Category: News releases

HA NOI, VIET NAM (20 April 2023) — The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) venture capital arm ADB Ventures has signed an agreement to invest in an electric two-wheeler vehicle (E2W) and battery pack manufacturer, Selex Smart Electric Vehicles JSC (Selex), to reduce carbon emissions in high-usage applications such as last-mile cargo and passenger transport in Viet Nam. The investment is part of Selex’s $3 million convertible note round. 

Each gasoline motorbike replaced by a Selex E2W can cut the emission of 0.45 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. The company also aims to utilize the fund to expand E2W production lines and set up battery-swapping systems in key cities in Viet Nam, solidifying Selex’s position as the nation’s first and largest battery-swapping network provider.

“The electrification of road transport will have a profound impact on the automotive manufacturing and logistics sectors in Southeast Asia. We are proud to have been part of Selex’s journey from the very beginning, and look forward to helping it to become an important regional player in the sustainable transport market in coming years,” said ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury.

In December 2021, ADB Ventures provided a $200,000 grant to Selex with an option to make an equity investment in the company.

“We are excited to receive the backing of ADB Ventures. ADB’s unwavering support reaffirms our common goal of combating climate change and provides an important boost to our business. This investment will provide us with a strong foothold in Viet Nam and a platform for our expansion into other parts of the region,” said Selex Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Huu Phuoc.

ADB Ventures invests in early-stage technology companies that have significant potential to scale and deliver climate impact in emerging Asia and the Pacific. Its investors include Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Venture Investment Corporation, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Nordic Development Fund.

Established in 2018, Selex specializes in producing E2Ws and swappable battery packs that are purpose-built for large applications, including last-mile cargo delivery. Selex’s existing clients include regional delivery aggregators, such as Lazada and Grab, which require a single solution provider that can facilitate their transition to a cost-effective and reliable electric vehicle fleet with charging infrastructure to support their operations. 

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (September 1st, 2021) — ADB Ventures has launched a new video series called Climatic about the innovators who are reducing Asia’s carbon footprint, the entrepreneurs who are making the region more resilient to climate change and the corporate leaders who are partnering with startups for impact. The series will be broadcast on YouTube.  

Climatic is made possible by a grant from Climate Investment Funds’ Clean Technology Fund Program. Linh Thai, a seasoned venture capital investor and judge on Shark Tank Vietnam, hosts the series.  

Each of the four Climatic series will feature two episodes dedicated to a theme, beginning with smart construction. In one episode, viewers will be able to watch as entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to environmentally conscious investors. The series will also feature a talk show episode where investors and industry experts will discuss how green technologies can scale across Asia’s emerging markets. By modelling successful business models and highlighting opportunities for technologies to scale commercially, Climatic aims to inspire more innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment for climate mitigation and adaptation across the Asia-Pacific region.   

The first Smart Construction series will feature entrepreneurs who are aiming to reduce the construction sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve the resilience of buildings and infrastructure to extreme heat, flooding, and other impacts of a changing climate. According to the 2020 Global Status Report For Buildings and Construction, despite stable energy demand, energy-related CO2 emissions from building operations and construction reached their highest level ever recorded in 2019. Together with manufacturing, transportation, and the use of construction materials, they account for 38 percent of global CO2 emissions. As the impact of COVID-19 lessens,  it is predicted that the Southeast Asian construction sector will recover by 7.5 percent growth by the end of this year.  

According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, climate change represents a threat to long-term regional stability in Southeast Asia. By 2050, it is expected daily high tides will flood the areas where over 48 million people in Southeast Asia now live, while predicted average flood levels could inundate the homes of over 79 million.   

“Is it possible to scale climate-impact technologies in developing Asian markets for venture capital-caliber returns? It is. With Climatic, we are marking a trail for innovators and investors to follow. In fact, ADB Ventures has a goal of crowding in $1 billion risk capital investment toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This series is one pillar of our strategy alongside our own investment operations and co-investment partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Dominic Mellor, Principal Investment Specialist for ADB Ventures.  

ADB Ventures is the venture arm of the Asian Development Bank, providing seed, early, and early-growth stage capital for technology companies generating climate and gender impact in Asia and the Pacific.  

