ADB Ventures
ADB Ventures is the venture capital arm of the Asian Development Bank, providing patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage climate and impact-focused technology startups across South and Southeast Asia, operating Fund I ($60 million) and Fund II.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersMandaluyong, Philippines
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ADB Ventures does
ADB Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development bank established by treaty in 1965 and owned by 69 member governments. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Manila, Philippines, with Singapore serving as a key operational hub, ADB Ventures provides patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage technology startups developing climate and impact-focused solutions across South and Southeast Asia, with selective activity extending into China, Myanmar, and the Pacific. The platform operates Fund I, which closed at $60 million in 2020 with a focus on climate tech including electric mobility, and Fund 2, which achieved first close in early 2025. Capital is sourced from a coalition of sovereign and multilateral limited partners including Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance, Korea Venture Investment Corp (KVIC), Nordic Development Fund, Climate Investment Funds, NRTF, Japan's High-Level Technology Fund, and Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ADB Ventures deploys capital through three primary vehicles: standard venture capital investments in early-stage companies, the SEED Capital+ program for very early-stage pilot-stage solutions, and the partnership-based SEEK (Southeast Asia Emerging Entrepreneurs Kickstart) program launched in July 2026 with JICA, which provides up to $400,000 per Japanese-linked startup. NextFin Asia, launched in February 2026 with Luxembourg House of Financial Technology, extends the platform into fintech-for-financial-inclusion. Investment focus areas span six verticals: Clean Energy and Industry, Sustainable Mobility and Supply Chains, Sustainable Agriculture and Food, Circular Economy and Green Materials, Green Finance and Data, and Inclusive and Resilient Communities. The named portfolio includes Quantified Energy (AI-driven solar asset inspection), Niber (PFAS-free electrospun membranes), Farmdar (AI and satellite agritech), IBISA (parametric climate insurance), Tiger New Energy (battery swapping in Bangladesh), Selex Motors (Vietnam electric scooters), Euler Motors and Astranova Mobility (India electric three-wheelers), Humble Sustainability (Philippines e-waste), InnoCSR (green bricks), Revfin (EV financing), wagely (earned-wage access), Databourg (satellite-based environmental data), Earthsense (under-canopy agricultural robotics), Intensel (climate risk analytics), BlueWhale Energy (battery virtual power plant), APX (Thailand logistics), and Agroshift (Bangladesh agri-commerce).
The business model is institutional venture capital with catalytic impact objectives. ADB Ventures invests equity into startups and targets climate mitigation/adaptation impact in at least 80% of investments, female market or management participation in 75%, and crowd-in of additional capital in 100% of investments. Co-investors across portfolio rounds include Vertex Ventures, Wavemaker Partners, Integra Partners, Gobi Partners, Foxmont Capital, KASIKORNBANK's Beacon Venture Capital, Acumen's Resilient Agriculture Fund, Equator, and Indus Valley Capital. Distribution of deals and programs occurs through direct outreach, partnerships with development organizations, ADB communications infrastructure, and climate-tech ecosystem events rather than traditional marketing channels.
ADB Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ADB Ventures
- Legal name
- ADB Ventures
- Website
- https://ventures.adb.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ADB Ventures is the venture capital arm of the Asian Development Bank, providing patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage climate and impact-focused technology startups across South and Southeast Asia, operating Fund I ($60 million) and Fund II.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ADB Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mandaluyong
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
ADB Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Investment Returns: ADB Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups, providing patient capital to climate and impact-focused technology companies in emerging Asia with expected crowd-in of additional capital.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | SEED Capital+ investments for very early-stage companies |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Venture Capital investments for early-stage companies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
ADB Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ADB Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), providing patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage technology startups with climate and impact-focused solutions across South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. It operates multiple investment vehicles including Fund I ($60 million, closed 2020) and Fund II (first close in early 2025), and runs dedicated programs such as SEED Capital+, the SEEK acceleration program with JICA, and the NextFin Asia fintech fund.
