The Business Times
business-time-50
OUTLOOK 2025
·
SUBSCRIBERS

Venture capitalists eye exits to improve sentiment in 2025 as funding winter shows signs of easing

While VC activity was muted in the first half of 2024, things have started to pick up

google-preferred-sourceAdd BT as a preferred source
Benjamin Cher

Benjamin Cher

Published Fri, Dec 13, 2024 · 05:00 AM
    • With exits, capital can be returned to investors to be recycled back into VCs, which in turn provides funding for startups.
    • With exits, capital can be returned to investors to be recycled back into VCs, which in turn provides funding for startups. PHOTO: PIXABAY

    THE year 2024 has not been a good one for players in the venture capital (VC) space.

    “There was a fair bit of optimism for VC in this region to pick up, but it has lagged behind quite a fair bit,” said Looi Qin En, a partner at corporate VC firm Saison Capital.

    While other private equity segments recovered in 2024 to pre-Covid levels, VCs – funding to startups and early-stage companies with high growth potential – have had a “disappointing” year, he said.

    Venture capitalfund raising

    TRENDING NOW

    Longest-serving chief minister Taib Mahmud’s legacy looms large over Sarawak as a family feud over his estate threatens to expose skeleton’s in the eastern state’s political closet.

    On the board but frozen out: The Taib family feud tearing Sarawak construction giant apart

    Thailand’s target is to export seven million tonnes of rice globally in 2026, but the Middle East war has turned the world topsy-turvy with supply disruptions, high oil prices and economic uncertainty.

    Thai and Vietnamese farmers may stop planting rice because of the Iran war. Here’s why

    PayPal has struggled despite its storied history as a financial-technology company.

    PayPal plans job cuts as its new CEO pursues turnaround strategy

    Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said the government is working with partners who have access to Anthropic's Mythos to understand its capabilities.

    MAS, bank CEOs convene over AI cyberthreats; boards told to own risks, not leave to IT teams

    Latest T-bills Treasury Bills Results & Interest NewsLatest SSB Singapore Savings Bonds NewsLatest COE Certificate of Entitlement News
    Latest Johor-Singapore SEZ NewsLatest BTO Build To Order & Sales of Balance NewsLatest STI Straits Times Index NewsLatest SGX Dividends, Share Price NewsLatest Bonds Market NewsLatest Singapore Stocks To Buy NewsLatest Singapore Economy News
    View More