Temasek partners Kuehne + Nagel to launch US$50m fund for logistics startups

REEFKNOT Investments, a joint venture between Singapore's Temasek Holdings and Kuehne + Nagel, has launched its inaugural US$50 million global fund to invest in startups "at the forefront" of the logistics and supply chain industry, the company announced on Thursday.

Based in Singapore, Reefknot Investments backs startups at the Series A and Series B stages of growth that disrupt supply chain and logistics. Its first fund will back six to eight startups in verticals such as AI, digital logistics and trade finance.

Investee companies will gain business insights from Temasek, as well as the expertise of Kuehne + Nagel, a transport and logistics giant headquartered in Switzerland.

"Driven by the combination of explosive global technology developments and growth especially in the emerging economies in Asia Pacific, companies across global value chains are increasingly re-evaluating business models as well as investing in technology to optimise capture of demand as well as improve cost and operational efficiencies," said Marc Dragon, managing director of Reefknot Investments , in a press release.

Beyond nurturing the startups, Reefknot is also looking to create a "community of industry experts to support and sustain this growth", he added.

Reefknot's venture ecosystem partners include EDBI, SGInnovate, Atlantic Bridge, Vertex Ventures, PSA unBoXed, Unilever Foundry and NUS Enterprise.