For media enquiries please contact:  

Beth Molloy, 
Account Executive, 
ClearStory International 
E: beth@clearstoryinternational.com  
P: +353 0087 151 8621 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) established ADB Ventures in early 2020. The Bank’s new venture arm has a mandate to invest risk capital in early-stage technology companies solving big development problems in emerging Asia and the Pacific.  

By the end of Q2 2021, ADB Ventures’ inaugural $60 million fund had made five equity investments in impact technology startups, giving the facility early momentum on its mission to catalyze regional progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. 

At the 54^th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors, the Asia Pacific region’s premier forum for the discussion of economic and social development, ADB Ventures was invited to host a special seminar on “Unleashing Venture Capital for a Robust, Green, and Inclusive Recovery”.  

Suzanne Gaboury, ADB’s Director General for Private Sector Operations, opened the session by highlighting that many of the technology solutions that can unlock sustainable growth, distribute their benefits more inclusively, and make economies more resilient, already exist but they are not scaling fast enough in emerging Asia and Pacific markets. Mobilizing capital to support a sustainable recovery will require a multi-pronged effort involving various stakeholders, including governments and policymakers, development partners, private sector investors, and innovative entrepreneurs.  

Panelists included Deputy Minister Cha Jung-Hoon, Republic of Korea Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ritu Vera, co-founder and Managing Partner of Ankur Capital, Jojo Flores, co-founder of Plug and Play, Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, and Christian Sanz, CEO of Skycatch Inc. 

Tarun Mehta and Christian Sanz offered examples of technologies that are scaling rapidly in Asia Pacific markets with substantial climate impact. Ather Energy is a two-wheeled electric vehicle company with impressive traction in India. Skycatch Inc., one of ADB Ventures’ first invested companies, offers enterprise-grade technology for capturing and analyzing high-accuracy 3D drone data. By creating ‘digital twins’ of construction and infrastructure projects, it is possible to save cost and time, cut waste, reduce C02 emissions, and improve safety.  

Ritu Verma of Ankur Capital shared that venture capitalists’ interests overlap with the SDG agenda when digital businesses drive inclusivity and reach lower-resource populations.  
 

Jojo Flores of Plug and Play, which began a technical assistance partnership with ADB Ventures in June 2021, detailed how Plug and Play matches technology innovations, including in agritech, animal health, and sustainability, with interested corporate and investor partners. Recent efforts to match circular economy startups with Alliance to End Plastic Waste members have led to 75 proof of concept trials and a $35 million investment.  

Deputy Minister Cha discussed the public sector’s role. Recognizing the need to mobilize capital for the Republic of Korea’s transition to an SME and startup-led economic structure, the government had catalyzed $26 billion in private sector investment and has made $19 billion in public sector investments. More recently, it had also provided co-financing for ADB Ventures to invest in regional startups. 

Gaboury concluded the session by stressing the importance of ADB Ventures’ partnerships, including those with the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Finnish Government, the Climate Technology Fund, and the Nordic Development Fund, which invested in ADB Ventures’ first Equity Fund. ADB Ventures plans to make 12 more investments under the fund and will take positions in as many as 35 other impact tech companies using reimbursable grants. Further, ADB Ventures intends to bring a new $100 million debt fund online in early 2022. 

The 54^th ADB Annual Meeting was held virtually from 3 to 5 May 2021 under the theme “Collaboration for Resilient and Green Recovery.” Participants included more than 4,500 finance and economic planning ministers, senior government officials, leaders in development finance, investment bankers, NGO leaders, civil society, the youth academia, and the media. 

Download the highlights from the Annual Meeting here. 

ADB Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Asian Development Bank, has launched a collaboration with the global innovation platform Plug and Play to help identify, validate, and invest in high-potential cleantech, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive fintech and healthtech solutions. 

Through their partnership, ADB Ventures and Plug and Play will seek solutions that can scale to US$100 million topline or more and catalyze sustainable growth in emerging Asia Pacific markets. 

