Cento Ventures
Cento Ventures is a Singapore-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010 that invests US$1-2M Series A rounds into Southeast Asian startups digitising industries, with particular focus on embedding digital financial services such as credit, payments, and insurance into non-financial sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cento Ventures does
Cento Ventures is a Singapore-headquartered, early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010 by Dmitry Levit, focused exclusively on Southeast Asia and select adjacent growth markets. The firm invests at the Series A stage (typical initial check size US$1-2M, occasional larger Series B participation) into startups that have achieved initial product-market fit and generate repeatable revenue (typically >US$50K monthly net revenue). Its investment thesis targets companies digitising Southeast Asian industries, with a particular emphasis on embedding digital financial services — credit, settlements, and insurance — into non-financial sectors such as FMCG distribution, F&B, real estate, healthcare, and consumer brands.
The firm operates offices in Singapore (Robinson Road headquarters), Seoul (Gangnam-gu), and Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, and runs a 12-person team that combines investing talent (two named Partners, an Associate focused on research and deal sourcing, and a Venture Partner in Malaysia) with dedicated portfolio support (ex-ZALORA Thailand COO/CEO) and operational functions (CFO with Touch Local Group background, Head of Operations, Head of Investor Relations). Cento's go-to-market motion is relationship-driven: the firm invests in building deep founder relationships pre-investment and supports portfolio companies post-investment with fundraising, strategy, talent, regional expansion, and corporate partnership facilitation. Beyond capital, Cento differentiates through its Southeast Asia Tech Investment Reports — an annual and semi-annual research series published since 2017 covering thousands of regional financing events, which functions as both thought leadership and proprietary deal-sourcing infrastructure.
Cento's revenue model follows standard VC economics: recurring management fees on committed fund capital plus performance-based carried interest (typically 20% above a hurdle rate). Across 100+ portfolio companies, the firm has backed names including 2C2P (Southeast Asia payments), PropertyScout (Thailand real estate), Pomelo (fast fashion), Medical Departures, Toggle/OpenPlan (embedded insurance), and more recent Series A positions in Baskit, FeedMe, and Monit. The firm is privately held, independently owned with no disclosed parent company, and actively deploying capital as of 2026.
Cento Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cento Ventures
- Legal name
- Cento Ventures
- Website
- https://cento.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cento Ventures is a Singapore-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010 that invests US$1-2M Series A rounds into Southeast Asian startups digitising industries, with particular focus on embedding digital financial services such as credit, payments, and insurance into non-financial sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cento Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Cento Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Cento Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC firms typically charge management fees on committed capital to cover operational expenses.
- Carried Interest (Carry): Performance-based carry typically 20% of profits above the hurdle rate, aligning investor and fund manager interests.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Series A Investment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cento Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cento Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests early-stage capital (typically US$1-2M Series A rounds) into Southeast Asian startups that have achieved initial product-market fit, with a specialization in companies deploying digital financial services such as credit, settlements, or insurance. The firm provides hands-on portfolio support including fundraising assistance, strategic guidance, talent acquisition, and regional expansion help, and also produces proprietary Southeast Asia Tech Investment Reports covering regional deal activity since 2017.
Product overview
Cento Ventures is a venture capital firm for emerging digital markets in Southeast Asia. The firm operates as a single unified investment service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offering is early-stage venture investment (Series A focus) combined with hands-on portfolio support services. The firm also produces proprietary research through its Southeast Asia Tech Investment Reports series, which analyze regional tech investment trends and serve as intelligence products for the investment community. The investment methodology focuses on backing visionary founders building companies that transform industries through digital technology, particularly those leveraging financial services in digital transformation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early-Stage Venture Capital Investment
Quantifiable outcome
- Southeast Asia's third strongest year on record in 2022 with US$10.4B across 929 deals tracked in their database
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cento Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cento Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cento Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cento Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wavemaker Partners: Los Angeles/Singapore-based early-stage VC firm actively investing across Southeast Asia. Directly comparable as a Series A specialist focused on enterprise and deep tech in the same regional markets as Cento Ventures.
- Golden Gate Ventures: Singapore-based early-stage VC investing across Southeast Asia at seed and Series A stages. Comparable as a regional, founder-focused fund operating in the same deal pool as Cento Ventures.
- Iterative: Southeast Asia-focused early-stage VC fund (where Cento Associate Ka Kay Lum was previously Head of Research). Directly comparable stage and geography; competes for similar early-stage deals across SEA.
- Openspace Ventures: Singapore-based venture capital firm investing in early-to-growth stage technology companies across Southeast Asia. Overlaps with Cento Ventures in Series A deal flow and pan-SEA mandate, though typically larger check sizes.
- Monk's Hill Ventures: Singapore-headquartered early-stage VC focused on Series A in Southeast Asia. Highly comparable to Cento Ventures in stage, geography, and sector breadth across digital transformation themes.
- Integra Partners: Singapore-based VC firm investing across Southeast Asia. Direct comparable having co-invested with Cento Ventures in FeedMe's Series A, sharing similar stage focus and regional coverage.
Broad incumbents
- East Ventures: One of Southeast Asia's largest and most established early-stage VC firms with broad sector and stage coverage. Broader incumbent competitor for SEA Series A deal flow, with significantly larger fund size.
- Jungle Ventures: Pan-SEA multi-stage venture capital firm with strong Series A and Series B activity. Overlaps with Cento Ventures in early-stage SEA tech but typically writes larger checks at growth-stage valuations.
- 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): Global early-stage accelerator and venture fund with significant Southeast Asia operations. Comparable as a high-volume early-stage investor in SEA, though more seed-focused than Cento's Series A concentration.
Regional players
- AC Ventures: Indonesia-focused early-stage VC firm. Comparable in sector and stage (Series A) but concentrated geographically on Indonesia, where Cento Ventures also deploys but as part of a broader SEA mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cento Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceCento Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cento Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cento Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cento Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments33 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cento Ventures
What does Cento Ventures do?
Cento Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests early-stage capital (typically US$1-2M Series A rounds) into Southeast Asian startups that have achieved initial product-market fit, with a specialization in companies deploying digital financial services such as credit, settlements, or insurance. The firm provides hands-on portfolio support including fundraising assistance, strategic guidance, talent acquisition, and regional expansion help, and also produces proprietary Southeast Asia Tech Investment Reports covering regional deal activity since 2017.
Is Cento Ventures a public or private company?
Cento Ventures is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cento Ventures founded?
Cento Ventures was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cento Ventures based?
Cento Ventures is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Cento Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest (Carry).
Who are Cento Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wavemaker Partners, Golden Gate Ventures, Iterative, Openspace Ventures, Monk's Hill Ventures and Integra Partners. Broad incumbents are East Ventures, Jungle Ventures and 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups). AC Ventures is listed as a regional player.
Does Cento Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cento Ventures.
What industry is Cento Ventures in?
Cento Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6211.