ACV Capital wins SVCA ESG Award of Distinction 2024
Published on September 30, 2024
ACV Capital (formerly AC Ventures) has been awarded the 2024 ESG Award of Distinction by the Singapore Venture & Private Capital Association (SVCA). The firm’s Managing Partner Helen Wong accepted the award in late September in recognition of ACV’s investment in Koltiva, an Indonesia-based sustainable farming and agriculture company serving the global market.
In Q3 2023, ACV led a seven-figure series A financing round into Koltiva, with participation from Silverstrand Capital, Planet Rise, Development Finance Asia, and Blue 7. Existing Koltiva stakeholder The Meloy Fund, a prominent impact investor in Southeast Asia, also joined the round.
Headquartered in Jakarta and Singapore, ACV has established itself as a major player in the Southeast Asian venture capital market by investing in tech-enabled businesses that demonstrate potential for environmental and societal impact at scale. The firm’s portfolio includes over 120 regional companies, and its team of over 35 professionals is led by Adrian Li, Michael Soerijadji, Helen Wong, and Pandu Sjahrir.
Koltiva, the investee company behind ACV’s latest accolade, specializes in developing technology solutions that enhance transparency and sustainability in agricultural supply chains. The company assists smallholder farmers with transitioning to sustainable practices and enables enterprises to meet increasingly stringent global regulations and consumer expectations concerning traceability and ethical sourcing.
The award from SVCA comes shortly after Koltiva announced a strategic partnership with Huy Anh Natural Rubber in Vietnam to ensure compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation, which requires zero-deforestation practices in the production and delivery of a variety of commodities in the EU market.
As a result, over 50,000 EU-based businesses are now obligated to adhere to this regulation, and non-EU companies significantly engaged in EU activities must also ensure their compliance.
This emphasizes Koltiva’s critical role at the global intersection of technology and sustainable agriculture, influencing industry standards and practices worldwide. Koltiva’s solution is essential for industries like cocoa, coffee, rubber, palm oil, and others.
Koltiva operates across 61 countries, supporting nearly 11,000 enterprises and more than 1.4 million farmers and producers, thereby contributing to the resilience and compliance of global supply chains.
Upon receiving the award, Helen commented, “This recognition from SVCA underscores the importance of integrating sustainable practices into our investment strategy. Our support for Koltiva reflects our commitment to responsible investing and our belief in the potential of climate-smart agriculture, environmental preservation, and biodiversity.”
The SVCA’s ESG Award of Distinction recognizes ACV’s wise financial investment in Koltiva and validates its strategic approach to ESG issues in its investment processes. This accolade also showcases ACV’s ability to align profitability with sustainability—a critical consideration for future-focused investors.
