powered MCIT Tech Champions soft-landing incubator.

For more information about Verofax, please visit www.verofax.com.

About Verofax
Verofax is a worldwide leader in product digitization, providing innovative solutions that empower brands, retailers, and governments to secure supply chain and transform customer engagement. Utilizing the latest technologies such as blockchain and AI, Verofax offers a comprehensive suite of tools for immersive omni-channel consumer engagement and compliance validation. By leveraging Verofax solutions, brands can ensure that their supply chain is compliant, sustainable and that customers are engaged at every step of the product lifecycle. Discover the benefits of partnering with Verofax at www.verofax.com.

Led by Legend Capital, Macrolux Completes Nearly CNY100 million Series A Round

Shenzhen Macrolux Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Macrolux) recently announced the completion of its Series A round by securing nearly CNY100 million, which is led by Legend Capital.

Founded in October 2020 and headquartered in Shenzhen, Macrolux is a medical technology company focusing on innovative solutions for endoscopic interventional diagnosis and treatment. Macrolux’s founding team is formed from experts from leading medical device companies in China and has more than a decade of experience in product development, global marketing and the production management of endoscopes and minimally invasive surgical devices. With a vision of detecting diseases earlier and offering patients better treatments, Macrolux is committed to providing the world with endoscopic interventional diagnosis and treatment solutions covering departments including urology, respiration, and digestion by leveraging its engine for innovation-driven development.

Regarding this fundraising round, ZHANG Weiqiang, General Manager of Macrolux, said: “I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the investors for their trust in Macrolux. Disposable electronic endoscopes are an early market experiencing rapid growth. With years of concentrating on the product development and technological innovation of disposable endoscopes, Macrolux has formed strong competitiveness in many aspects and aims to introduce solutions to the world that better meet customer needs relying on our ten more years of technology accumulation in the industry.”

Joe ZHOU, Managing Director of Legend Capital, said: “Legend Capital has focused on endoscopic diagnosis and treatment, which is a development direction of minimally invasive medical treatment. It is noticed that disposable endoscopes have solved the sore points of traditional medical devices in multiple application scenarios and have begun to penetrate rapidly in recent years. All the functional teams of Macrolux are experienced and have worked in a balanced way for a long time and shared complete commercialization experience from scratch to impressive performance. We are honored to cooperate with the team and look forward to the company’s innovative series of products accelerating penetration into clinical applications to benefit patients globally.”

Legend Capital has long been paying attention to the investment in the field of medical devices and diagnostics with a focus on three major themes: first, major diseases, especially the unmet clinical needs of chronic diseases; second, the first and uniqueness in technology, which enables a company to become or have the potential to become a leading player in subdivided industries; the third is the “device +” investment opportunities brought by the integration of medical devices and interdisciplinary technologies such as AI, IoT and Big Data.

At present, Legend Capital has invested in numerous leading companies in the subdivided industries, including Careray Digital Medical Technology (688607.SH), Axonics (AXNX), New Horizon Health (06606.HK), Wuhan Easy Diagnosis Biomedicine (002932.SZ), Berry Genomics (000710.SZ), Aohua Photoelectricity Endoscope (688212.SH), Chemclin Diagnostics (688468.SH), Bio-heart Biological (02185.HK), STAR Sports Medicine, ET Healthcare, GKHT Medical Technology, Hailai Xinchuang Medical Technology, Yeasen Biotechnology, and Dearer Medical.

About Legend Capital
Founded in 2001, Legend Capital is a leading VC&PE investor focusing on the early-stage and growth-stage opportunities in China, with offices across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Seoul, Korea.

It currently manages USD and RMB funds of over US$10 billion in commitments, and has invested in around 600 companies, covering technology, healthcare, consumer, enterprise service and intelligent manufacturing sectors. Rooted in China, Legend Capital participated in the rise of many world-leading companies by solid investment coverage and systematic post-investment value-add. Over the years, Legend Capital has also become a widely recognized name in bridging key resources in China and overseas through cross-border activities, and a valuable partner to Chinese and overseas investors.

Legend Capital values long-term sustainable investment and incorporates ESG into its long-term development strategy. As a UNPRI signatory since November 2019, Legend Capital is among the first group of top VC/PE firms in China to join the initiative.

For more information, please visit www.legendcapital.com.cn/index_en.aspx and follow us on LinkedIn @Legend Capital (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legend-capital).

