Adaptability to economic climates, geographical markets key to Seavi Advent Private Equity’s success

The company also continues to shift focus on sectors that deliver the best return to shareholders.

Private equity firms have been a witness and a major player in the different economic climates that have faced the industry in recent years, such as the Asian financial crisis, the dot-com bubble, the global financial crisis, and the recent COVID pandemic. The impacts of these phenomena on the financial markets have urged the firms to adopt another game plan and employ a more disciplined approach in their investment strategy.

For Seavi Advent Private Equity, this adjustment means tailoring their strategies in terms of working with different cyclical sectors, as well as different geographical markets. Since being established in 1984, the firm has refocused into the other parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Seavi also has been able to expand into Greater China in the early 2000. 

The firm has had a successful year, and this can be mainly attributed to its ability to adapt to the market movements and shift focus into the industries that are booming amidst the rapid changes in the market. It initially shifted from heavy manufacturing industries into a more consumer base and environmentally friendly companies in the 2010s. Now, it is shifting further focus into cloud-based Software-as-a-Service businesses and some of the new energy sectors.

“Our strategy overall is to rotate and evolve during different economic climates in the region, by focusing on different geographical markets and different sectors so that we can deliver the best return to our shareholders,” said Kevin Chan, Managing Partner North Asia Region.

This capability has also allowed Seavi to have over 120 private investments and execute over 80 to 90 successful exits, which was done in collaboration with a slew of entrepreneurs that work hand in hand with the company in different industries. This is also what sets the firm apart from some of the private equity firms.    

Moving forward, it aims to continue its strong performance as it goes through transitional changes and groom private equity managers within the organization to eventually take over in the coming years.

Seavi’s outstanding performance in 2023 has been recognised by the Hong Kong Fund Managers Awards, a prestigious ceremony that aims to recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in fund management, honouring professionals who have demonstrated exceptional performance, strategic acumen, and a commitment to delivering value to investors.