Elemental Ventures Sdn Bhd (“Elemental”) has announced its Japanese branch, IMAGINEX STUDIOS TOKYO, at the 21st Tokyo International Film Festival 2008.

Imaginex Studios Tokyo will be represented by Elemental’s partner in Tokyo, PolyAssets United Inc (“PAU”), and will promote Elemental’s award-winning suite of creative audio services - original music, sound design, voice casting/direction and mixing – to Japan’s top game development companies.

Elemental offers its audio services under its brand “Imaginex Studios” worldwide.

“We’re very excited to be in Japan, the spiritual home of great animation and games. Via Imaginex Studios Tokyo, we hope to see our creative audio work soon on some of the latest games on the next generation of consoles, computers and mobile devices,” said Leon Tan, Managing Director of Elemental.

Elemental’s core expertise is the delivery of complete audio experiences fusing original music, immersive sound design and international-quality English voice casting/direction. Its award-winning team of Malaysian and foreign talents have received international acclaim for their creativity and engineering know-how.

In this set-up, PAU manages the projects in Tokyo, while Elemental fulfills the audio requirements in Kuala Lumpur, where Elemental’s creative and technical resources are strongest.

“We have already begun work on our first projects, and look forward to many more,” said Micheal Bloemendal, Executive Director of Elemental and head of its audio production services.

Imaginex Studios Tokyo is Elemental’s second overseas presence outside of its regional hub in Kuala Lumpur. In 2005, Elemental established its subsidiary PT Elemental Indonesia to market Imaginex Studios Jakarta in Indonesia.

KUALA LUMPUR 17 Julai - Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd. (Mavcap) hari ini menandatangani perjanjian peruntukan dana modal berteknologi Islam pertama di Malaysia.

Dana modal teknologi Islam itu akan memperuntukan RM30 juta kepada Musharaka Venture Management Sdn. Bhd. (Musharaka) untuk dilaburkan.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Mavcap, Husni Salleh berkata, memandangkan sebelum ini, pasaran modal teroka lebih menjurus kepada kaedah konvensional dan dengan wujudkan pasaran modal teroka Islam akan memberi alternatif kepada pelabur.

''Musharaka telah dapat menarik minat pelabur daripada negara-negara Asia Barat kerana ia berlandaskan syariah serta negara lain seperti Switzerland,'' katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas majlis menandatangani perjanjian rakan niaga di bawah Program Rakan Niaga Penyumberan Luar Kedua (OSP-2) di sini hari ini.

Hadir pada majlis, Pengerusi Tech Venture Sdn. Bhd., Datuk Yusuf Md. Omar, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Musharaka Tech Venture, Nor Idzam Yaakub dan Pengerusi Mavcop, Datuk Dr. Abdul Samad Alias.

Upacara menandatangani perjanjian itu, disaksikan oleh Menteri Kewangan Kedua, Datuk Kong Cho Ha.

Pada majlis yang sama, Mavcap turut memperuntukan RM30 juta kepada rakan niaganya, Teak Capital Sdn. Bhd. (Teak Capital) bagi pelaburan konvensional

Tambahnya, penubuhan Musharaka itu diharap dapat mempromosi modal teroka berlandaskan Islam serta dijangka dapat menjana perkembangan industri modal teroka tempatan.

Sementara itu, di bawah OSP-2, Mavcap telah mempunyai lima rakan niaga dengan jumlah peruntukan sebanyak RM140 juta.

''Kami akan menambah dua lagi rakan niaga bagi dengan peruntukan sebanyak RM50 juta dan sedang menimbangkan untuk memperuntukkan pinjaman kepada dana konvensional,'' katanya.

MALAYSIA Venture Capital Management Bhd (Mavcap) memperuntukkan RM60 juta kepada dua lagi syarikat pengurusan modal teroka yang dilantik sebagai rakan khidmat luarannya di bawah pusingan terbaru Program Rakan Khidmat Luaran Kedua (OSP2).

Ketua Eksekutifnya, Husni Salleh, berkata syarikat itu ialah Musharaka Venture Management Sdn Bhd dan Teak Capital Sdn Bhd yang akan diperuntukkan RM30 juta untuk tempoh lapan tahun sehingga 2016.

"Pemilihan mereka berdasarkan keteguhan dari aspek pengalaman, rekod prestasi, rangkaian, sektor pelaburan utama dan nilai tawaran ke arah objektif yang telah ditetapkan Mavcap," katanya sambil menambah Musharaka adalah pengurus modal teroka pertama berasaskan Syariah.

Beliau berkata demikian pada majlis memeterai pelantikan rakan khidmat luar berkenaan di Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

Hadir sama Timbalan Menteri Kewangan II, Datuk Kong Cho Ha dan Pengerusi Mavcap, Datuk Abdul Samad Alias; Pengerusi Musharaka Tech Venture Sdn Bhd, Datuk Md Yusop Omar dan Pengarah Urusan Musharaka Venture Management Sdn Bhd, Nor Idzam Yaakub.