SwarmFarm Robotics Raises AU$12M Series A to put Integrated Autonomy in the Hands of Growers

SwarmFarm Robotics today announced it has raised AU$12 million Series A (US$8.3 million) to develop and grow the Integrated Autonomy category in agriculture through the versatile SwarmBot platform and a breakthrough operating system network, SwarmConnect, that enables developers to create an array of innovative applications for users of the autonomous platform.

“There is enormous demand for autonomy in agriculture, but today, most solutions unlock minimal potential,” said SwarmFarm CEO Andrew Bate. “The current equipment providers believe that farmers just want to be plucked from the cab or replaced by robotic arms. We believe that farmers want more. They want a technology ecosystem built to address the issues in their locality, a farm-centric system that leaves the lowest possible footprint on their fields, helping them do more with less. They want Integrated Autonomy, so that’s what we’re building.”

The team at SwarmFarm defines Integrated Autonomy as a new approach to autonomy on-farm that unlocks the full potential of driverless technology by providing specialty robotics solutions with an open platform to develop on.

“While many companies are making driverless tractors and developing niche robotics solutions in agriculture today, we believe that there is a third category of autonomy that combines the robot and the application within a development framework that will allow farmers to customize their equipment for their needs and allow developers to bring their innovations to life much more rapidly,” said Bate. “It’s the best of both worlds. For the farmer, we provide customized autonomy in a box. For the developer, we provide a streamlined path to the grower with a tight feedback loop.”

The company’s Series A funding round was led by Emmertech, an AgTech fund from Conexus Venture Capital based in Canada. The funding also sees new investment from Tribe Global Ventures and Access Capital. Also joining the round are SwarmFarm’s existing investors, including Tenacious Ventures, and GrainInnovate, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) venture capital fund managed by Artesian.

“We are thrilled to be joining Andrew, Jocie, and the whole SwarmFarm team as they pioneer the future of autonomous agriculture,” said Sean O’Connor, Managing Director of Emmertech. “The key trait that drove our eagerness to lead this round was the farmer-centric approach this team is built around and the truly exceptional results their robots have achieved. We met with several farmers who were putting upwards of 3,000 hours a year on their SwarmBot, often leaving them out in the fields for over 24 hours at a time. We believe there’s a future where SwarmBots can be found on farms across North America and worldwide.”

SwarmFarm announced last year that SwarmBots had successfully been deployed to farmers who covered over 1.3 million commercial acres, operated for 64,000 hours, and reduced pesticide inputs by an estimated 780 tons.

“We are proud to support the team at SwarmFarm as they unlock the potential of Integrated Autonomy in agriculture,” said Fernando Felquer, Head of Business Development at GRDC. “What makes SwarmFarm so attractive to us is that the founders are Australian grain growers developing autonomous solutions from the ground up with Australian farming systems in mind, and the technology has global application.”

Born on the Bate’s family farm in rural Queensland, SwarmFarm exists to solve a complex problem set many farmers are facing around the world today: how to grow better crops and the optimal amount of food on their land without putting down excessive amounts of chemicals or acquiring larger and larger equipment.

“We hit a point where we just said enough is enough,” said Bate. “We saw our input costs increasing, our equipment costs rising as we bought larger equipment, our dependence on pesticides rising, and our yields declining despite it all. There was a day when we sat down and realized that this wasn’t an equation that needed incremental change; we needed an entirely new farming system – and SwarmFarm was the solution.”

The SwarmFarm team saw a future where developers could create specialized tools that could be attached to swarms of small, nimble, autonomous robot platforms that create new farming practices through facilitating collaboration between farmers and technologists – laying the groundwork for the SwarmConnect product.

“We envision a future where the most promising minds in technology are encouraged to turn toward solving the challenges faced by modern agriculture,” Bate continued. “We also believe in a future where there is no longer such a severe distinction between farmers and technologists, but rather a new breed of farmer-technologists. This funding helps us to move toward that future by meeting more of the global demand for our product and facilitating the growth of our SwarmConnect network of developers.”

Today, SwarmFarm serves customers across Australia and works with some of the most innovative farm equipment developers, including WEED-IT, Bilberry, Weedseeker, Hayes Spraying, Rasmussen Brothers Engineering, Goldacres, and Croplands.

“It is critical that we put tools into our farmers’ hands that help them do more with less. This is key to a climate resilient, profitable future for agriculture,” said Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Tenacious Ventures. “With their background in farming, the team at SwarmFarm has been able to see around some of the corners on the road to autonomy and anticipate the needs of the growers they serve. We look forward to continuing to work with them as they unlock more productivity and sustainability in agriculture through their unique approach to Integrated Autonomy.”

SwarmFarm’s unique approach to autonomy resonates with its customers, resulting in consistent and continued growth. The team will hire for roles in their Queensland and New South Wales offices to support this growth.

