Wonderful Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets

Family office investment firm Wonder Capital Group provides expertise for high growth Southeast Asian countries.

Families all want to leave a legacy for descendants, and prudence tends to yield safer returns. Hence investment selection can be more carefully scrutinised when it comes to family offices. Wonder Capital Group (WCG)’s flagship private equity fund is focused on Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. By leveraging its emerging market experience, WCG creates a win-win situation for developing countries seeking capital and investors with faith in their growth.

Asian Wealth on the Rise

According to Capgemini Financial Services’ analysis, financial wealth for the upper echelon of Asia-Pacific investors more than doubled from US$10.8 trillion in 2010 to US$22.2 trillion in 2019. Greater China counts for 20 percent of that growth in the past three years, and 20 percent of these individuals are based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. “With the rapid rise of wealth in the region, there is a tremendous need from Asian family offices to seek trusted partners and high-quality managers in Hong Kong for wealth management and succession planning,” stated Gigi Chan, WCG’s Founder and CEO.

WCG’s clientele includes institutions and family offices in Greater China and overseas market, serviced by 20 staff in WCG’s Hong Kong in tandem with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Phnom Penh. As Cambodia is part of the ASEAN community and a major link in China’s Belt and Road Initiatives, WCG views the country as a destination with huge investment potential. “The attraction of US dollar assets in Cambodia to mitigate emerging currency risks are major attractions for foreign investors,” Chan explained. “WCG’s footprint in Cambodia began in 2018. We have built a full team of development professionals on the ground with a vision to continue to spearhead foreign investments from Mainland China and Hong Kong into the burgeoning Cambodian market.”

Hong Kong Financial Know-How

Chan sees ripe potential for WCG in Hong Kong. “Its family offices have built decades of experience in asset allocation, wealth preservation and succession planning,” she noted. “This has fostered trust and credibility that the best investment services in the region are offered to investors — a reputation akin to Switzerland. Hong Kong is home to 70 percent of the top global money managers. As a result, Hong Kong family offices are exposed to global deal flows and investment opportunities not replicable in any other Asian financial hub. Relatively speaking, Mainland China’s family office segment is still in its early stage.”

Rather than hindering WCG’s growth in the past two years, the pandemic has accelerated it. “COVID created a systematic shift in the investment landscape as more and more investors seeks to repatriate assets from the west in search for a more favourable business environment,” Chan said. “The Hong Kong government takes pride in its identity as Asia’s World City. Hong Kong people’s excellent work ethic is a key factor enabling businesses to thrive in a highly efficient and productive environment.”