Former F1 champ Nico Rosberg eyes opportunities in Singapore

He plans to invest in start-ups as part of his venture capital fund's next phase of growth

- Sue-Ann Tan

Networking for business and enjoying the cuisine were among the top experiences in Singapore for former Formula One (F1) race car driver Nico Rosberg, after his month-long stay here.

He swapped the race track and cars for meeting entrepreneurs and business founders before returning to Monaco for Christmas.

Investing in start-ups also forms the next phase of growth for Rosberg Ventures, the venture capital fund Mr Rosberg set up after winning the F1 World Drivers' Championship with Mercedes and retiring from the sport in 2016.

He described Singapore as a special place to him. In 2016, he won the Singapore Grand Prix to take the lead in the world championship that season.

This time, Mr Rosberg was not here for the winner's podium, but ate dim sum and saw giraffes at the zoo for the first time with his two children aged seven and nine, alongside working on his business.

Set up to help connect European and Asian capital to US venture capital funds, Rosberg Ventures reached US$100 million (S$134.3 million) in assets under management, he revealed in November.

Called a "fund of funds", Rosberg Ventures helps investors gain access to top venture capital funds and also connects them with start-ups.

"Now, thanks to our partner venture capital firms, we start to see which are the best-performing start-ups and it's a natural next step to then also seek allocations directly in those start-ups. So that's going to be a strategy we're developing next year," Mr Rosberg told The Straits Times days before leaving Singapore.