Quest Ventures

What Quest Ventures does

Quest Ventures is a Singapore-headquartered venture capital and innovation firm founded in 2011 by Managing Partner James Tan. The firm pursues a 'digital economy' thesis across Asia, investing at seed to Series A stages in sectors including artificial intelligence, e-commerce and marketplaces, entertainment, finance, food, insurance, logistics, media, property, sports, and the Islamic digital economy, with a portfolio of 150+ companies operating in more than 150 cities. It backs founders across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and selected Central and Middle East markets including Kazakhstan, China, and Kuwait. Notable portfolio companies include Carousell, 99.co, Carro, Shopback, Glife, Hepmil, Kamereo, Oddle, VulcanPost, and Xfers.

Quest Ventures operates a multi-vehicle platform: venture capital funds (Super Angel Fund, Asia Fund, Future of Food Fund, Metaverse Fund, and Syndicates), accelerator programs in partnership with governments (Startup Singapore Quest, Singapore Global Innovation, Vietnam Global Innovation, Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator, and Sustainable Impact Accelerator), and an enterprise innovation division delivered jointly with Silicon Valley's Applied Innovation Institute serving clients such as Applied Materials, Coca-Cola, HP, Nissan, and Tencent. The firm is backed by institutional LPs including the sovereign wealth funds of Singapore and Kazakhstan, Pavilion Capital, and QazTech Ventures, with a first fund close of US$50 million in April 2020 and a separate impact fund of up to US$20 million. Its partners include Goh Yiping and Jeffrey Seah, with April Ong Vano leading ESG, Investment Director Ruslan Rakymbay covering Kazakhstan, and Vietnam-based representation.

Quest Ventures' revenue model combines management fees and carried interest on its VC funds, professional services fees for managing government and corporate accelerator programs, and innovation consulting revenue from its enterprise arm. Go-to-market is a hybrid of enterprise field sales for corporate clients and event-driven ecosystem development for government and founder relationships across Asia. The firm emphasizes a multi-dimensional ESG strategy and ecosystem building as differentiators, with recent expansion signals including a Da Nang innovation space (2024), deepened engagement with Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology, and thematic funds for food and metaverse verticals.

Name

Quest Ventures

Legal name

Quest Ventures

Website

https://www.questventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quest Ventures is a Singapore-headquartered venture capital firm founded in 2011 that invests at seed to Series A in digital economy startups across Asia, managing multiple funds, government-backed accelerator programs, and an enterprise innovation partnership with the Applied Innovation Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital funds
• Seed stage investing
• Startup accelerator programs
• Enterprise innovation consulting
• Digital economy investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: Quest Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups, with portfolio companies including industry leaders such as 99.co, Carousell, Carro, Glife, Hepmil, Kamereo, Oddle, Shopback, VulcanPost, and Xfers.
2. Accelerator Programs: The firm selectively manages accelerators across Asia in key economies and sectors, including Startup Singapore Quest, Singapore Global Innovation, Vietnam Global Innovation, and Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator, aligned with government and corporate stakeholders.
3. Enterprise Innovation: Working with the Applied Innovation Institute, Quest Ventures supports large companies in their transformation efforts and explores over-the-horizon opportunities in sectors including alternative food, aviation, banking, insurance, logistics & transportation, oil & gas, and smart cities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Quest Ventures is a venture capital firm that deploys capital through multiple funds (Super Angel Fund, Asia Fund, Future of Food Fund, Metaverse Fund, and Syndicates) into seed to Series A startups across Asia's digital economy. The firm also operates accelerator programs in Singapore, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan, and delivers enterprise innovation and corporate transformation services through a partnership with the Applied Innovation Institute.

Product overview

Quest Ventures operates as a multi-faceted venture capital and innovation platform offering venture capital funds (Super Angel Fund, Asia Fund, Future of Food Fund, Metaverse Fund, and Syndicates), accelerator programs (Startup Singapore Quest, Singapore Global Innovation, Vietnam Global Innovation, Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator, and Sustainable Impact Accelerator), enterprise innovation services in partnership with the Applied Innovation Institute (covering aviation, banking, insurance, logistics, oil & gas, and smart cities), the Academy for thought leadership and training, and Ecosystems programs for whole-of-society development. The firm also maintains a portfolio of 150+ venture-backed companies including Carousell, 99.co, Carro, Shopback, and Xfers, operating in AI, e-commerce, fintech, food, insurance, logistics, media, property, sports, and the Islamic digital economy. Clients for enterprise services include Applied Materials, Coca-Cola, HP, Nissan, and Tencent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Applied Innovation Institute: Partnership with Silicon Valley's pre-eminent Applied Innovation Institute for enterprise innovation initiatives
• Super Angel Fund
• Asia Fund
• Future of Food Fund
• Metaverse Fund
• Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator (KDA)
• Startup Singapore Quest
• Singapore Global Innovation
• Vietnam Global Innovation

