Paytm-investor K2 Global closes new $183m fund

Silicon Valley and Singapore-based VC firm K2 Global has closed its new fund with $183m to invest across Asia and the US.

The company is a backer of Indian payments firm Paytm having participated in the firm’s $680m September 2015 round.

The firm aims to help US companies break into the Asian market while also aiding Asian companies in expanding their reach globally.

K2 Global is also an investor in $8.5bn-valued Spotify and backed Twilio prior to its 2016 IPO.

Launched in 2015l, the firm is headed up by founder and general partner Minal Hasan, who said: “Startups need to think globally from day one if they want to succeed on a large scale. Traditionally, venture capital has been a hyper-local business, but tech has truly gone global.”

“We are seeing a universal convergence of ideas, markets, economies, and technologies, resulting in companies expanding into international markets much more rapidly than before due to the explosion of Internet and mobile technology.

“K2 Global’s unique mix of expertise and deep understanding of key global markets enables our team to punch above our weight and win deals over larger and more prominent VC firms.”

The firm says the new fund’s investors include institutions and multi-billion-dollar family offices and individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, media, technology and government.

“We work hard to be the preferred investment partner for premier technology companies that will have a lasting impact,” said Hasan.

“We look forward to an increasingly interconnected world in which innovation is fostered by a worldwide community and we’re prepared to lead that charge.”

K2 says it aims to invest in entrepreneurs challenging incumbents in major industries that can also form partnerships with governments and regulators.

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