Product overview
ADB Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of the Asian Development Bank, providing patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage technology startups with climate and impact-focused solutions across Asia and the Pacific. The firm operates multiple investment vehicles including Fund I ($60 million, focused on climate tech) and Fund II (launched 2025). ADB Ventures supports startups through acceleration programs (SEEK, NextFin Asia), ecosystem partnerships, and access to ADB's regional networks. The portfolio spans Clean Energy, Sustainable Mobility, Agriculture, Circular Economy, Green Finance, and Inclusive Communities sectors, with companies like Quantified Energy (AI-driven solar inspection), Niber (PFAS-free membranes), Farmdar (AI agriculture analytics), IBISA (parametric insurance), and Tiger New Energy (battery swapping) representing the investment focus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SEEK (Southeast Asia Emerging Entrepreneurs Kickstart): A programme supporting innovative technology solutions with significant potential to scale and create strong impact across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, jointly supported by ADB Ventures and JICA.
- SEED Capital+
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of investments expected to deliver strong climate mitigation and/or adaptation impact
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ADB Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ADB Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability14 records
ADB Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)flagshipJoint initiative through the Southeast Asia Emerging Entrepreneurs Kickstart (SEEK) program to support Japanese startups in scaling climate and development solutions across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. JICA provides acceleration support while ADB Ventures provides early-stage capital up to $400,000.
- Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT)corePartnership to launch NextFin Asia dedicated investment fund supporting the Catapult: Inclusion SE Asia acceleration program for fintech startups addressing financial inclusion across ASEAN. Regional milestones planned in Luxembourg (June 2026) and Singapore (November 2026).
- Cleantech GroupminorIndustry organization providing climate tech insights and company showcases featured on ADB Ventures website.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ADB Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Acumen: Long-established impact investor in emerging markets focused on early-stage climate, agriculture, and inclusive businesses. Closest direct peer to ADB Ventures by mandate, structure, and target geographies (Asia/Africa).
- Wavemaker Partners: Leading Southeast Asia-focused early-stage VC firm that co-invests alongside ADB Ventures (e.g., led Tiger New Energy's round). Comparable by stage, geography, and climate/impact mandate.
- Gobi Partners: Pan-Asia VC firm with deep Southeast Asia presence that has co-invested with ADB Ventures (Humble Sustainability round). Directly comparable on stage, region, and climate/digital focus.
- Insitor Partners: Impact-led venture firm investing in early-stage companies serving low-income consumers in South and Southeast Asia. Closely comparable to ADB Ventures on geography, stage, and inclusive/impact mandate.
- Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India: Prominent early-stage VC in South and Southeast Asia that co-invested in Quantified Energy's Series A alongside ADB Ventures. Comparable on stage, geography, and tech/digital mandate.
- responsAbility Investments: Swiss-based impact asset manager investing in financial inclusion, climate, and food across emerging markets. Comparable on emerging-markets climate/fintech mandate and LP base (DFIs).
- LeapFrog Investments: Emerging-markets impact investor focused on financial inclusion and climate solutions across Asia and Africa. Comparable by region, stage, and inclusive/impact thesis.
Broad incumbents
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed global climate tech VC with far larger fund sizes ($1B+ Funds). Comparable on climate-tech mandate but operates at much larger scale and across geographies including the US/EU.
- Climate Investment Funds (CIF): Multilateral climate fund of scale ($10B+) operating across 70+ developing countries. A current LP/backer of ADB Ventures and broadly comparable as a development-financed climate investor, but at far larger scale.
- Asian Development Bank (ADB): Parent multilateral development bank of ADB Ventures, financing infrastructure and private sector projects across Asia-Pacific. Indirectly comparable as the institutional platform that hosts ADB Ventures.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ADB Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceADB Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ADB Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ADB Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ADB Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments64 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ADB Ventures
What does ADB Ventures do?
ADB Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), providing patient venture capital and SEED capital to early-stage technology startups with climate and impact-focused solutions across South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. It operates multiple investment vehicles including Fund I ($60 million, closed 2020) and Fund II (first close in early 2025), and runs dedicated programs such as SEED Capital+, the SEEK acceleration program with JICA, and the NextFin Asia fintech fund.
Is ADB Ventures a public or private company?
ADB Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ADB Ventures founded?
ADB Ventures was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ADB Ventures based?
ADB Ventures is headquartered in Mandaluyong, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does ADB Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Investment Returns.
Who are ADB Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Acumen, Wavemaker Partners, Gobi Partners, Insitor Partners, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, responsAbility Investments and LeapFrog Investments. Broad incumbents are Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Does ADB Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for ADB Ventures.