MALAYSIA Venture Capital Management Bhd (Mavcap), syarikat modal teroka di bawah Kementerian Kewangan (MoF) yang diperbadankan, memperuntukkan RM60 juta kepada dua rakan khidmat luaran termasuk satu yang menjadi syarikat modal teroka Islam pertama di negara ini, di bawah pusingan terbaru Program Rakan Khidmat Luaran Kedua (OSP2).

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya, Husni Salleh, berkata peruntukan itu membolehkan kedua-dua rakan itu melabur dan menjana pelbagai aktiviti ekonomi dalam syarikat tempatan bersaiz kecil dan sederhana lain khususnya dalam bidang teknologi.

Katanya, Musharaka Venture Management Sdn Bhd dan Teak Capital Sdn Bhd masing-masing akan menerima RM30 juta untuk tempoh lapan tahun sehingga 2016.

"Kedua-dua syarikat pengurusan modal teroka berkenaan dipilih daripada 11 pemohon.

"Pemilihan ini berdasarkan rekod prestasi mereka daripada aspek pengalaman, operasi, rangkaian, sektor pelaburan utama dan nilai tawaran ke arah matlamat Mavcap," katanya di Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

Hadir sama, Timbalan Menteri Kewangan II, Datuk Kong

MALAYSIA Venture Capital Management Bhd (Mavcap), the venture capital arm of the Ministry of Finance, yesterday launched the first Islamic venture capital fund, managed by Musharaka Venture Management Sdn Bhd.

Besides the RM30 million allocation from Mavcap, Musharaka has also raised RM5 million from other investors.

Musharaka managing director Nor Idzam Yaakub expects the fund to be bigger as the company is now in talks with several local and foreign investors.

The fund has so far attracted interests from investors in the Middle East and Switzerland.

HusniMavcap chief executive officer Husni Salleh said Mavcap may launch more Islamic venture capital funds in the future.

"This (Musharaka fund) is the testbed for future Islamic venture capital fund in the market," he told a news conference after the appointment of two venture capital partners under the Second Outsource Partners Programme (OSP2) in Kuala Lumpur.

The signing between Mavcap and its outsource partners - Musharaka and Teak Capital Sdn Bhd - was witnessed by Deputy Finance Minister II Datuk Kong Cho Ha and Mavcap chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Samad Alias.

Mavcap has also invested RM30 million in Teak Capital, a conventional technology-focus venture capital fund. Teak Capital has so far raised RM10 milion from other investors.

Both Musharaka and Teak Capital stood out from 11 applicants and seven shortlisted candidates by Mavcap due to their strengths in experience, track record, networking, domain investment area and value proposition.

Under the first OSP (OSP1) in 2001, Mavcap has disbursed RM100 million to four outsource partners. As of June this year, these venture capital funds have invested in 39 companies.

Last year, Mavcap invested RM80 million in four venture capital management companies under OSP2. At the end of June this year, these companies have evaluated 223 business proposals and invested in three companies.

"We are unable to identify the performance of these funds until we close the funds," Husni said, adding that each fund has a life of eight years.

He said so far, the nine funds under OSP1 and OSP2 have raised a combined RM210 million from local and foreign investors. Most of them are institutional investors.

Husni also said that Mavcap is considering another two conventional funds under OSP2 with a combined RM50 million allocation. "We hope to close it by this year," he said.

Mavcap, which aims to develop the venture capital industry and build entrepreneurship in technology sector, invests directly as well as disburses funds to venture capital management companies under the OSP.

Under the OSP scheme, Mavcap allocates a portion of funds to venture capital management companies, which in turn invests in high-growth firms.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (MAVCAP), today appointed two new partners under the latest round of its Second Outsource Partners Programme (OSP2).

The appointment of Musharaka Venture Management Sdn Bhd, the first designated Islamic Venture Capital Fund, and Teak Capital Sdn.Bhd came with an allocation of RM30 million each.

"The disbursements are to make funding available through more sources and enable the coversion of unique concepts with high business potential into marketable products or services," said MAVCAP chairman, Datuk Dr Abdul Samad Alias, chairman of MAVCAP.

The signing ceremony to mark the appointment of the two companies was witnessed by Datuk Kong Cho Ha, the Deputy Minister of Finance II.

Abdul Samad said, beyond advancing the local venture capital industry the appointment of the latest OSP2 partners, would act as a catalyst for growth among local small and medium sized companies.

"The disbursements are expected to lend a significant boost to the local venture capital industry," he added.

Musharaka Venture Management and Teak Capital were selected from among 11 applicants and seven shortlisted candidates.

"Both were chosen based on their strengths in terms of experience, track record, networking, domain area of investment and value proposition towards the objectives set by MAVCAP," Abdul Samad explained.

In the first round of the OSP2, MAVCAP allocated RM80 million to Expedient Equity Two Sdn Bhd, Ethos Capital Sdn Bhd and DTA Venture Two Sdn Bhd. These companies in turn generated various economic activities and job opportunities.

The idea for the OSP was first mooted at the time of MAVCAP's inception.It believed then, that the initiative, would be an effective means to realise the goverment's mission to develop and grow the local venture capital industry.

At the same time, the OSP would also help spur the development of home-grown entrepreneurs. --BERNAMA