“Our vision is to crowd in more than $1 billion of risk capital by 2030 towards the Sustainable Development Goals – both through our own investments and via our private sector co-investment partners like Plug and Play. Once we invest, ADB Ventures can add value through the Asian Development Bank’s robust operational processes, safeguards, extensive networks, and considerable experience as a leading development partner in the Asia-Pacific. We believe this is why early-stage companies should want ADB Ventures in their investment rounds. We can help impactful companies scale faster,” said Suzanne Gaboury, ADB’s Director General for Private Sector Operations.

ADB Ventures will now be able to access Plug and Play’s global expertise and stakeholder networks to validate targeted startups’ abilities to scale in emerging markets including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.    

“Plug and Play’s global presence across the globe allows us to access a network that covers more than 36 major cities, spanning more than 15 markets,” said Jupe Tan, Managing Partner of Plug and Play Asia Pacific. “With the launch of our Sustainability vertical out of Singapore, we look to connect key stakeholders across all industries, and support in achieving their ambitious commitments. Ultimately our partnership aims to play a part in making the world more sustainable, resilient, and overall better adapt emerging technology startups to scale solutions in the region, focusing on Circular Economy, Carbon Neutrality, Plastic Reduction, and Water Resilience.” 

“ADB Ventures has an insatiable hunger to connect with the best, most innovative, most dynamic, and most scalable impact technology startups in the Asia Pacific. Plug and Play has been a great resource for insights, investment dealflow, and introductions to relevant stakeholders in the region,” said Sherwin Pu, who leads ADB Ventures. 

ADB Ventures and Plug and Play’s commitment to achieve a more sustainable future goes beyond this partnership. The parties are now onboarding more corporate, government, and investor partners to participate in their regional accelerator programs and help deploy best-in-class technology solutions across Asia Pacific.  

Media Kit
• ADB Ventures Fact Sheet
• ADB Ventures Investment Data Sheet
• ADB Ventures Equity Fund Portfolio Snapshots

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (17 March 2021) — The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) new venture arm, ADB Ventures, has announced its two first investments. ADB Ventures invests in early-stage technology companies globally that address urgent development challenges in emerging Asia and the Pacific.

Euler Motors Pvt. Ltd., based in India, is an electric vehicle manufacturer and fleet operator focused on last-mile commercial logistics, accelerating India’s and Southeast Asia’s transition to sustainable mobility. Euler Motors has raised $9.4 million in Series A funding with participation by ADB Ventures, Blume, Inventus, and other investors.

Smart Joules Pvt. Ltd., based in India, provides energy efficiency-as-a-service for large hospitals and commercial buildings, delivering savings of up to 40% on energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart Joules has raised $4.1 million in its Series A financing led by Sangam and ADB Ventures. Max I. Limited and other angel investors also participated in this round.

The investments were made by the ADB Ventures Equity Fund, which is ADB Ventures’ first investment fund.

“ADB Ventures will spur high-impact cleantech, agritech, fintech, and healthtech innovations in developing Asia with its ecosystem building. Our vision is to crowd-in $1 billion of commercial investment towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” said ADB Vice-President Ashok Lavasa.

The ADB Ventures Equity Fund received $60 million in funding commitments in 2020 from Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Korea, Climate Investment Funds’ Clean Technology Fund, and the Nordic Development Fund. The Fund focuses on climate and gender impact in South and Southeast Asia.

“The ADB Ventures Equity Fund is the perfect vehicle for Finland to turn our development priorities into action. The Fund will catalyze private sector finance to address climate challenges, while integrating gender aspects. Finland stands together with ADB to meet the region’s development challenges,” said Finland’s Under-Secretary of State for Development Policy Elina Kalkku.

“Korea’s venture ecosystem has been accelerating the transition toward an innovative digital and green economy. We look forward to working closely with ADB Ventures to promote leading clean technologies in the Asia-Pacific region and achieve mutual prosperity in the post-COVID-19 era,” said Deputy Minister for International Affairs of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance Taesik Yoon.

“We see ADB Ventures among those unique vehicles capable of mobilizing public risk capital and private sector capital, while taking advantage of ADB’s extensive operations and networks for climate innovation,” said Climate Investment Funds Head Mafalda Duarte.

