Bridging Continents: Inbound Investment from Singapore to Australia

GIC Pte Ltd, the Singapore based global long-term sovereign wealth fund, has entered into a joint venture agreement with National Storage REIT (NSR), the listed Australia based stapled REIT focused on self-storage and warehouse properties, to set up a 75% / 25% joint venture for the development of storage centers in Australia. NSR agreed to contribute its 10 foundation assets and GIC agreed to invest A$270 million over the initial 12-18 month period. 

Keppel Education Asset Fund, overseen by Keppel Capital Alternative Asset Pte. Ltd., has purchased an Educational Asset in Sydney for A$198 million. Additionally, in a connected deal, they have agreed to buy a seven-story commercial building located in North Sydney through a forward purchase agreement, bringing the overall transaction value close to A$200 million.

Sun Venture Investments Pte Ltd acquired an office building of Sumner Capital Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based investment advisor, for a total of A$148 million. With its first acquisition in the region, the company is looking forward to building its presence and portfolio in Australia.

Ascott Residence Trust acquired Nine quality serviced residences, rental housing and student accommodation properties for A$329.1 million. The acquisition is expected to strengthen ART’s presence in its existing markets. Post-acquisition, ART’s portfolio will exceed 100 properties, with over 18,000 units across 47 cities and 15 countries.

City Developments Limited and HThree Capital Pte.Ltd acquired an 18-storey building in downtown Melbourne from AMP Capital Investors Limited for A$235.4 million. Following completion of the acquisition, HThree will manage the asset with a focus on driving value appreciation through active leasing and asset enhancement initiatives. 

Sim Lian Group Limited acquired Shepparton Marketplace Shopping Centre from Dexus Wholesale Property Fund for A$136.5 million. Sim Lian-Metro Capital is looking to expand its local portfolio of office and retail assets to about $1.2 billion at a time when some other buyers are out of the market.

CapitaLand Commercial Trust Management Limited acquired 50% interest in 101 – 103 Miller Street and Greenwood Plaza for approximately A$420 million. It will be funded by a combination of debt, divestment proceeds, and remaining proceeds of about S$95.9 million from the private placement. Post acquisition of the three Australian properties, CICT’s pro forma aggregate leverage will be about 41%.

GIC Pte. Ltd. and ESR Cayman Limited acquired the Australian logistics property portfolio from The Blackstone Group Inc. for A$3.8 billion. The Singaporean sovereign wealth fund will contribute 80% of equity, while ESR will account for 20%. The deal was representative of the most significant logistics portfolio transaction in Australia and encompassed 45 high-quality, income-producing assets across Australia’s major capital cities.

Fragrance Group Limited acquired the 122-key Allurity Hotel and the 50-key Fountainside Hotel from the University of Tasmania's Endowment Arm for A$42 million, fully paid as part of the common equity consideration for both properties.

Inkwood Pte. Ltd. completed the acquisition of 40% stake in Elite Vacation Pty Ltd from James Social Pty Ltd for A$40 million. Following the acquisition, Elite became an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. 

Invictus Development, a real estate investment firm, acquired the Old Clare Hotel in Sydney's southern CBD and for A$97.7 million and The Inchcolm by Ovolo for A$38.9 million, expanding its portfolio to five hotels. These acquisitions and refurbishments were valued at around US$270 million, part of the US$500 million earmarked by Invictus for Australian hotel investments.

Well Smart Group acquired Queensland's Lindeman Island for approximately A$10 million, intending to refurbish and reopen it as a resort. This acquisition price was half of the original A$20 million asking price and A$2 million less than the A$12 million paid by Chinese media mogul William Han's White Horse Group over a decade ago.

High Street Holdings (HSH), an investment and asset management company based in Singapore, acquired Peppers Kings Square in Perth for approximately A$26 million. This marked HSH's third Australian hotel purchase within an year, following their acquisitions of Rydges North Sydney and the Kennigo Hotel Brisbane. The property was to be rebranded as Rydges Kings Square.

Singapore-based agri-food giant Wilmar International became the sole owner of Goodman Fielder, the Australia-based food manufacturer, by acquiring the remaining 50% stake for about A$461 million. The investors paid A$1.4billion for Goodman Fielder in 2015. 

