Mekong Enterprise Fund II Invested in Golden Gate Trade Services JSC

On June 30 in HCMC, Mekong Capital announced that the Mekong Enterprise Fund II, Ltd has committed to invest US$2,600,000 in Golden Gate Trade Services Joint Stock Company , the company that operates the successful Ashima hotpot restaurant chain. This is the seventh investment of the Fund.

 

Mr. Dao The Vinh, the CEO of Golden Gate said &ldquoAfter a period of time, we have managed to expand from 1 restaurant to a nationwide chain and mushroom hotpot has become a favorite cuisine. We found Mekong Capital a credable partner to help us to grow sustainably. Mekong Capital not only funds the Company but also supports our Company with strategic consultancy in many management fields such as human resources, restructuring, management practices and corporate finance. These are the key factors that makes a Company grow sustainably in the current changing and fiercely competitive market.&rdquo

 

Mr. Chris Freund, Managing Director of Mekong Capital said: &ldquoThe founders and management team of Golden Gate have done an extraordinary job at rapidly establishing Ashima as the leading hotpot chain in Vietnam. Differentiating themselves from other restaurant chains, they have built a company with the management capacity, and systematic processes, which provide a foundation for the company to continue to open new restaurants at a rapid rate. In Golden Gate, we see an unusually strong commitment to continuously developing their management systems and the capabilities of their management team.&rdquo

 

The $50 million Mekong Enterprise Fund II, which was launched in June 2006, is a private equity fund focusing on equity investments in unlisted companies, which at the time of the original investment, are typically about two-to-four years away from a listing on one of Vietnam&rsquos stock exchanges. In particular, the Fund focuses on companies that are very committed to building up strong management teams.

 

The Fund aims to make investments in well-managed, fast-growing, private Vietnamese companies. The Fund&rsquos manager, Mekong Capital, will work closely with investee companies to help them build up the management team, grow faster, and prepare for a successful listing on a stock exchange.