Investment banks cosy up to VCs in hunt for potential unicorns

Bankers want to build early relationships with startups by facilitating larger funding rounds amid rapidly rising valuations

Published Thu, Feb 20, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Venture capital

Singapore

INVESTMENT banks in Asia are increasingly getting intimate with the region's startup space.

In leveraging ties to top venture capital (VC) firms in the region, the investment banking world is going in early to sniff out potential unicorns, and facilitate fundraising deals that can balloon to billions of dollars in just a few years.

Venture Capital (VC) firms The Business Times spoke to confirmed that they have long-standing relationships with several global investment banks, but declined to name specific banks.

"Bankers always want to build relationships early with potential billion dollar companies, and they are banking on the fact that established VCs like …