VinaCapital announced yesterday that it has signed an MoU with Ryobi Group to work together on suitable real estate projects, venture capital, infrastructure, energy, and other investment opportunities in listed and private equity in Vietnam.

Brook Taylor, COO of VinaCapital, said, “As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Vietnam continues to present enormous investment opportunities across a wide range of sectors, from real estate and renewable energy to logistics and IT. I am honoured that Ryobi has once again selected VinaCapital to be its partner.”

Toshiyuki Matsuda, president of Ryobi Group, stated that Ryobi and VinaCapital first worked together about 10 years ago on a successful equity investment.

“At that time, VinaCapital’s CEO Don Lam presented us with several other investments that, in retrospect, we would have done very well had we invested in them all. But I am delighted that we have maintained a trusted relationship between our two companies and now have exciting new opportunities to work together across a variety of sectors in Vietnam,” said Matsuda.

According to Toshiyuki Tamura, director of Casco Investments Limited, Ryobi Group has engaged in many real estate projects in Japan, but does not have a lot of experience in overseas projects. “Because of this, we decided to proceed with this investment thanks to generous support from Vina Capital Group, one of the most reliable companies in Vietnam,” said Tamura.

One potential project for collaboration is the development of low-rise residential projects in satellite cities surrounding Ho Chi Minh City being undertaken by VinaLiving, the real estate investment arm of VinaCapital.

The southern metropolis continues to be one of the primary drivers of Vietnam’s robust economic growth. The construction and enhancement of infrastructure such as roads and highways are increasing accessibility and development to a wider area beyond the city limits. This in turn is creating the need for more homes and commercial space in the satellite cities that are expected to grow rapidly as more businesses move to these up-and-coming areas.

VinaLiving is a pioneer in developing luxurious residential projects targeting Vietnam’s rising middle class. Ryobi was founded as a railway company over 100 years ago in Okayama, Japan. Today, the group has over 40 subsidiaries operating in a wide range of sectors, including transportation and tourism, ICT, urban development, logistics, and healthcare.

In 2015, Ryobi established Ryobi Distribution Service Vietnam, which has been operating the region’s largest multifunctional warehouse in Saigon High-tech Park. Furthermore, Ryobi supports local business by making strategic investments in Vietnamese companies, particularly those in the logistics sector. Ryobi are proud of their mission to contribute to urban development projects suitable for Vietnam’s local communities.

Vietnam Investment Review