Products and services

• Super Angel Fund A seed-stage venture capital fund making early investments in founders building solutions across Asia's digital economy.
• Asia Fund A venture capital fund targeting growth-stage companies across Asia's digital economy sectors including e-commerce, fintech, and logistics.
• Future of Food Fund A sector-specific venture capital fund investing in food technology, alternative food, and supply chain innovation across Asia.
• Metaverse Fund A sector-focused venture capital fund investing in metaverse, entertainment, gaming, and digital media startups in Asia.
• Syndicates Co-investment syndicates allowing aligned investors to participate alongside Quest Ventures in venture deals across Asia.
• Startup Singapore Quest An accelerator program in Singapore supporting early-stage startups with mentorship, funding, and market access to scale regionally.
• Singapore Global Innovation An accelerator program facilitating international expansion for Singapore-based startups into global markets.
• Vietnam Global Innovation An accelerator program supporting startups in Vietnam and facilitating cross-border expansion into Singapore and Southeast Asia.
• Kazakhstan Digital Accelerator (KDA) An early-stage accelerator program established in partnership with Kazakhstan's QazTech Ventures to foster startup founders in Central Asia and scale them to Southeast Asia markets.
• Sustainable Impact Accelerator (SIA) A social impact accelerator launched in partnership with raiSE (Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise), offering up to $40,000 in funding, mentorship, and network access to seed-stage social impact startups in Singapore and the region.
• Applied Innovation Institute Partnership Enterprise innovation services delivered in partnership with Silicon Valley's Applied Innovation Institute, providing large companies with research-driven corporate transformation across sectors including aviation, banking, insurance, logistics, oil and gas, and smart cities.
• Ecosystems Whole-of-society ecosystem building programs in countries and cities such as China, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Singapore, and Vietnam, involving governments, enterprises, universities, and startups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ venture-backed companies by end of 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• raiSE (Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuest Ventures and raiSE launched a social impact accelerator targeting startups in the social impact space, running from June to August with up to $40,000 funding, mentorship, and network access for seed-stage startups. The partnership addresses ESG and impact investing growth opportunities in Singapore and the region.
• Enterprise SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) to facilitate startup exchanges between Singapore and Vietnam, supporting Singapore startups in expanding into international markets.
• Applied Innovation Institute (Silicon Valley)coreTechnology or IntegrationQuest Ventures enterprise innovation initiative drives industry and corporate transformation based on world class research, local knowledge, and collaboration with startups, working with sectors including alternative food, aviation, banking, insurance, logistics & transportation, oil & gas, and smart cities.
• Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Global Innovation Alliance node in Ho Chi Minh City to facilitate startup exchanges and market access between Singapore and Vietnam ecosystems.
• National University of Singapore (NUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLOCK71 collaboration in Ho Chi Minh City between NUS Enterprise, Singtel Innov8, MDA, and Vietnam's Becamex IDC, currently home to more than 1,000 startups, incubators, and accelerators.
• DBS BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQuest Ventures joined DBS BusinessClass panel of advisors to help startups and SMEs grow their business and network across Asia.
• Ministry of Science and Technology of VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBộ KH&CN works with Quest Ventures on venture capital cooperation and innovation ecosystem development in Vietnam, including participation in forums on national venture fund establishment.
• Vietnam Ministry of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Tan, Founder and Managing Partner of Quest Ventures, met with Deputy Minister Hoang Minh to discuss cooperation in venture capital and innovation ecosystem development, focusing on connecting Vietnamese startups with international investors and partners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• East Ventures: One of the most established early-stage venture capital firms in Southeast Asia, investing across Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. Directly comparable to Quest Ventures in stage, regional focus, and multi-sector digital economy thesis.
• Openspace Ventures: Singapore-headquartered early-stage VC investing across Southeast Asia with a portfolio spanning fintech, digital health, and consumer internet. Closely mirrors Quest's seed-to-Series A orientation and SEA geographic mandate.
• Wavemaker Partners: Early-stage VC with dual presence in Los Angeles and Southeast Asia (Singapore). Comparable stage focus, regional coverage, and enterprise/consumer mix to Quest Ventures.
• Golden Gate Ventures: Singapore-based early-stage venture firm investing in Southeast Asian startups. Directly comparable seed-to-Series A stage focus and SEA-centric mandate.
• Monk's Hill Ventures: Singapore-headquartered early-stage VC backing tech founders across Southeast Asia. Comparable stage, geography, and sector focus to Quest Ventures.
• Jungle Ventures: Singapore-based venture capital firm investing from seed to growth across Southeast Asia. Comparable regional focus and multi-vertical digital economy thesis, though typically at slightly later stages and larger cheque sizes.
• Vertex Ventures: Singapore-headquartered VC network with a dedicated Southeast Asia fund. Comparable geographic focus and stage, with deeper historical roots and broader LP base.

Emerging players

• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder-generator operating residencies and accelerator-style programs across Southeast Asia. Comparable in early-stage focus and accelerator-driven deal flow, though typically at pre-seed and with a more global footprint.
• 500 Global: US-rooted VC and accelerator with extensive emerging-market presence including Southeast Asia. Comparable in accelerator-driven deal flow and seed-stage investing, though broader and more distributed than Quest.

Broad incumbents

• Sequoia Capital: Globally dominant venture firm with active Southeast Asia operations (now operating through Peak XV Partners and other regional vehicles). Comparable in investing in the same SEA digital economy categories, but at much larger cheque sizes and broader sector reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/33mNIa8TKUKVvYaTwfTR2O
• Xx.com/questventures01
• Facebookfacebook.com/questventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/questventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments127 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quest Ventures