Proterra Asia makes first investment in Laos with blueberry venture
SINGAPORE, 03 July 2025: Proterra Investment Partners Asia (“Proterra Asia”), has made its first investment in Laos, through Proterra Asia Food Fund 3 (“PAFF3”), backing a new blueberry cultivation project in Paksong. The greenfield investment expands the firm’s Southeast Asia footprint and follows its recently announced investment in Lanna Agro Industry Co., Ltd. (“LACO”), Thailand’s largest frozen edamame exporter.
Proterra Asia has partnered with a team of seasoned berry industry professionals based in China, Mekong Blue Singapore (“MBS”), and its wholly owned subsidiary Mekong Blue Laos (“MBL”). Based in southern Laos, the project will develop a high-quality, export-oriented blueberry operation to meet rising demand for healthy, premium fresh produce across the region.
The investment fits with the long-held investment thesis of Proterra Asia, tapping into a category that is experiencing rising consumer demand.
Tai Lin, Managing Partner at Proterra Asia, said:
“This is our first investment in Laos and a natural extension of our strategy to build high-quality, export-focused food businesses across Asia. The opportunity in fresh berries is growing, and Laos offers the right mix of climate, location and potential to support long-term development.”
“We’re working with experienced operators to build something from the ground up—focused not just on meeting demand, but on creating better farming and employment opportunities in the process. It’s early days, but we see strong foundations for something meaningful here.”
Beyond its commercial potential, MBS will contribute to rural development by creating employment and upskilling opportunities to the local community.
In a country where staple foods and plantation crops dominate agricultural employment but offer limited income potential, MBS will introduce higher-value crop cultivation and improve farmer livelihoods through its mission of ‘Better Berries, Better Lives, Better Laos’.
Proterra Asia will support MBS with access to its network of regional distribution partners and implementation of strong corporate governance practices. The project aims to leverage an integrated value chain to drive rapid, sustainable, growth by 2030, with flexibility for future re-investments as the business grows.
This marks the 14th investment from PAFF3, building on the firm’s active portfolio across the region.
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About Proterra Investment Partners Asia:
Proterra Investment Partners (Proterra Asia) is one of the leading alternative investment managers focused on investing in the global food and agriculture sectors. Proterra was ranked the #1 Global Private Equity Agri Investor by AUM by Global AgInvesting (2019). Proterra Asia has a track record of supporting entrepreneurs and management teams with more than capital, leveraging our unique skillset as experts across the entire food value chain, ranging from production to processing and distribution. For more information, visit: https://proterraasia.com/
Proterra Asia partners with Fidante:
Fidante provide investors with access to best-in-class investment managers. Fidante is one of Australia’s largest active investors, offering compelling strategies across equities, fixed income, and alternative assets, via partnerships with leading investment teams. A global investment management business with approximately AUD 96.8 billion under management (as of 31 March 2025) and form part of the Challenger Limited, an ASX-listed investment management firm. https://fidante.com/au/about-fidante.
For all media queries, please contact:
Paul Cheal
3cPR
M: +61 427 755 296
paul@3cpr.com.au
This media release has been prepared by Proterra Investment Advisors (Singapore) Pte Ltd (“Proterra Asia”), which is a subsidiary of Proterra Investment Partners LP (“Proterra”). It is general information only and is not intended to provide you with financial advice or take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance on this information. Any projections are based on assumptions which we believe are reasonable but are subject to change and should not be relied upon. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Neither any particular rate of return nor capital invested are guaranteed.