“ADB Ventures represents a timely complement to traditional development approaches through the involvement of the private sector in addressing critical climate change challenges. We are pleased to be working with the ADB on this important initiative that has particular relevance in the post-COVID recovery,” said Nordic Development Fund Managing Director Karin Isaksson.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Media Contact:

John Larkin
Principal Communications Specialist, ADB
privatesectormedia@adb.org

Nattasuda Anusonadisai
Communications Specialist, ADB Ventures
natt.consultant@adb.org
+66 635835399

On December 9, 2020, the Singapore venture catalyst SGInnovate presented the third edition of the Deep Tech Summit to explore tech innovations that can increase resiliency and sustainability after the pandemic. ADB Ventures is a proud strategic partner of the Deep Tech Summit 2020.

Deep Tech Summit 2020, which was a virtual event, brought together industry practitioners making tech breakthroughs in the fields of food science and technology, MedTech, the hydrogen economy, and advanced manufacturing. 

Speakers and moderators at Deep Tech Summit included Kay Firth-Butterfield (Head of AI and Machine Learning and Member of Executive, World Economic Forum), Renee Lo (General Manager – Data and AI, Microsoft), Dr. Francis Ho (Senior Vice President, Samsung Catalyst Fund), and Abel Ang (Group CEO, Advanced MedTech). 

Deep Tech Summit 2020 was a part of this year’s Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), which is taking place this week from December 7-11, 2020. 

Watch the recorded sessions from Deep Tech Summit 2020 at the link below:

FluoroSat, DAIZ, Let’s Plant Meat, and Crowde won the startup prizes at this year’s Future Food Asia 2020 conference. ADB Ventures is a Key Partner of Future Food Asia 2020, supporting the Conference through ADB Ventures Labs. 

The Future Food Asia 2020 conference was held virtually from September 21 to September 25 with a focus on innovative solutions for making the agri-food value chain more resilient. 

Launched in 2017, Future Food Asia (FFA) supports startups with transformative solutions for the agriculture and food industry. With nearly 200 startups applying for the FFA 2020, ADB Ventures supports the Conference through ADB Ventures Labs – recognizing and rewarding Asia Pacific entrepreneurs building sustainable innovations to eliminate inefficiencies and scarcities in the agri-value food chain. 

“Future Food Asia does invaluable work by empowering startups to resolve sustainable food production challenges in the region and beyond,” said Dominic Mellor, ADB Ventures Principal Investment Specialist. “The ADB Ventures team was inspired by the innovations that the AgriTech and FoodTech companies presented at this year’s Future Food Asia Conference.” 

11 shortlisted finalists pitched their innovations virtually to a live global audience of over 600 industry leaders and investors, and the conference jury selected the Australian company FluoroSat for the US$ 100,000 Future Food Asia Award. 

FluoroSat’s team pioneered the FluroSenseTM crop analytic system, which provides real-time alerts on crop performance and helps agribusinesses enhance sustainable management practices. The system now monitors over 7 million acres of arable land and is used by advisors and agronomists in 14 countries. 

“FluroSat is very excited to be selected as a winner of the FFA prize, and establish this important partnership to support our global expansion and bring the climate-smart agriculture decision support tools to farmers and agronomists all over the world!”, said Dr. Anastasia Volkova, CEO, and Founder of FluroSat. 

Meanwhile, plant-protein startups DAIZ (Japan) and Let’s Plant Meat (Thailand) both won Future Food Asia’s Bühler and Givaudan Plant Protein Award. Bühler Group and Givaudan were co-hosts of FFA2020’s exclusive Plant Protein Masterclass. 

“We congratulate both teams at DAIZ and Let’s Plant Meat for earning the Plant Protein Award of this Future Food Asia edition,” said Dominique Kull, Head of Technology at Bühler Group. “The two winners prove that Asia, a long-time protein importer, will take a central role in scaling the plant-based meat revolution.” 

FFA partner Corteva AgriscienceTM awarded its Carteva Agriscience Prize for Food Resilience to the Indonesian company Crowde, an agri-focused fintech company that created a peer-to-peer microfinancing ecosystem that empowers small farmers across Indonesia. 

