Firm overview
1982 Ventures is the most active seed-stage fintech investor in Southeast Asia. The fund is managed by the founders and general partners, Herston Elton Powers and Scott Krivokopich. Herston and Scott have lived and worked in the Asia-Pacific region for over a decade, and have been investing as a team in early-stage fintech for the past five years. 1982 Ventures is headquartered in Singapore.
Firm strategy
Herston and Scott aim to write the first VC check into Southeast Asia’s most promising fintech startups. Fintech is just getting started in Southeast Asia, where half a billion customers still lack robust access to financial services. The sector’s promise is underpinned by Southeast Asia’s strong economic growth, its large and growing middle class, and the population’s rapid tech adoption. Fintech will help power Southeast Asia’s growth engine, and will accelerate economic inclusion for individuals and SMEs in the region. Southeast Asia is benefitting from macroeconomic and demographic tailwinds: In recent years, more than 100 million people in the region acquired internet access. For these reasons, Herston and Scott believe Southeast Asia’s next crop of unicorns will emerge from the fintech sector.
1982 Ventures investments include Brick, a Southeast Asian open banking API Platform; Pina (YC W22), an Indonesian personal finance app; Wagely, Indonesia’s first earned wage access platform; Lista, a Philippines-based MSME bookkeeping app; Infina (YC S21), Vietnam’s leading investment platform; Fundiin, Vietnam’s leading “Buy now, pay later” service; Homebase (YC W21), Vietnam’s rent-to-own home financing app; PasarMikro, an Indonesian agri-lending and marketplace app; and Bluesheets, Singapore’s automated financial data delivery platform.
Why we invested
1982 Ventures is well positioned to be a high-performance fund in Southeast Asia. The partners have clear focus and expertise in finding and funding premier Southeast Asian fintech companies. They have already identified and invested in fast-growing companies, and the firm has received strong reviews from founders that they’ve worked with. We’ve seen firsthand the growth in the southeast Asian market after launching a Carta office and product in Singapore last year, and we’re excited to partner with more founders and fund managers in the ecosystem. 1982 Ventures is capitalizing on a significant market opportunity, and we’re excited to join them in their journey.