MoFo partner Thomas Chou moderated a panel of distinguished PE/VC luminaries and advisors, including Nick Nash of Asia Partners, Yanjun Wang of Sea Limited, Eddy Chan of Intudo Ventures, David Gowdey of Jungle Ventures and Ying Ming Ho of Shook Lin & Bok, for an evening discussion in Singapore focused on the latest trends in VC deal terms in Southeast Asia.
The Southeast Asia market is attracting a stream of exciting emerging companies from within and outside the region and an interesting mix of investors. Against this backdrop, the panel explored how critical VC financing terms (such as corporate structuring, founder liability, reserved matters/protective provisions and liquidation preferences) are evolving in SE Asia, and how terms agreed from the first round of equity financing could impact the ability of start-ups to be structurally aligned between management teams and investors as well as different groups of investors in the long term. The panel also discussed the VIMA (Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements) toolkit, an initiative led by Singapore Academy of Law and Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association to help streamline deal negotiation and documentation for VC financings in the region.