Indonesia-based venture capital firm East Ventures announced Tuesday that Wesley Tay joins East Ventures as its new Principal.

East Ventures said in a statement that Wesley will oversee the investments focusing on the seed stage, and will be based in Singapore. 

According to the statement, Wesley Tay brings over a decade of multi-industry experience and networks in Southeast Asia to the East Ventures team.

Most recently, Wesley was a member of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)’s corporate management leadership, where he spearheaded investments and strategic initiatives in the new ventures and venture capital division. 

Prior to that, he also worked at Pavilion Capital, a Temasek subsidiary focused on Asia private equity and venture capital where he specialized in direct and fund investments in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Philippines.

Previously while being based in Jakarta from 2014 to 2019, he also headed up EDB’s Southeast Asia and Indonesia operations, which facilitated capital, technology, and investment flows across the region.  

“As we enter the new year, we are glad to welcome Wesley to further strengthen East Ventures team in empowering the tech and digital ecosystem across Southeast Asia,

“Wesley has always been part of the family, and we are excited to work even more closely in addressing the opportunities ahead,” said Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures.

Wesley holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Master’s degree with Distinction in Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 

“I witnessed first-hand how East Ventures under Willson’s leadership has become the leading venture capital platform in our region,

“I am truly honored to be part of the firm and look forward to writing the next chapter of Indonesia and Southeast Asia’s tech story alongside the team, our friends, and partners,” said Wesley Tay, Principal at East Ventures.

East Ventures is a pioneering and leading sector-agnostic venture capital firm. Founded in 2009, the firm has transformed into a holistic platform that provides multi-stage investment, from seed to growth stage investments, for over 250 tech companies across Southeast Asia.

As an early believer in the startup ecosystem in Indonesia, East Ventures is the first investor of Indonesia’s unicorn companies, namely Tokopedia and Traveloka. Other notable companies in East Ventures’ portfolio include Ruangguru, SIRCLO, Kudo (acquired by Grab), Loket (acquired by Gojek), Tech in Asia, Xendit, IDN Media, MokaPOS (acquired by Gojek), ShopBack, KoinWorks, Waresix, and Sociolla.

East Ventures is also the first venture capital firm in Indonesia to sign the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) supported by the United Nations (UN).

The firm is committed to achieving sustainable development and bringing positive impacts to society through its initiatives and environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-embedded practices.

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