Koh Boon Hwee on investment themes that excite him

Singapore

CHAIRMAN of Credence Partners Koh Boon Hwee prefers to stay out of the public eye - but his name pops up every now and then when a growing startup names its early backers. If Mr Koh is on its shareholder list, the audience will lean in just a bit closer.

Outside the ambit of the Credence private equity firm which he co-founded, Mr Koh, 67, has established himself as one of Singapore's most astute venture capitalists.

"You never know whether something's going to be a multi-bagger when you start, but you can have an inkling," the former chairman of Singtel, DBS and Singapore Airlines told The Business Times in a conversation earlier this month.

Twelve years ago, Mr Koh went long on digital gaming when industry revenues were…