2021/06/01
BDA’s Paul DiGiacomo talks to AVCJ on investment in Vietnam’s middle market
Vietnam’s middle market is increasingly compelling for both financial and strategic investors. In a competitive environment for investments, and with ongoing travel restrictions, a strong local presence is invaluable to international firms seeking to invest in Vietnam. Paul DiGiacomo, Managing Partner of BDA, spoke with Asian Venture Capital Journal (AVCJ) on this dynamic.
Travel restrictions have underlined the importance of having a local presence. Paul DiGiacomo, a managing partner at M&A advisory firm BDA Partners, which has a sizeable office in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), observes that the uptick in exit activity for VI Group in the second half of 2020 reflects a broader market trend. Those with the ability to transact within COVID-19 parameters were better positioned to move quickly once processes restarted. “Large Thai corporates, Korean conglomerates, and Japanese trading houses have been in the market for a long time. They are comfortable with it, and they have teams on the ground,” he says. “They can tick the boxes in terms of touch and feel and kicking the tires with relatively senior people. That’s not the same as someone who has a sales office and people with no experience assessing assets.”
