Singapore continues to make significant efforts to further promote the appeal of the Lion City to hedge funds, private equity and other alternative investment managers, and it seems that its strategy is working. In 2020, Singapore’s asset management industry grew strongly, with assets under management (AuM) rising more than 17 per cent overall and at 31 per cent year-on-year in the alternatives sector. Venture capital and private equity continue to be strong performers within this segment.

By Ashmita Chhabra and Mark Voumard – Singapore stands out as best in class as a location to do business in APAC with its political and economic stability, sound and predictable regulation, an engaged regulator, world-class infrastructure, and as an innovative financial centre with a well-developed range of service providers.

By Mark Voumard – The genesis of Singapore’s asset management industry development: 2021 – 2035

By Tom Lin and Morgan Shubin, Clifford Chance – It has become fashionable to say that secondary transactions are now ‘mainstream’, with some market participants pointing to the flourishing GP-led segment of the market as a ‘fourth leg’ option for liquidity alongside conventional exit routes for PE assets (i.e. sale process, IPO or recapitalisation). That might not be necessarily a perfect characterisation, though we suspect it might be to a degree with some nuance. However you might characterise it, the growth in deal activity (market commentators expect transaction value to exceed USD100 billion for the first time in 2021), extraordinary fundraising, the concerted expansion of global managers into the strategy (whether through acquiring established platforms or team build-outs) all points toward one direction of travel: bigger, more competitive and more complex.

By Martin O’Regan – Comprising more than 1,000 managers with USD4 trillion of assets under management makes Singapore a leading Asian investment management hub. These impressive numbers demonstrate potential for the ever-changing industry.

By Armin P. Choksey – In the last few years, the world has witnessed significant progress in harmonising environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure frameworks. The launch of new initiatives globally shows that both investors and stakeholders recognise the value of streamlining ESG disclosures and the importance of consolidating them.  

By Ashmita Chhabra – With the United Nation’s COP26 summit approaching, the need to do more to address climate change is once again in focus. As a key financial services hub in Asia, Singapore has an important role in the development and integration of sustainable finance practices into the real economy. The capital market’s ability to drive meaningful change by encouraging disclosure, stakeholder engagement and innovative green financing initiatives are all part of Singapore’s commitment.