Aru is Co-founder and Partner at GestAlt Network, a Bangalore-based private investment partnership. He is also mentor, board and IC member at CIIE.CO and the Bharat Fund platform as well as IC member at Ascent Capital. He has 25+ years of investing experience, including as Asia Head of Rothschild’s PE business. Aru studied at BITS, Pilani and IIM, Ahmedabad.
Przemek is a Principal Risk Management Specialist at ADB, focusing on private equity investments. He has almost 20 years of experience related to risk management in private equity and the VC space. Prior to joining ADB, Przemek worked at Morgan Stanley and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London focusing on deals in Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia.
Hyunjoo Je is Managing Partner at Envisioning Partners, an impact investing VC based in Seoul, Korea. Envisioning Partners was established in 2021 by key investment professionals of Yellowdog, one of the pioneer impact VCs in Korea. Hyunjoo, prior to Envisioning Partners, led Yellowdog as CEO and used to work at Carlyle Asia Buyout Fund, Credit Suisse and McKinsey & Company. Envisioning Partners invests in innovative startups, ranging from Pre-Series A to Series B, in four key impact domains – (1) climate change, (2) wellness, (3) education, and (4) future of work. Envisioning Partners has invested in more than 30 companies in Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and the US.
Joseph Bergin is ADB Ventures’ Unit Head, Equity Investment Unit Head at ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD), and Advisor at PSOD handling the Bank’s direct equity investments. He joined ADB in June 2020.
Prior to joining ADB, Mr. Bergin was Head of M&A at McBride plc and was Chief Investment Officer of an African Private Equity Fund. Earlier in his career Joseph worked for AstraZeneca plc and 3i Group plc in the UK and Germany. He is an experienced Private Equity investor and has worked with a number of businesses to assist them grow their shareholder value.
Joseph attended the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and graduated with distinction from the Sloan Masters programme in Leadership and Strategy at London
Business School.
Yichu supports ADB Ventures’ investments, startups programs, and partnership management. Yichu has been working with ADB for the past five years to scale climate technology and innovation in Asia and the Pacific. Her work includes venture investment, innovation programs, and partnership building. Yichu brings experience working with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and startups on business development, market strategy, and product development. She holds a BA in Education and International Studies, and most recently, she graduated from the impact investing fellowship of the Asia Ventures Philanthropy Network.
Klaus is an advisor to ADB Ventures and the Business Development Unit of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department. Previously, he provided advisory support for startups in Dubai and Singapore, and he worked as the Chief Financial Officer of MBC, the leading TV/Media group in the Middle East from 2007 to 2017. He also worked for the ADB from 2004 to 2007. Klaus has 10 years of investment banking experience in M&A and corporate finance with Merrill Lynch in Europe and Asia.