$46.56 M gender lens Semiconductor Impact Fund launched by Bintang Capital Partners

Malaysia-based private equity firm Bintang Capital Partners Berhad (Bintang) announced the creation of the gender lens Semiconductor Impact Fund (BSIF I) on Wednesday.

The company said in a statement that BSIF I, which has a fund size of up to MYR 200 million ($46.56 million), is intended to invest in high-potential Malaysian semiconductor companies that are in the growth stage, with an emphasis on the social and environmental impact.

With their combined experience, the BSIF I Venture Partners will be crucial in steering the fund toward success by providing growth-stage semiconductor companies that the fund targets.

Bintang highlighted by utilizing a “carry-at-risk” model in which a portion of Bintang’s carried interest is linked to impact performance, BSIF I’s strategy is specially designed to match financial returns with quantifiable social outcomes.

It made clear that the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the National Policy on Women 2021–2025, which both seek to increase the number of women in leadership and highly skilled manufacturing roles, are congruent with the strategy of BSIF I.

In order to further BSIF I’s goal of generating influence in Malaysia’s semiconductor industry, Bintang has also named three female Venture Partners.

It was mentioned that the recently appointed venture partners provide BSIF I with decades of experience and profound insights from the manufacturing, technology, and semiconductor industries.

With over thirty years of experience in finance, operations, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance, Ooi Hooi Kiang is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Greatech Technology Berhad. She possesses cross-border knowledge in a number of markets, including Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Vietnam, Russia, and South Korea.

After helping to shape Malaysia’s industrial strategies, including the creation of the NIMP 2030, Lim Bee Vian, a former deputy chief executive officer of investment development at the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), has a plethora of experience in policy advocacy and investment promotion.

With over three decades of experience in the electrical and electronics contract manufacturing space, Kong Siew Mui is an Independent Non-Executive Director at Greatech Technology Berhad.

Her areas of expertise include operations, supply chain management, and global business excellence. Throughout her career, she has assisted in implementing continuous improvement initiatives in 30 different countries.

“The B Corp movement, which Bintang is a part of, strongly advocates for gender diversity and equity – and thus we hope that by making investments in the semiconductor sector, which has predominantly been male-dominated, will help to create more inclusive and equitable work environments, not just for the sake of moral imperatives but also to enhance creativity and drive stronger economic growth,

“We believe that empowering women will lead to a more robust national economy and create a more equitable society for all,” said Adelene Low, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, Investments of Bintang.