Greta Minerals PTE Ltd, part of Singapore-based Greta Group, has acquired Lithium and REE exploration assets in Western Australia, significantly enhancing its portfolio and expanding its operational footprint. They now hold over 700 km² of exploration tenements on the prospective Ida Fault, focusing on lithium and REE assets.

SQREEM Technologies, specializing in AI, acquired Trade Indy, an advertising tech firm, for A$44.9 million via a share swap transaction. This move would propel SQREEM to the forefront of global AI innovation and offer strategic advantages for both companies in driving client growth and expanding global influence.

United Tractors, a subsidiary of Jardine Cycle & Carriage, invested A$943 million in Nickel Industries, through its subsidiary PT Danusa Tambang Nusantara. The companies signed a collaboration agreement and had planned potential future Indonesian nickel mining and processing initiatives.

RATCH, through its subsidiary RH International Corporation, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Nexif Energy Holdings BV and 100% of NXF Holdings 2 Co from Denham Capital for A$874.6 million. The acquisition would aim to develop a pipeline and establish Nexif Rach JV for income stability and long-term growth.

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and Centuria Capital Group bought the retail component of West Village in Brisbane for A$202 million. The precinct included 16,560 sqm (178,250 sq ft) of modern retail, hospitality, wellness, and office spaces across five buildings, catering to 1,250 households in West Village and the surrounding West End and South Brisbane communities.

Ensign Infosecurity Pte Ltd. acquired an additional 43.5% stake in Vectra Corporation Limited for A$4.1 million. After the acquisition, EIS SmartTech holds an 83.1% interest in Vectra's issued share capital.

An investor group, including DRW Venture Capital LLC, Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia, International Development Enterprises, Impact Investment Fund (a unit of Save the Children Australia), Spark+ Africa Fund SCSp, and Kibo Investments Pte Ltd, acquired a minority stake in ATEC Australia-International Pty Ltd, a Castlemaine-based electronic appliances wholesaler, for A$5.6 million in a privately negotiated transaction.

An investor group including Jungle Ventures, King River Capital, and Yarra Capital Management acquired a minority stake in Digital Services Australia IV Pty Ltd for A$30.8 million in a privately negotiated transaction.

SQREEM Technologies, specializing in AI, acquired Trade Indy, an advertising tech firm, for A$44.9 million via a share swap transaction. This move would propel SQREEM to the forefront of global AI innovation and offer strategic advantages for both companies in driving client growth and expanding global influence.

Australian NFT startup, Immutable, secured A$200 million in funding from investors led by Singapore's Temasek for 8% stake, valuing the company at $2.5 billion. This marked a significant increase from its $410 million valuation in 2021. The capital would fuel global expansion, boost the Immutable X platform, and scale the Immutable Gaming Studio, including flagship games Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians.

SIS India, a security firm, expanded its reach by acquiring 85.0% of Safety Direct Solutions Pty Ltd, an Australian company offering security, risk management, medical, and training services, through its subsidiary SIS Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, for A$5.0 million. Additionally, on September 12, 2022, SIS India announced its plan to acquire the remaining 15.0% stake in the company. This strategic move solidified SIS Group as Australia's top emergency services provider.

Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific completed a A$140 million transaction to acquire Melbourne-based print services company CSG. This acquisition was to enhance Fuji Xerox's sales of office printing equipment and IT services among small and medium-sized businesses in Australia and New Zealand. The total transaction value, including approximately A$226 million in liabilities, amounted to A$397.8 million.

A consortium led by Temasek Holdings (Pte) Ltd, the state-owned sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Singapore has acquired an undisclosed stake via series A+ funding in Samsara Eco Pty Ltd, the Australia-based plastic recycling technology firm for A$100 million.

Jebsen & Jessen Pte Ltd. acquired an unknown majority stake in STS-Safetech Tieman Solutions Asia Pacific Pty. Ltd. This strategic partnership would expand the Group’s product portfolio and service network, strengthening its market presence in Australia.

