Beacon Venture Capital Co. (Beacon VC), the venture capital arm of KASIKORNBANK, announced five strategic investments through its Beacon Impact Fund in 2024. With the total fund size already exceeding USD 13 million, or approximately THB 455 million, this milestone underlines the Beacon VC’s commitment to fostering sustainable solutions that not only improve sustainability in Southeast Asia, but also make tangible progress in expanding into key markets globally.
Thanapong Na Ranong, CEO of Beacon Venture Capital Co. (Beacon VC), said: “As the corporate venture capital arm of KBank, Beacon VC remains steadfast in its mission to drive innovations that have social and environmental impact. “We are advancing collaboration with like-minded organizations to build a sustainable future for Thailand through the Beacon Impact Fund.”
This fund, aligned with KBank’s sustainable financing and investment initiatives, focuses on direct investments in startups or through global for-profit venture capital funds that develop impactful solutions across various ESG dimensions, with potential for generalized scalability.
To date, the Beacon Impact Fund has deployed a total of USD 13 million, or approximately THB 455 million, in sustainable investments. These investments focus on driving innovative solutions in key ESG areas, such as decarbonization, climate technology for climate and environmental sustainability, and financial inclusion. This marks an important step in the fund’s commitment to promoting sustainability and economic growth, not only in Southeast Asia, but also other regions. In 2024, the Beacon Impact Fund reached a milestone with the announcement of five new strategic investments.
Neutreene
A UK-based startup focused on helping organizations around the world track and reduce their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, which encompasses supply chain emissions, especially Scope 1 and 2 emissions within organizations. Through its precise carbon data analysis algorithms, Neutreeno provides organizations with a complete view of their carbon footprints and allows them to identify strategies for holistic decarbonization. Neutreeno solutions are designed to help organizations of all sizes achieve their carbon neutrality goals easily and efficiently.
PlanetFWD
A US technology platform that helps consumer product owners analyze the environmental impact of each individual product (SKU) through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process.
This allows them to track the carbon footprint at every stage of the product life cycle, from production to distribution. In addition, PlanetFWD offers definitive recommendations on how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of each product, improving the transparency of sustainability data, allowing manufacturers to effectively achieve their environmental goals.
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Majoo
An Indonesian startup that offers a comprehensive business management platform for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This platform covers a wide range of functions, from financial management to customer relationship management (CRM). Majoo enables Indonesian entrepreneurs to streamline their operations and gain better access to financial services, ultimately allows them to build greater business sustainability.
Avaana Capital
India’s largest sustainable venture capital fund, targeting investments in climate and environmental technologies to propel India towards achieving net zero goals. His main areas of interest are energy and resource management, sustainable transportation and organic farming. This joint investment with Avaana Capital will allow Beacon VC to expand its investment presence in India, one of the fastest growing markets, while deepening its expertise in the development of clean energy, environmentally friendly transportation solutions and agriculture sustainable.
ION Energy
A Thai startup, makes clean energy accessible with rooftop solar solutions through free power purchase agreements (PPAs) and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for homes and businesses. Its solar energy control and payment platform streamlines energy management, tracking and online payments through a mobile app.
To date, the Beacon Impact Fund has deployed a total of USD 13 million, or approximately THB 455 million, in sustainable investments
Last year, Beacon VC embarked on operations through various key collaborations and projects, including signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Thailand’s Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). The MOU aims to boost technological innovation to address climate change and prepare startups to organize “Climate Tech Connect” and “Green Gather” activities in order to create a network of participants in the ecosystem, share knowledge and foster cooperation to amplify positive environmental impacts.
Additionally, Beacon VC organized the ESG Essential Reporting workshop to enhance startups’ ESG skills and sustainability reporting capabilities. Additionally, Beacon VC actively supported women entrepreneurs through the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2024, reaffirming its commitment to promoting diversity and sustainability in Thai and regional companies.
Mr. Thanapong added that Beacon VC’s investments through the Beacon Impact Fund not only support KBank’s sustainability strategy, but also strengthen the ecosystem of technology-driven companies aimed at addressing environmental and social issues in a sustainable manner.
The focus is on additional investments in solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions for both consumers and businesses, while promoting clean energy consumption, smart supply chain management and access inclusive financial. Investments will prioritize innovations with high growth potential that are capital efficient and adaptable to competitive environments.
Additionally, Beacon VC emphasizes solutions that promote sustainable financial inclusion, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses in Southeast Asia. The company is keen to leverage its international investment experience to develop the ecosystem in Thailand, driving the growth of Thai startups and creating positive impacts both regionally and globally in the future.
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