“The future of agriculture is happening now, but there is no way that one company can really invent everything needed to revolutionize agriculture,” Bate said. “We need the smartest minds from around the world working on this; We need an army of developers solving agriculture’s problems one app at a time. So come join us as a partner and help deliver the revolution that agriculture needs!”

“My Dad Used to Drive a Tractor”

Founded in 2015 near Emerald, Queensland, SwarmFarm Robotics is pioneering the development and use of intelligent robotics in Australian agriculture through Integrated Autonomy. This entirely new approach to autonomy on-farm provides more than another driverless system or a niche robotics solution; Integrated Autonomy puts the farmer’s needs first and creates a technology ecosystem around them to help save time, resources and energy while optimizing for profitable and sustainable growth.

We have now successfully covered 1.3 million commercial acres, 64,000 hours of operation, and have reduced pesticide inputs by an estimated 780 tons with our autonomous robots. Learn more about SwarmFarm here. https://www.swarmfarm.com/

CONTACT
Dan Schultz
dan@schultzcollaborative.com
952.356.2646

SOURCE: SwarmFarm Robotics

Innovation is the Key Benchmark, Focus on Four Healthcare Industry Sub-Sectors in 2023, Says Jafar Wang of Legend Capital

Legend Capital invested in 29 healthcare companies that officially disclosed financing rounds in 2022, according to the VBDATA Database. Since 2007, Legend Capital has continuously invested in healthcare across industry sub-sectors including innovative drugs, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostic technology, professional services and supply chain. Overtime, it has built a powerful healthcare ecosystem encompassing more than 140 portfolio companies. Through value-added initiatives including strategic management and business empowerment activities, Legend Capital has the capability to bring far more value to the table in addition to financial resources.

Breakthrough and global innovations are the key benchmarks by which Legend Capital judges and selects projects in a changing external environment. How did Legend Capital navigate the challenges of 2022 and how does it see the market in 2023? What are the key healthcare investment themes? In an interview with VCBeat, Jafar Wang, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Legend Capital, shared his perspectives:

“Five significant changes in primary market investments”
Legend Capital observed several important evolvements in the healthcare investment market during 2022:
First, the industry’s overall investment pace slowed down, with considerable decrease in deal count, deal size, and the speed of decision-making. Activity level of the healthcare investment market has returned to normalcy after an overheated period of 2020-2021, which now appears on the same level as 2019.

Second, there has been significant changes in investors’ selection criteria. Institutional investors need to evaluate whether a project has demonstrated breakthrough innovation, whether it is among the top three in its field, and whether it has the potential to compete on the global stage for first-in-class or best-in-class status. As a result, investors look to sector leaders for investment opportunities.

Third, there is growing emphasis on exit and exit management.
Fourth, emerging markets are receiving more attention as industry participants turn their overseas focus from developed markets to emerging economies. On the one hand, investors have increased their allocation to emerging markets, such as Legend Capital’s expansion into Southeast Asia. Similarly, more players are aggressively expanding abroad in the hope that their products and services will reach the wider emerging markets. For Chinese healthcare companies, these markets will be a key destination in the next five to ten years.

Lastly, there is general awareness in the industry that the window for biotech companies to transition into biopharma has closed for the moment. Biotech companies should continue to focus on their core competencies in technology innovation and product development, while actively pursue collaborations in manufacturing, supply chain, and downstream commercialization with top-tier industry players.

“An investment strategy focused on innovation and early-stage opportunities”
Regardless of changes to the external environment, Legend Capital continues to uphold the importance of being an investor in value, innovation, in early-stage firms, in core technologies, and taking the long view. Our selection criteria for deals remain consistently high.

In 2022, Legend Capital established a Frontier Biotechnology Fund to invest in innovative seed and start-up stage biotechnology and MedTech companies. Although such investments carry higher risks, they could potentially create game-changing results for the industry. This fund will mainly focus on the commercialization of ideas and products from academia, overseas returnees, and well-known spin-off teams or founders. Legend Capital values cutting-edge, innovative, and disruptive technologies, and we are willing to make bigger bets and dedicate more resources towards these seed and angel stage projects.

Legend Capital is also devoted to investing in the independence and security of the healthcare supply chain. Two years ago, we put forward the view that an independent and secure supply chain, as well as import substitution, are among the best investment opportunities over the next five years. We are not only focused on the China market, but with an eye to the international potential of investee companies. The idea of supply chain investment is to help resolve bottlenecks faced by the industry while also serving the global market.

