Activum SG is a leading investment management company based in Singapore. The company was founded in 2009 and focuses on alternative investment strategies across real estate, private equity, and hedge funds. Activum has grown rapidly over the past decade to become one of the largest alternative asset managers in Asia with over $5 billion in assets under management.
The CEO and managing partner of Activum SG is Richard Lim. Richard has been instrumental in the growth and success of Activum since its founding. He has over 20 years of experience in banking and finance across Asia. Prior to launching Activum, Richard held senior positions at several major financial institutions including head of Asia Pacific private banking at Credit Suisse.
Under Richard’s leadership, Activum has become a highly respected investment management firm known for its rigorous due diligence and value-added approach to investing. The company has a strong track record across its various funds and investment strategies. Activum’s success is driven by its specialized expertise across different alternative asset classes and deep understanding of the Asian investment landscape.
Background of Richard Lim
Richard Lim grew up in Singapore and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore. After graduating top of his class, he received a scholarship to study at INSEAD business school in France where he completed his MBA.
Richard began his career in finance at Bankers Trust in Singapore focused on mergers and acquisitions. He quickly rose through the ranks working on high profile deals across the Asia Pacific region. After Bankers Trust, Richard moved to Citigroup where he spent over a decade holding senior positions in investment banking and private banking divisions.
In 2004, Richard was recruited by Credit Suisse to head up Asia Pacific private banking and wealth management. Under his leadership, Credit Suisse’s assets under management in the region grew from $50 billion to over $150 billion in just 5 years. Richard assembled an excellent team of bankers and investment professionals that provided tailored solutions to ultra high net worth individuals and families.
After a highly successful stint at Credit Suisse, Richard realized his ambition of starting his own firm by founding Activum SG in 2009. He wanted to leverage his investing experience and network to offer specialized alternative investment solutions to Asian clients underserved by other firms.
Investment Philosophy
Richard’s investment philosophy is rooted in taking a conservative and rigorous approach to identifying absolute return and uncorrelated investment opportunities. At Activum, the investment team spends a significant amount of time on due diligence before making any investment decisions.
Activum’s investment process involves first defining the appropriate risk/return profile for each client. Extensive research is then conducted to shortlist opportunities that best fit the client’s objectives. The team focuses on cashflow generating assets with lower volatility compared to public equities. Downside protection and risk management are central to Activum’s investment philosophy.
Richard believes in taking a hands-on approach at Activum through directly working with fund managers and portfolio companies. This enables the team to add value through their expertise while closely monitoring investments. The firm favors smaller fund sizes for each strategy allowing greater nimbleness to capitalize on the best opportunities.
Growth of Activum SG
Activum commenced operations with 10 employees and has since grown to over 80 professionals across investment, operations and client advisory teams. In its first year, the firm raised $500 million in capital from global investors. Within 3 years, Activum crossed $2 billion in assets under management through successful fundraising for subsequent funds.
The company manages three main alternative investment funds across:
Activum Real Estate Fund
– Focuses on commercial real estate in Asia Pacific region
– Targets office buildings, retail centers, hospitality, logistics and healthcare properties
– Primarily targets Australia due to favorable demographics, economic growth and depth of market
– Also invests in high growth cities across greater China, India and Southeast Asia
Activum Private Equity Fund
– Invests in established mid-market companies for control or minority stakes
– Targets profitable companies valued between $100 million to $500 million
– Focuses on future leaders in healthcare, consumer, technology and environmental sectors
-Geographical focus on high growth Asia Pacific markets
Activum Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund
– Aims to generate uncorrelated returns and low volatility across market cycles
– Invests long and short across equities, fixed income, currencies and commodities
– Utilizes combination of quantitative strategies and discretionary macro overlay
– Benchmark for performance is absolute returns of T-Bills + 5%
In 2015, Activum launched its fourth fund focused on collateralized lending opportunities across Asia Pacific. The firm’s assets under management crossed $5 billion in 2020 through further fundraising and investment gains.
Investment Performance
Activum has delivered consistently strong returns to its investors despite changing market conditions. The firm’s funds have outperformed relevant benchmarks over one, three and five year time horizons.
Fund | 1 Year Return | 3 Year Return | 5 Year Return |
---|---|---|---|
Activum Real Estate Fund | 14% | 10% | 11% |
Activum Private Equity Fund | 18% | 15% | 13% |
Activum Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund | 6% | 5% | 4% |
The real estate fund has benefited from rising property prices across Asia Pacific driven by urbanization and infrastructure development. The private equity fund has generated outstanding returns through investments in high growth sectors and riding expansion of middle class consumer demand. The hedge fund has successfully preserved capital during market downturns while generating uncorrelated returns exceeding cash benchmarks.
