BUILT IN Asia.
Tested through cycles.
A name rooted
in resilience
Gobi Partners takes its name from the Gobi Desert, a landscape defined by endurance, scale, and adaptability. The desert rewards clarity under pressure and discipline over time.
These qualities shape the firm’s philosophy, building patiently, operating with focus, and committing capital deliberately to markets others hesitate to enter.
built for asia's complexity
Why Asia?
NEARLY 60% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION LIVES IN ASIA.
(United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024)
TWO OF THE WORLD'S THREE LARGEST ECONOMIES ARE IN ASIA.
(International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook 2024-2025, PPP basis)
ASIA HOSTS MORE THAN 640 TECHNOLOGY UNICORNS ACROSS 16 COUNTRIES.
(CB Insights, Global Unicorn List 2024-2025)
Asia concentrates the world’s largest share of population, economic activity, and technology adoption. Markets reach scale quickly, user behaviour evolves rapidly, and companies expand across borders by necessity rather than choice.
That same scale introduces structural complexity. Businesses operate across fragmented regulatory environments, uneven infrastructure, and local market dynamics that cannot be abstracted or standardised. Capital alone is insufficient. Enduring outcomes require informed judgement, deep local relationships, and sustained engagement over time.
Gobi Partners operates where this complexity creates advantage. The firm maintains on the ground teams across Asia’s key growth centres, including Bangkok, Beijing, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Manila, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tianjin, and Tokyo. This regional presence enables earlier insight, sharper decision making, and capital deployment informed by context rather than distance.
Over multiple cycles, Gobi has built a platform designed not only to access Asia’s scale, but to operate effectively within it, adapting structures, strategies, and partnerships to fit the realities of each market.
a platform built for deliberate structuring
Teams source, invest, and manage relationships close to founders, customers, and operating realities. This proximity improves decision quality and allows capital to be structured with nuance, speed, and accountability where required.
Through its regional platform, Gobi orchestrates access to customers, partners, talent, and capital across Asia. This connectivity supports cross border expansion and enables capital to move purposefully across markets without sacrificing local understanding.
Governance standards, operational discipline, and sustainability considerations underpin long term resilience. These foundations allow both companies and capital structures to navigate market cycles without optimising for short term outcomes.
Licences and Governance
Licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) as a Venture Capital Management Corporation (VCMC).
Holds a Capital Markets Services (CMS) Licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for venture capital fund management.
Licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to conduct Type 9 (Asset Management) regulated activities.
Offshore private funds are registered with and regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).
Awards and Recognition
Sustainability and Responsibility
This approach strengthens resilience, supports inclusive economic systems, and reinforces the durability of both companies and investment outcomes over time.
The evolution of a REGIONAL VENTURE PLATFORM
2026: CONNECTING MARKETS AND PATIENT CAPITAL
- Invested in Cortical Labs, a biotechnology company pioneering biological computing systems that combine living human neurons with silicon hardware. The investment was made through the Dana Impak Ventures fund, backed by Khazanah Nasional, supporting Malaysia’s ambitions in advanced semiconductor engineering.
- Led a pre-seed investment in Malaysia-based AI healthcare company Valiance Health through the SuperSeed II Fund, expanding the firm’s health technology portfolio.
- Made the firm’s first investment in Bangladesh, backing travel technology platform Jatri and extending the firm’s presence in South Asia.
- Advanced university technology commercialisation by deepening partnerships with leading academic institutions and public-sector partners supporting artificial intelligence, deep technology, biotechnology, and robotics.
2025: Expanding Into New Frontiers
- Released the Fourth ESG & Sustainability Report, “Where Innovation Meets Purpose.”
- Announced a strategic equity investment in Funding Societies, Southeast Asia’s leading SME digital finance platform.
- Invested in ArmourZero Holdings, advancing cloud-based cybersecurity for SMEs across Southeast Asia.
- Published the Philippine Blockchain Report 2025, mapping tokenised finance and regulatory developments.
- Opened a new Seoul office led by Managing Partner Dan Chong — strengthening the ASEAN–Korea corridor across AI, fintech, and venture collaboration.
- Backed NanoSkunkWorkX (nSWX), marking Gobi’s first deep-tech investment in Southeast Asia across graphene systems for hydrogen, semiconductors, and diagnostics.
- Expanded into Japan, reinforcing strategic connectivity between Southeast Asia’s growth markets and Japan’s innovation frontier.
2024: Deepening Frontier & Emerging Market Presence
- Launched Techxila Fund II to deepen support for Pakistan’s fast-growing tech ecosystem.
- Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Punjab to advance entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
- Invested in DCAP Holdings, driving AI-enabled financial inclusion in Malaysia.
