Singapore-based startup accelerator Antler has closed Antler Elevate, a $285 million emerging growth fund that backs the next generation of game-changing founders across 20+ technology ecosystems.
Managed from offices in London, Singapore, and New York, Antler Elevate invests in remarkable founders beyond day zero—providing scale-up capital from Series A onwards for companies that have ambitious mindsets, show strong signs of product-market fit, and demonstrate compounding growth, Antler said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, some of these companies were supported in Antler’s early-stage funds, which cover 20+ ecosystems.
Others are startups new to the portfolio, having raised seed investments outside Antler’s early-stage funds.
Antler said it compiles deep insights about founders and business models that lead to more informed investment decisions through a proprietary, disciplined evaluation process.
The Antler Elevate fund has already invested more than $70 million in 30+ companies, including Airalo, the world’s first and largest eSim marketplace; Earlytrade, a liquidity marketplace for the construction sector; Two, a purchase financing solution for business to business (B2B) e-commerce.
According to the statement, the Antler Elevate team’s deep vertical and operating expertise helps founders along their growth trajectory.
Partner Martell Hardenberg exited Lazada to Alibaba and has grown the company from Pre-seed to unicorn status, which makes him an excellent sparring partner for fast-growing startups: Lazada, Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce player, sold to Alibaba Group in 2016, the group’s largest transaction outside China.
Teddy Himler, previously Vice President at SoftBank and Principal at Comcast, has expertise in growth-stage investments with a focus on digital media, gaming, e-commerce, cloud computing, and mobility.
Fady Abdel-Nour was the Global Head of merger and acquisitions (M&A) and investments at PayU, the payments and fintech arm of Prosus, a global technology-focused investment group known for its early investment into Tencent.
The team taps into this wide knowledge base to offer strategic guidance to portfolio companies, elevating their prospects for success.
“Our mission at Antler is to be a long-term partner for the founders we work with, supporting them with capital, talent, mentorship, and network all the way from day zero to exit,” said Martell Hardenberg, partner at Antler.
According to him, Antler Elevate is a natural progression for Antler as its portfolio expands.
“It enables us to offer continued support throughout the growth journey of exciting companies globally, extending our support beyond the Seed stage up to Series C,” he said.
He also noted that fast-growing businesses require significant capital, and having a committed partner like Antler is instrumental in financing their ongoing growth.
“To do this, we are leveraging Antler’s 25-office localized footprint and data-driven knowledge base to source investment opportunities at scale,” he added.
Meanwhile, Antler Partner Teddy Himler said that amidst rapid changes in venture capital and entrepreneurship globally, Antler has developed a global magnet for the next generation of technology talent.
“Pairing our proprietary day zero residency model with unique investing and operating insights, we believe the introduction of our multi-stage platform gives our portfolio companies further advantage across major technology ecosystems,” he said.
Antler Partner Fady Abdel-Nour also said the closing of Antler Elevate strengthens its ability to support incredible entrepreneurs starting from day zero and continuing through every step of their journey.
“By creating a lasting life-long partnership that is about more than capital, Antler is able to not only attract top-tier talent but also propel the next generation of game-changing founders forward,
“Together, we will foster innovation, empower visionaries, and shape the future of industries worldwide,” he said.
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