Mitsui invests US$58mil in Ada via Axiata Digital, valuing it at US$550mil

• Mitsui's stake will rise from 3.29% to an effective 12.69% in ADA
• ADA to expand digital presence, commitment to regional digital & data transformation

Axiata Digital & Analytics Sdn Bhd (ADA), has announced Mitsui’s investment of US$58 million (RM276.7 million) in ADA, facilitated through its holding company, Axiata Digital Services Sdn Bhd (ADS). 

Mitsui’s additional investment has established a watermark valuation of US$550 million (RM2.6 billion) for ADA, reflecting the company's continued growth and innovation in the digital and data transformation domain, according to a statement by the firm.

As the largest independent data and AI company in the region, spanning 12 countries across Asia, ADA is set to broaden its digital reach and reinforce its commitment to advancing digital and data transformation in the region, thanks to the strength of this investment. 

Mitsui, a Japanese conglomerate, has been working closely with ADS and ADA since their initial investment in 2019, and is now intensifying its efforts to deliver data and AI solutions to partners and clients in the APAC region. Following the investment, Mitsui’s stake in ADS will increase from 3.29% to 20%, resulting in an effective 12.69% stake in ADA.

Srinivas Gattamneni (pic), CEO of ADA, stated "Mitsui's strong endorsement highlights our extraordinary growth story. We are excited about the prospect of deepening our collaboration with Mitsui to empower their partners with cutting-edge data, AI, and technology solutions. This partnership represents a significant step forward as the company enters its next phase of growth and believes it will be an invaluable contributor to the firm's journey."

Meanwhile, Vivek Sood, group CEO and managing director of Axiata, commented "Mitsui has a strong and proven track record of bolstering innovative businesses in the fields of AI, data analytics and digital transformation. We are confident that broadening our strategic partnership will further enhance ADA’s expertise in AI and data analytics with Mitsui’s substantial business capabilities derived from a global portfolio.”

“This is a significant step towards generating greater, long-term value for our stakeholders and driving continued growth within this space. Consequently, this will enable Axiata to seize additional opportunities in the digital business realm while sharpening our focus on our core pillars, enabling sustainable growth across our geographic footprint,” he added. 

Vivek also acknowledged the contributions of other ADA shareholders, such as Softbank and Sumitomo, who have been instrumental in providing support and fostering synergies as ADA pursues its journey towards achieving unicorn status in the AI, data analytics, and digital transformation space. 

Toru Matsui (pic), representative director, senior executive managing officer of Mitsui & Co, Ltd, said, "The IT & Communication Business Unit has been executing a CRM strategy to develop digital marketing business clusters that contribute to our consumer-centric businesses and additional investment in ADS will strengthen this strategy in Asia.”

“We look forward to collaborating closely with Axiata Group and ADS/ADA in order to contribute to the growth of ada by accelerating the provision of its digital marketing solutions and data analysis services to our partners throughout the region," he added.