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Mekong Capital plans US$200mil agriculture fund next year
Officials from Thanh Hoa Forest Ranger sub-department patrol in Xuan Lien National Park. Mekong Capital is interested in firms specialising in sectors such as forestry, organic fertiliser and ocean health. - Vietnam News/ANN
HANOI: Mekong Capital Ltd., a Vietnam-focused private equity firm, plans to launch a regenerative agriculture fund in 2026 with as much as US$200 in capital, according to its founder and partner Chris Freund.
"We're making progress getting that fund off the ground and currently at a stage where we're working on the pipeline' of potential companies to invest in, Freund said in an interview.
Mekong Capital, which previously mostly focused on retail, restaurants, education and consumer sectors, is shifting to areas such as biotech and agricultural technology, Freund said. While continuing to invest in consumer companies, it is also interested in firms specialising in sectors such as forestry, organic fertiliser and ocean health, he said.
Companies operating in data-rich sectors that are capable of collecting, analysing and leveraging large volumes of information are well-positioned for future growth, Freund said. Mekong Capital is looking at how data technologies can improve performances of companies it invests in, he said.
Mekong Capital, founded in 2001, has launched a total of five funds in Vietnam, including Mekong Enterprise Fund IV, or MEF IV, its most recent. The MEF IV fund was started in 2019 with committed capital of US$246 million. - Bloomberg
