Canadia Group, one of Cambodia’s oldest and most diversified conglomerates, has launched the Canadia Impact Fund Co (CIFC), a corporate venture capital vehicle that aims to support the country’s nascent tech scene.
The fund will target early-stage deals, from pre-Seed to Series A, across education, healthcare, logistics, digital infrastructure, and renewable energy, Thierry Tea, CIFC’s CEO, told DealStreetAsia.
Tea, a former head of Airbus Helicopters Philippines, who has invested in mobility, enterprise software, and fintech startups, said the fund will work with local ecosystem builders on mentorship and market access.
CIFC’s launch comes amid Cambodia’s expanding e-commerce and delivery sectors, buoyed by Grab’s 2024 acquisition of super-app Nham24 and infrastructure upgrades such as OCIC’s new Techo International Airport.
The fund has made its first investment in last-mile delivery startup Jalat Logistics, one of the country’s same-day delivery providers. The startup was founded by Cambodian entrepreneurs featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.
CIFC said Jalat has completed more than 1 million deliveries with a 98% success rate, serves over 6,500 merchants, and has processed more than $20 million in cash-on-delivery transactions.
“This investment represents both financial and strategic backing for a new generation of Cambodian entrepreneurship,” Tea said.
Canadia Group, founded in 1991 by diaspora entrepreneur Pung Kheav Se, spans banking, real estate, infrastructure, education, healthcare, retail, and hotels.
CIFC said it aims to pair corporate know-how and distribution with startup agility, and to connect founders with international partners to support regional expansion.
The fund’s launch further underscores Cambodia’s evolution from an emerging economy towards an innovation-driven growth hub, CIFC said.
Last September, Cambodia-founded startupATEC announced raising $15.5 million in a funding round to scale its tech-enabled clean cooking solutions across Asia and Africa.
The round was co-anchored by global investment platform Lightrock and venture investor TRIREC, with participation from Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia Fund.
In January, Grab acquired a stake in Nham24, a Cambodian food delivery and e-commerce platform from Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund (SADIF).
