To fuel SEA expert network, undisclosed Pre-Series A funding received by Sealed Network
Sealed Network, a Southeast Asia-focused expert network established in Singapore, has received an undisclosed sum in Pre-Series A investment backed by Quest Ventures, an Asia-focused startup capital firm.
The round was also attended by investment networks such as XA Network and Alumni & Angels.
The additional funds will be utilised to expand Sealed Network’s regional reach by expanding its roster of specialists. A part of the funds will be used to improve internal search technology and platform development.
Following the deal, Jeffrey Seah, a partner at Quest Ventures and a former regional senior executive at WPP and Publicis Groupe, will join Sealed’s board of directors.
Sealed Network, founded in 2019 by Benjamin Emmanuel Lee, a former Grab executive, and Leo Wen Ge, a former Wavemaker Partners investment professional, connects investment managers, strategy consultants, and market research organisations with professionals for due diligence and research.
Arum Kang, the creator of Coffee Meets Bagel; Michael Tay, the former Ambassador of Singapore to Russia; and Charles Yong, a former senior client partner at Korn Ferry, are among the notable specialists.
Sealed claims to have created a network of over 35,000 specialists across 25 sectors, doubling down on a commitment to link the region’s brightest brains with organisations from across the world.
According to research issued by Integrity Research Associates and expert network aggregator Inex One, Sealed Network’s sales numbers surpassed internal predictions by more than two times, which is in line with the double-digit yearly growth of expert networks globally.
“Expert networks provide valuable professional advisory for companies in their go-to-market strategies,” noted Jeffrey Seah, Partner at Quest Ventures. “Sealed brings unparalleled local expertise, enabling new Southeast Asia entrant businesses to better navigate a diverse but economically promising region.”
Atheneum, located in Berlin, received US$150 million in investment, and Tegus, based in Chicago, received a US $90 million Series B round, while Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) filed for an IPO in the United States.
Capvision, a China-focused company, is planning a $300 million IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