“The Crowde team stood out as one that is most closely aligned to Corteva’s purpose of enriching smallholder farmers and workers along the food and agriculture ecosystem to achieve 

food security and resilience through technology innovation,” said Peter Ford, President of Asia Pacific, Corteva Agriscience. 

“We were impressed by the data-powered AgriTech solutions from the winning startups,” Mellor remarked after the conference. “FluoroSat’s analytics system and the plant-based meat alternatives from DAIZ and Let’s Plant Meat will prove to be game-changers for sustainable food production. Meanwhile, Crowde’s fintech platform will empower agricultural suppliers across the region to meet growing crop demands.” 

For more information about Future Food Asia’s work with AgriTech and FoodTech startups, click here.

2020 marks the 6th consecutive year of the She Loves Tech Annual Global Startup Competition, the world’s largest startup competition for women and technology. ADB Ventures is She Loves Tech’s official Impact Partner. 

In spite of the global pandemic, the competition will expand yet again due to overwhelming demand. Our partners, ATAST, Circle, Girls in Tech Macau, Gobi Partners, Hatch, Kerala Startup Mission, Longyan, NCSF, QBO, Yazamiyot, Raintree, Tanggram, Techcode, Turtle Venture, Unlimited, and Women In Tech HK, will run the She Loves Tech competition in over 30 countries across North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia – and will be completely virtual.

“She Loves Tech was one of the best experiences for me. I was surrounded by the most powerful women in their field, building startups against all odds” raves Jayantika Soni, Resync Technologies, Singapore Winner 2019. 

“One of the things we’re most excited about is that going fully online gives us a great opportunity to reach a wider audience and help even more entrepreneurs than we ever could have,” says Rhea See, co-founder of She Loves Tech. 

“Without women, we are unable to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Women represent a new generation of innovation and disruptive thinking,” remarks co-founder Virginia Tan. 

“Empowering women in technology will change the way we live and work, and our competition is one of the best ways to springboard that change,” says co-founder Leanne Robers. 

The competition gives the world’s most promising women-led or women-impact startups mentorship and guidance to grow and scale their business, and showcases them to a global audience of top investors and influencers from the tech community. Previous ambassadors, mentors, judges and speakers include Tim Draper (Founder, Draper University), Ankiti Bose (CEO, Zilingo), Arielle Zuckerberg (Partner, Coatue Management), Jane Sun (CEO, CTrip), and Lesly Goh (Former CTO, World Bank).

Tech startups that have at least one female founder and/or is targeting a mostly female consumer/end-user base can take their business to the next level with the She Loves Tech 2020 Global Startup Competition by clicking below.

BANGKOK, THAILAND (25 June 2020) — The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) impact investment platform, ADB Ventures, has teamed with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to support technology startup TakeMeTour to develop the LocalFarm online platform and help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on Thailand’s tourism sector.

LocalFarm enables farmers and gardeners who had relied on tourism for their incomes to market seasonal fruits, vegetables, salads, and processed fruits directly to consumers. It features agricultural products from more than 50 sellers across Thailand. TakeMeTour charges suppliers with no fees or commissions to access the platform.

“We are thrilled to launch LocalFarm, which will give our local guides and Thai farmers the opportunity to earn income and connect with new customers in their communities,” said Co-founder of TakeMeTour Taro Amornched. “It also opens a great opportunity for farmers once tourism revives. We’re looking forward to working with ADB Ventures and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to scale this platform across the country.”

“In this unprecedented crisis, it is impressive to see how quickly and efficiently TakeMeTour has developed an innovative online platform to help front-line tourism workers earn alternative income streams,” said ADB Ventures Senior Investment Specialist Dominic Mellor.

TakeMeTour is a tourism marketplace that for the past five years has matched tourists with independent local guides. It developed LocalFarm after anticipating that Thai local guides, many of whom operate farms and gardens, would lose income during the pandemic.

ADB Ventures provides venture capital investments and technical assistance to highly-scalable technology businesses in Asia and the Pacific, supporting their expansion into emerging markets and helping countries achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Investors in ADB Ventures include Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Clean Technology Fund, the Nordic Development Fund, and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance.

