Family Businesses Unite to Drive Meaningful Investing in Asia
Collaboration is no longer optional for family enterprises. That was the resounding call at the FBN Impact International Forum 2025, where more than 80 of Asia’s most influential family businesses gathered in Singapore to chart a future built on sustainability, impact investing, and stewardship beyond profit.
Opening the FBN's two-day forum at Mandai Rainforest Resort, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, stressed that family businesses must harness their long-term vision to deliver immediate, tangible action.
With family enterprises generating over 70 percent of global GDP and managing nearly US$6 trillion in assets, their influence on sustainability is unparalleled.
From Wealth Preservation to Impact Creation
The forum highlighted a shift among Asian family offices – from safeguarding wealth to actively creating impact. Families are backing climate ventures, rethinking governance, and steering investments towards inclusive growth.
In Singapore, the number of family offices has multiplied nearly fivefold since 2020, reinforcing the city-state’s status as a global hub for sustainable finance.
Launch of the Impact Partners’ Coalition
A key milestone of the forum was the launch of the Impact Partners’ Coalition, spearheaded by Tsao Pao Chee and the No. 17 Foundation.
The coalition unites 14 entities spanning philanthropy, academia, and the private sector – including Temasek Foundation, Global Citizen, OceanX, and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) – to accelerate systemic change across climate, biodiversity, and inclusive growth.
Stewardship Beyond Profit
Speakers emphasised that family enterprises must integrate impact into core business models rather than treating it as afterthought philanthropy. «Family businesses have knowledge, networks, and resilience built over generations. What’s missing is collective power and conviction,» said Rena Chai, Executive Director of FBN Asia.
Sajen Aswani, Chairman of FBN Asia, added: «Shared values are the foundation of family business, but strategy is where impact begins».
Next Steps: Global Exchange in 2026
The forum concluded with a pledge for continued collaboration. In 2026, FBN will convene a family business exchange in France, focusing on seven key themes: Oceans, Energy Transition, Circular Economy, Biodiversity, Health Innovation, Decent Work, and Food Systems.
The initiative aims to deepen dialogue and create actionable strategies to ensure family wealth translates into sustainable impact.