Softbank Robotics Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired Millennium Services Group Limited for A$57.2 million. The consideration was to be paid at a price of A$1.15 per share of Millennium. The acquisition would offer digitally supported cleaning services enhanced with automation, robotics, and data-driven insights. Together, this would drive innovation and deliver optimized solutions, revolutionizing the industry.

Singapore Post Ltd, the Singapore based provider of postal and logistical services, through its subsidiary Freight Management Holdings Pty Ltd (FMH) acquired Border Express Pty Ltd, a transport and distribution services company for A$120 million. With the acquisition, the FMH Group's revenues are expected to exceed S$1 billion, solidifying its position as a leading national logistics player in Australia's integrated logistics landscape.

Singapore Post Ltd acquired 37% of Freight Management Holdings Pty Ltd, the Australia based logistics services company providing integrated supply chain and distribution solutions for about A$175.4 million. The strategic acquisition of FMH was a key move in strengthening the SingPost Group’s position in the overseas logistics space.

Singapore-based TW Pengu Holdings Ltd, a leading oncology and oncology-related clinic group in Asia, which includes key entities such as OncoCare, NHC, SBSC, CLIOC, and Can-Care, has acquired the Hong Kong business of Integrated Clinical Oncology Network Pty Ltd, an Australian cancer treatment services provider. TW Pengu aims to expand oncology services in Hong Kong, building on Icon's established care model.

SPRIM Global Investments Pte. Ltd., a health sciences investment firm from Singapore, acquired an undisclosed stake in Australia's ProTA Therapeutics Pty Ltd, a developer of immunotherapy treatments for food allergies. ProTA raised A$31.5 million in equity and debt from SPRIM, which would accelerate its drug development and clinical trial program, particularly as it advances towards Phase 3 trials.

Antler Innovation Pte Ltd of Singapore acquired an undisclosed minority stake in Oncorevive Pty Ltd, a Brunswick-based provider of biotechnology research and development services, for a total A$0.2 million in a privately negotiated transaction.

Sequoia Capital and Singapore's sovereign fund GIC invested in Novotech (Australia) Pty Limited, a clinical research provider, at a valuation exceeding US$2.3 billion. This deal involved TPG selling over 10% of Novotech, which was gearing up for an IPO in Hong Kong.

EAB Holdings Pte Ltd, a unit of Partners Group Holding AG, acquired a 15.8% stake in Healius Ltd, a Sydney-based medical laboratory operator, from Jangho Health Care Australia Pty Ltd and Golden Acumen Holdings Ltd, for A$326.5 million in cash, in a privately negotiated transaction. 

ComfortDelGro Corp Ltd acquired A2B Australia Ltd, a leading Australian taxi network and a major technology and payment solutions provider for A$181.9 million. The acquisition of A2B is well aligned with the company’s strategy to further grow and improve its point-to-point mobility business in Australia.​

Crypto.com has acquired Fintek Securities Pty Ltd., gaining an Australian Financial Services Licence to expand its financial product offerings and strengthen its market presence in Australia. This strategic move aligns with Crypto.com's goal to integrate traditional and digital financial services.​

Crypto.com has acquired Charterprime Ltd., a global financial exchange and brokerage service, to expand its financial product offerings, including securities and derivatives. This acquisition supports Crypto.com's strategy to integrate traditional finance with digital finance services​

Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia acquired an undisclosed stake in Shift Financial Pty Ltd, the Australia based consumer finance company. The consideration was A$27 million and the transaction was a part of the Series C funding round, suggesting international venture capital investors are turning their attention to the Aussie market once again.​

An investor group, comprised of Clay SG Holdings II Pte Ltd and Clay SG Holdings III Pte Ltd, both a unit of a unit of Clay Holdings I Ltd, acquired the entire share capital of Soilbuild Australia Trust, provider of fiduciary services, from Soilbuild Business Space Holdings Pte Ltd, for a total A$232.3 million. ​

Sim Lian - Metro Capital Pte Ltd of Singapore acquired the entire share capital of Rockworth (Australia) Pty Ltd, a Melbourne-based portfolio manager, for a total A$138.3 million. This acquisition aligned with Sim Lian's strategy to enter new markets and enhance its real estate holdings in Australia, particularly focusing on strategic locations that cater to the daily shopping needs of growing communities.​