Lao PDR and UNDP Launch SDG Investor Map to Attract Private Investment for Sustainable Growth
The Government of Lao PDR, partnered with UNDP and supported by CIIP, has launched the Lao PDR SDG Investor Map, a market intelligence tool to…
Case Study Overview
In mid-2016, Johan Rozali-Wathooth, then the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at AHAM Asset Management Berhad (AHAM), one of Malaysia's largest asset management companies, was chosen to head the firm’s newly created private equity (PE) department. Two years later, in 2018, AHAM structured the PE department as a standalone business—and Rozali-Wathooth set up ‘Bintang Capital Partners’ as an independent entity.
Five years later, by 2023, Bintang would have fully deployed its first fund (Fund I),—and was getting ready to raise its second fund, which would be 3X larger than the first at US$150 million. Rozali-Wathooth’s long-term plan, which he had already set in motion with Fund I (2020-23), was to position Bintang as a significant player in the impact investing space in the Southeast Asia region. With Fund I, he had tested some of his ideas to make Bintang more impact oriented; with the second fund, he expected to establish Bintang’s credentials as an impact investor.
A significant milestone for Bintang’s impact ambition was the B Corporation (B Corp) accreditation, global recognition awarded to private businesses that meet high standards of governance, environmental, and social performance. In May 2023, Bintang was recognised as a B Corp—12 months after it had applied. Even as he celebrated this milestone, he was under significant pressure—his second fundraise was, by his own admission, a make-or-break for the PE fund. This case looks at how Rozali-Wathooth was looking to shape Bintang’s long-term impact strategy, even as he was on a clock to raise a bigger fund to deliver impact at scale in the Southeast Asia region. To pull off both—an impact strategy and the second fundraise—Rozali-Wathooth was confronted with multiple challenges, which the case study details.
The key elements of his growth plan were:
One, he hoped to tap into capital from corporate venture funds of large, well-established B Corps in Europe and the US, who were likely to be more supportive of Bintang’s impact mission.
Two, he planned to cherry-pick potential investee firms from the midcaps in Southeast Asia, in partnership with other general partners in the region. Bintang would evaluate two sets of midcap companies: those who were interested in transitioning to an impact mission, and those in which a clear impact alignment already existed.
Three, he intended to use the B Impact Assessment (for B Corp certification) to design interventions to help potential investee companies become more sustainable.
Four, they were testing an incentive structure for Bintang employees to internally align their impact vision and performance.
This case study maps Bintang’s journey towards impact, where its growth theses would be put to test.
During the second fund raise, Bintang’s impact journey would need to pass the litmus test before potential investors. Amidst global debate around ESG versus impact investing, aspects of which can be understood through Bintang’s journey, this case provides an opportunity to widen the classroom discussion beyond Bintang.
Teaching Objectives
- Uncover the challenges associated with a nascent impact investing market in Asia. The case explores how Rozali-Wathooth had to plot a gradual transition from a conventional PE firm to a sustainability and impact-oriented investment fund, which remains a ‘work in progress’.
- Evaluate the strategic choices a fund manager may face as they work towards developing a fund-level impact strategy and approach and supporting impact-oriented businesses.
- Understand the complexity of crafting a deliberate impact investing strategy, including building an understanding of impact intentionality, designing an impact measurement model, and also developing a way to manage impact performance.
Interested in the full case study and teaching notes? Reach out to info@ciip.com.sg to find out more.
This case study was produced by the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), in collaboration with Artha Global. It is developed as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data, or illustration of either effective or ineffective management. This case includes some copyrighted materials kindly shared by Bintang Capital Partners (Bintang) for use as case exhibits. The authors gratefully acknowledge Bintang's permission to use these within this case study.
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