In terms of Legend Capital’s healthcare ecosystem, we are continuously expanding this ecosystem and improving synergies within. In the past, our value-added services were geared towards management guidance, but two years ago, we increased efforts to empower our portfolio companies with industry perspectives. To date, Legend Capital has invested in more than 140 healthcare companies, and established a complete, one-stop value-added service system across research, production, supply chain, and commercialization function. Our presence in sub-sectors from life science tools to preclinical research, clinical CRO, manufacturing and commercialization allow Legend Capital to bring synergy to portfolio companies. As this value-add ecosystem evolve and portfolio companies reap the benefits, oftentimes prospective investees become more receptive to our investment; they see Legend Capital as an investor with abundant industry resources, rather than a pure financial investor.

Additionally, Legend Capital cooperates closely with industry-leading firms to bring additional resources to our healthcare ecosystem, which helps portfolio companies in their business development. Through product licensing and strategic collaborations, we have strengthened the connection among the ecosystem, portfolio companies, and industry peers. Working with healthcare companies in the industry not only aids the development of our portfolio companies, but also present potential new opportunities for Legend Capital. For instance, we have been able to generate new investments with our industry partners through efforts such as co-investments, incubation, and spin-offs. This may very well become a common investment practice in the future.

Throughout 2022, Legend Capital had five healthcare-related IPOs, including Recbio Technology, R&G Pharmastudies, MicuRx Pharmaceutical, Sipai Health Technology, and Lunit; in addition, nearly 10 portfolio companies were exited through M&A. A RMB 300+ million GP-led secondary transaction was completed during the year after concluding a $270 million one in 2021. We will continue to utilize secondary tools in the future to generate large-scale exits for existing LPs, which also create opportunities to partner with new LPs while supporting our portfolio companies on their journeys, to ultimately achieve a win-win for all parties.

“Opportunities are bred from innovation”
Legend Capital maintains a diversified portfolio of companies in innovative drugs and biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostic technology, professional service and supply chain, and will continue to actively invest going forward. In 2023, our healthcare investment efforts will focus on three main areas.

For biotech, Legend Capital will concentrate on small nucleic acid medicines and CGT-related verticals such as gene editing and induced pluripotent stem cells. In MedTech, more focus will be placed on life science tools, import substitution, and consumer healthcare. In professional services and supply chain, with the evolvement of CGT and small nucleic acid pharmaceuticals, CRO and CDMO may present new investment prospects. In addition to investing in pharmaceutical CRO and CDMO, Legend Capital saw success in 2022 with investments in medical device and diagnostic CRO and CDMO so we will continue to invest in these fields.

Leveraging our vast portfolio ecosystem, Legend Capital will continue to make significant investments in supply chain independence, including upstream consumables, machinery, and life science tools. To achieve the best outcomes, Legend Capital will collaborate with its leading portfolio companies in the future on co-investments and help them with potential M&A opportunities.

In summary, Legend Capital believes that the best investment opportunities arise from breakthrough innovation. For instance, our portfolio company Harbour BioMed recently announced that the U.S. FDA has cleared the IND application to commence clinical trials of its globally first-in-class fully human monoclonal antibody HBM1020 targeting B7H7 (also known as HHLA2) in the U.S. HBM1020 is also the globally first-ever monoclonal antibody targeting B7H7 cleared by the regulatory agency for clinical trials. HBM1020 may present a novel anti-tumor therapeutic complementary to PD-(L)1 therapeutics to patients, especially for PD-L1 negative/refractory patients. Regardless of the outcome, we believe a company will stand a better chance to break out from intense competition when it has the courage and boldness to be the innovator.

About Legend Capital
Founded in 2001, Legend Capital is a leading VC&PE investor focusing on the early-stage and growth-stage opportunities in China, with offices across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Seoul, Korea.

It currently manages USD and RMB funds of over US$10 billion in commitments, and has invested in around 600 companies, covering technology, healthcare, consumer, enterprise service and intelligent manufacturing sectors. Rooted in China, Legend Capital participated in the rise of many world-leading companies by solid investment coverage and systematic post-investment value-add. Over the years, Legend Capital has also become a widely recognized name in bridging key resources in China and overseas through cross-border activities, and a valuable partner to Chinese and overseas investors.

Legend Capital values long-term sustainable investment and incorporates ESG into its long-term development strategy. As a UNPRI signatory since November 2019, Legend Capital is among the first group of top VC/PE firms in China to join the initiative.

For more information, please visit www.legendcapital.com.cn/index_en.aspx and follow us on LinkedIn @Legend Capital (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legend-capital).