Investor Education

 

 

 

We’re turning 10 on 16 January 2025! 

What a journey it’s been these past 10 years. Whether it is staying true to our mandate of broadening private equity (“PE”) access for a wider investor base, creating new platforms and products that are robust and scalable for the long-term, or actively promoting investor education and financial literacy – thank you for being there with us every step of the way.

In celebration of this big milestone, we’re excited to share with you a deeper look into who we are, and what makes us uniquely Azalea. 

Here are 10 things you may not know about our organisation. 

 

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#1: We’re named after a plant

 

You’ve probably guessed it – we’re named after the Azalea plant. Known for their vibrant colours and delicate petals, Azaleas are a sight to behold. They are also a type of rhododendron, which are large, evergreen bushes.

This plant embodies who we are:

• Passion: Brightly coloured Azaleas symbolise a deep passion. What makes us Azalea is our deep commitment and passion to making PE more accessible for all.
• Resilience: Azaleas are known for their ability to withstand adversity such as harsh weather, pests, and diseases. Regardless of the investment environment, we strive to remain steadfast in our commitment to our partners, investors and employees.

• Creativity: Fuchsia azaleas signify creativity. We’re committed to developing innovative investment platforms and products.

   

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#2: Azalea was incubated in Temasek's offices

 

Azalea was established by Temasek in 2015, with a unique mandate to make PE accessible to a broader group of investors. Naturally, our first home was the Temasek Holdings office, located in Dhoby Ghaut. 

In 2018, we made the move to our current home, Guoco Tower. The change in office location marked the start of our journey in establishing our own footprint.

 

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#3: Astrea is out of this world (literally)

 

In 2016, upon receiving the baton from Temasek who had launched Astrea I and II, Azalea issued Astrea III, offering investors investment grade bonds that provide regular distributions and exposure to PE. Subsequent launches of Astrea IV, V, VI, 7 and 8 expanded PE access particularly for retail investors. 

The name Astrea is derived from the Greek word aster, meaning star. 

 

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#4: Altrium is an acronym

 

No, Altrium isn’t a real word. Yes, we made it up, but only with the best intentions! 

Altrium stands for “Alternative Retirement Investment for U and Me”. Our Altrium platform enables accredited investors to co-invest with Azalea and gain access to top-performing global PE fund managers. It effectively addresses the traditional challenges investors face in accessing PE investments.

 

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#5: Our Astrea Bonds fulfilled many firsts

 

Staying true to our mandate of making PE an accessible asset class for all, Azalea’s Astrea IV Class A-1 Bonds were the first retail PE Bonds listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) in 2018. 

In addition, our Astrea 7 Class B Bonds issuance in 2022, which expanded options for retail investors, marked the first USD-denominated retail bond IPO on the SGX.

 

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#6: Today, Astrea is the largest retail bond platform in Singapore

 

Today, Astrea is the largest retail bond platform in Singapore

This highlights the appeal of Astrea bonds across market cycles and is a milestone we hold close to our hearts.

 

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#7: We have more than 70,000 unique Astrea retail bondholders

 

We have more than 70,000 unique Astrea retail bondholders

We value each individual of our retail investor base, and the trust and confidence they have placed in us and our Astrea platform over the past decade.

In turn, we remain committed to investor education and expanding our initiatives to deepen understanding in PE as an asset class.

 

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#8: Margaret, our CEO, cooks for the team! 

 

As a yearly treat, our CEO, Margaret, cooks for the entire Azalea team at our year-end office party. Like a family coming together, this special occasion is one that we all look forward to as we celebrate the team’s contributions for the year (over good food, of course)!

A notable dish from Chef Margaret? Sakura Ebi Angel Hair Pasta.

 

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#9: Teamwork is at the heart of who we are

 

When we asked our staff, what is one thing they most liked about working at Azalea, more than 70 percent said, “teamwork”.

As one of our company’s key values represented in the acronym AERIIT (accountability, excellence, respect, integrity, innovation and teamwork), teamwork forms the bedrock of our organisation. It is our hope that all members of #TeamAzalea know that they are not alone and their individual contributions matter.

 

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#10: The founding team remains rooted at Azalea 

 

Those who joined us in 2015 as part of the founding team remain in the company today! With a decade of dedication under their belt, what keeps them going at Azalea?

"I’m proud to have witnessed how far we’ve come in these past 10 years. While we’ve grown in size since our early days, our currently more than 60 strong Azalea team continues to place our founding spirit of innovation and teamwork at the core of everything that we do. I’m confident about what the next 10 years will bring.” – Lim Jun Jie, Director, Investor Solutions and Marketing

What a blast the past decade has been. Regardless of what the next 10, 20, 30 years will bring, we’ll strive to continually broaden PE as an asset class, and expand financial education and literacy for more.

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