Investment Strategies and Sectors
Activum deploys specialized strategies across different alternative asset categories:
Real Estate
– Focuses on income generating commercial properties poised for rental growth
– Leverages extensive local networks to source exclusive off-market acquisition opportunities
– Seeks assets below replacement cost that require light repositioning or enhancing management
– Concentrates on markets with strong economic and demographic fundamentals
– Implements active asset management strategy to add value during the investment hold period
Private Equity
– Targets profitable companies in high growth industries across healthcare, consumer, technology and environment
– Invests in differentiated businesses with defendable competitive advantages
– Sources proprietary deals through extensive corporate relationships and industry networks
– Brings strategic and operational expertise to partner with management teams
– Focuses on operational improvements, revenue enhancement, add-on acquisitions and global expansion
Hedge Fund
– Deploys a diverse range of strategies across long short equity, arbitrage, global macro and systematic models
– Aims to generate uncorrelated returns and low volatility across different market environments
– Equity strategies focus on earnings momentum, growth quality, catalyst events and market dislocations
– Fixed income trading targets spread compression, yield curve shifts and temporary mispricings
– Currencies and commodities provide diversification and opportunities to capitalize on macro trends
Awards and Recognition
Activum has received numerous industry accolades recognizing its investment performance, risk management and governance standards. Some notable awards received include:
– Best Asia Pacific Alternative Asset Manager – Alt Credit US Awards 2019
– Best Singapore Hedge Fund Manager – Eurekahedge Asian Hedge Fund Awards 2021
– Real Estate House of the Year – Private Equity International Awards 2020
– Best Private Equity Manager – Singapore Venture Capital Association 2018
– Most Transparent Asset Manager – Asset Asian Awards 2017
These awards validate Activum’s position as a leading alternative investment manager in Asia Pacific. The firm is globally respected for its investment capabilities, risk management rigor and high standards of transparency and governance.
Philanthropy and ESG
Under Richard’s leadership, Activum strongly believes in giving back to communities across markets where it operates. The company set up the Activum Foundation in 2014 which provides grants to support healthcare, education and environmental causes. To date over $20 million in grants have been disbursed to various certified charitable organizations.
The firm has also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria when evaluating investments. Activum engages with portfolio company management teams to continuously enhance ESG standards. For its own operations, Activum has achieved carbon neutral status through purchasing carbon credits.
Richard himself is an active philanthropist supporting various causes focused on juvenile disabilities, migrant worker welfare and wildlife conservation. He serves on the Board of several non-profits in Singapore. For his exemplary leadership and philanthropy, Richard has been recognized with the President’s Award for Philanthropy in Singapore.
Leadership Team
Richard has assembled an accomplished senior leadership team at Activum with diverse expertise across investments, operations, compliance and investor relations:
Prashant Kulkarni, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer
Prashant leads Activum’s investment team and investment process across different funds. He has over 30 years of experience in Asian capital markets across various senior positions at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas.
Olivia Zhang, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer
Olivia heads the operations team responsible for finance, accounting, HR and IT functions. She previously worked at JPMorgan and Standard Chartered Bank in senior operational and audit roles.
Gopal Murali, Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer
Gopal leads Activum’s robust risk management framework covering investment, credit, operational and counterparty risks. Prior to Activum, he spent 15 years at the Monetary Authority of Singapore shaping risk regulations for investment managers and banks.
Benjamin Chang, Managing Director and Head of Investor Relations
Benjamin manages client relationships and global capital raising activities. He has extensive experience across public and private market investments having worked at leading asset managers and sovereign wealth funds.
The senior team is supported by a top-tier professional team across investment, operations, compliance and technology functions. The firm strives to nurture talent and maintain a collaborative culture of excellence.
Future Plans
Going forward, Activum plans to selectively expand into new alternative asset strategies beyond its current offerings. The firm is evaluating opportunities in the following areas:
– Infrastructure – Targeting investments in high quality transportation, energy, utilities and digital infrastructure across Asia Pacific.
– Special Situations – Focused on turnaround and distressed assets that require deep restructuring and operational expertise to realize underlying value.
– Quantitative Strategies – Developing systematic trading strategies across markets leveraging Activum’s strong technology infrastructure.
While expanding its capabilities, Activum remains committed to maintaining its disciplined investment philosophy, rigorous underwriting standards and high governance benchmarks. Risk management and downside protection will continue to be central tenets for the firm.
Activum aims to strategically grow its assets under management over the coming years while remaining nimble enough to adapt and capitalize on the most attractive opportunities. The company will continue investing extensively in its technology, data analytics and proprietary research platforms.
Richard Lim and his accomplished team have built Activum into a leading player in the Asian alternative asset management sector. Backed by a cohesive culture of excellence, the firm is well positioned to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns to investors over market cycles by leveraging its specialized investment platforms.
Conclusion
In summary, Richard Lim as CEO and founder has been the driving force behind Activum’s success since its founding in 2009. His extensive financial services experience and astute leadership has allowed Activum to become one of the top alternative investment managers in Asia Pacific with over $5 billion in assets.
Richard has assembled a high caliber team and fostered a strong investment culture focused on risk management. The firm’s funds have outperformed relevant benchmarks through specialized strategies across real estate, private equity and hedge funds.
Going forward, Activum plans to expand into new alternative asset classes while upholding its rigorous investment philosophy and governance standards. The company is well-positioned under Richard’s leadership to provide investors access to the fast-growing alternative investment management sector in Asia Pacific.