Li Ka-shing's family office joins Singapore expansion wave

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing's private investment firm Horizons Ventures Ltd. is opening a Singapore office to find new deals and support the company's expansion in Asia.

Jacky Li, a senior investment manager who will focus on deal execution, and Jeffery Lo, a portfolio curator and other 8 staff will be based in Singapore. One year ago, the company said that it plans to ramp up deals in the region. The new office will be Horizons' first office outside of Hong Kong with a focus on supporting portfolio companies entering the market.

Horizons' decision was driven by Singapore's advantages as a regional hub for investors and expansion, for example, low taxes, relative safety and an expedited pathway for permanent residency for the super-wealthy.

"We have about 23 investments across the region and operating out of this hub actually becomes pretty important because everyone is here," said Chris Liu, an Adelaide-based portfolio curator for Horizons. "Connecting into this region, it makes more sense to be in Singapore than Hong Kong. Also, Australia was too physically far away from Asia to act as a regional base."