Temasek arm, Osim founder said to join Singapore chilli-crab IPO

[SINGAPORE] Jumbo Group, which runs chilli-crab restaurants in Singapore, attracted an arm of Temasek Holdings Pte and the founder of Asia's biggest massage-chair maker as cornerstone investors for its initial public offering (IPO), people with knowledge of the matter said.

Heliconia Capital Management Pte, a unit of the Singapore state investment company, agreed to invest S$10 million, while Osim InternationaL chairman Ron Sim will buy S$8 million of stock, according to the people. Jumbo, which plans to start taking orders from individual investors on Thursday, will seek about S$40 million from its IPO in the country by selling shares at a fixed price of 25 Singapore cents apiece, the people said, asking not to be named as the information is private.

An offering that size would be the biggest initial share sale this year in Singapore, where nine offerings have raised just US$117 million, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Jumbo, known for its chilli and black pepper crabs, operates restaurants serving cuisines including seafood, pork rib soup and ramen noodles to more than 6,000 customers daily, according to its website.

The restaurant operator plans to start trading in early November, one of the people said. Jumbo Group and Heliconia declined to comment in e-mailed statements. Mr Sim confirmed in an e-mail he will be a cornerstone investor in the IPO, saying Jumbo Group is "a good company with great potential and scalability, and also a strong team and products with great margins".

Heliconia is an investment firm focused on growth-oriented Singapore companies. It owns stakes in Razer, a maker of computer hardware for video-game enthusiasts, and Rigel Technology (Singapore) Pte, which sells environmentally friendly toilets. Osim has invested in companies including tea retailer TWG Tea Co and technology provider Trek2000 International Ltd.

Jumbo, led by chief executive officer Ang Kiam Meng, plans to use the IPO proceeds to open new outlets in China and Singapore, according to a preliminary prospectus lodged last month with the Singapore stock exchange. United Overseas Bank Ltd is the sponsor and issue manager of the IPO.

BLOOMBERG