- Backed JAZRO Robotic Academy, expanding robotics education access for youth across the region.
2023: Strengthening ASEAN and GBA Leadership
- Expanded the Greater Bay Area (GBA) footprint, doubling AEF GBA to US$256 million, with Gobi appointed as sole GP.
- Welcomed Care Concierge into the Dana Impak Fund, supporting senior healthcare solutions in Malaysia.
- Partnered with Khazanah Nasional’s Dana Impak Programme to connect Malaysian startups to global markets.
- Backed key Malaysian companies including Durioo+, Lapasar, Paywatch, and pitchIN.
- Gobi-Core Philippine Fund accredited as a Co-Investment Partner under the Philippines’ Startup Venture Fund.
2022: ESG Institutionalisation & 20-Year Milestone
- Appointed Carlo Chen-Delantar as Head of ESG and Circular Economy
- Released the firm’s inaugural Sustainability Report, setting a foundation for ESG transparency.
- Marked Gobi’s 20th anniversary, reflecting two decades of sustained impact across emerging Asia.
- Named Investor of the Year at the Global Startup Awards.
2021: A Breakout Year for Portfolio Success
- Four portfolio companies achieved unicorn status: Carsome, Animoca Brands, Amber Group, and Prenetics.
- Kumu became the Philippines’ first Series C startup to surpass US$100 million in funding.
- Portfolio companies raised US$2.5 billion across 48 up-rounds.
- Co-hosted the Asia Gender-Lens Investing Forum with UN Women and joined the UN Global Compact.
- Published the Gobi-Core Philippines Startup Ecosystem Report, shaping local ecosystem intelligence.
- Techxila Fund I anchored by the UK’s CDC Group (now British International Investment), validating cross-border investment flow into Pakistan.
2018–2020: A Pan-Asian Platform Takes Shape
- Committed US$50 million to women-led startups through The Billion Dollar Fund for Women — deepening the firm’s early commitment to inclusion.
- Expanded into Pakistan and MENA; launched Gobi-Agung (Indonesia) and Gobi-Core (Philippines).
- Formed Fatima Gobi Ventures (FGV) and launched the US$20 million Techxila Fund I, igniting Pakistan’s modern venture ecosystem.
- Invested in Maria Health, Edukasyon.ph, and strengthened the Malaysia SuperSeed platform.
- Signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and integrated ESG into its investment processes.
- Joined the Malaysian Sustainable Finance Initiative and hosted the SuperSeed II Championship — Malaysia’s largest VC-led startup competition at the time.
2015–2017: Building the ASEAN Network
- Appointed by Alibaba to manage the HK$1 billion Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, expanding the firm's institutional depth.
- Entered Thailand via Eko Communications, extending operations across continental Southeast Asia.
- Launched the ASEAN SuperSeed Fund with MAVCAP; backed future regional champions including Carsome, GoGoX, Airwallex, and Tripfez.
- Introduced “TaqwaTech,” one of the first dedicated investment theses for the global Muslim digital economy.
- Entered the Philippines through Deliveree and invested in WeLab and Prenetics — both of which later achieved unicorn status.
- Established the Meranti ASEAN Growth Fund, becoming one of the region’s most active VC firms.
2009–2014: Expanding Beyond China
- Invested in Tuniu, which later listed on Nasdaq, and supported DMG’s US$160 million acquisition by VisionChina Media.
- Expanded into Malaysia and Indonesia, marking the firm's first major moves beyond China.
- Backed early Southeast Asian innovators such as CIB Development, Apps Foundry, and BaBe (later acquired by ByteDance).
- Secured commitments from China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) through the Yingzhi Fund — strengthening public–private partnerships in China’s emerging tech economy.
2002–2008: Foundations in China
- Thomas G. Tsao founded Gobi Partners in Shanghai, establishing one of the first international VC firms on the ground in China.
- Adopted the name “Gobi,” inspired by the desert’s resilience and its silicon-rich terrain — the same element that powers semiconductors and technology.
- Opened its inaugural office at CITIC Square and launched an incubator in Zhangjiang, one of China's earliest innovation districts.
- Navigated two global shocks: SARS (2002–2004) and the Global Financial Crisis (2007–2009), reinforcing the firm’s resilience-first philosophy.
- Raised US$151 million Gobi Fund II and RMB150 million Hitech Fund — becoming the first foreign VC to launch an RMB-denominated fund endorsed by the Tianjin government.
- Joined a historic gathering of Silicon Valley’s top 25 VCs hosted by Silicon Valley Bank in Beijing, strengthening China–US venture dialogue.
- Invested in early digital media ventures that contributed to China’s first wave of internet growth.