ADB and TAT have supported TakeMeTour through technical assistance since 2017. It has become the Greater Mekong Subregion’s largest peer-to-peer tourism platform, featuring tours and activities hosted by more than 25,000 local experts, more than 60% of whom are women. ADB Ventures provided TakeMeTour $150,000 in Seed grant funding for LocalFarm product development as well as regional market validation. ADB Ventures Seed grants are reimbursable and give ADB Ventures the option to make future equity investments.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

All systems go for ADB Ventures

ADB formally authorized the ADB Ventures platform in late January, and earlier this month we were proud to achieve the first close of our inaugural investment fund. We raised US$ 50 million, exceeding our target. After a year and a half of project preparation, we are finally ready to start making investments.

ABD Ventures has a new website

A new ADB Ventures website is now live at ventures.adb.org. Follow us there (and also on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, if you don’t already) as we kick off our next phase of operations.

Welcoming some of the world’s most innovative funders to ADB Ventures

ADB Ventures is excited to be supported by Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Clean Technology Fund, the Nordic Development Fund, and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, which contributed to Investment Fund 1.

ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Mike Barrow recently welcomed ADB Ventures’ investors, commenting: “These commitments by some of the world’s most forward-thinking development funders will be catalytic in achieving ADB’s vision to convene one of the region’s largest impact venture platforms.”

Saumya Kailasapathy, who leads ADB Ventures’ fundraising, urges potential investors to get in touch.

ADB Ventures is ready to hit the ground running

Our team spent a year and a half setting up our deal sourcing, screening, and due diligence processes before we commenced operations. Our Manila-based investments team, led by Daniel Hersson, is fully staffed and already evaluating deals.

COVID-19 creates challenges and opportunities

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of the companies we would like to support to delay their fundraising, which could push some Q3 2020 investments into the fourth quarter or later.

As we all adapt to the challenges brought by COVID-19, ADB has pledged its full effort this year to helping the Asia Pacific recover from the pandemic. On 13 April, ADB announced that it was tripling its initial COVID-19 response package to US$ 20 billion. ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa remarked that the Bank’s assistance package would be delivered quickly to “the governments and the private sector in our developing member countries to help them address the urgent challenges in tackling the pandemic and economic downturn.”

ADB Ventures will be part of this effort. We are actively screening COVID-19-related solutions referred to us by co-investors and partners such as TusStar, Plug and Play, D3 Jubilee, and Nordic Innovation House. Working with our sovereign ADB colleagues, ADB Ventures will explore how these technologies can be part of an integrated package to help Developing Member Countries address and recover from this pandemic while building resilience to future health crises.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates as we work on this – and if you know of any technologies relevant to our efforts, please bring them to our attention by using this form.

Through ADB Ventures Labs, we continue to pursue opportunities for scalable climate and gender impact

In the meantime, we’re intensifying our search for highly scalable impact technology solutions through our ADB Ventures Labs.

Labs assess commercial demand for impact-related technology in particular sectors, then source and match solutions from all around in the world.

We have several Labs in progress, coordinated by team member Jason Lusk:

• The Building Energy Challenge, in partnership with New Energy Nexus, is matching the commercial real estate sector’s demand for energy efficiency technologies to technology innovators with energy efficiency solutions that include energy management and smart building solutions.
• Imagine H2O Asia, in partnership with Imagine H2O and Enterprise Singapore, is matching ADB client utilities’ demand for water technologies to innovation from all over the world.
• Travel Lab Asia, in partnership with the Pacific-Asia Travel Association and Plug and Play, is matching the hospitality sector’s demand for clean technologies to energy, water, and circular economy and waste management solutions.
• Future Food Asia Awards 2020, in partnership with ID Capital, is identifying agritech and food security solutions well suited to ADB developing member countries.

In addition, we devoted the second half of 2019 to the Fintech Challenge Vietnam, in which ADB Ventures partnered with the State Bank of Vietnam and several commercial banks to uncover opportunities to scale financial inclusion, particularly for women business owners. We are now working with partners to operate the Fintech Challenge Myanmar.

Working with funders to expand operations