S'porean Olympian Joseph Schooling joins venture capital firm as associate

Singaporean Olympian Joseph Schooling has joined a venture capital company, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia, following his retirement from competitive swimming.

The company announced Schooling as its latest hire in a LinkedIn post.

Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India is one of the six major funds in Vertex's global network of venture capital funds.

The anchor investor is Vertex Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek.

The 29-year-old joined the firm as an associate in its investment team and will work alongside others to assess and invest in "high-growth startups", the post read.

"We are excited to have Joseph with us. We look forward to working with him and having him share his perspectives with us," the company wrote.

On joining the company, Schooling stated, "Vertex Ventures is known to be one of the top venture capital names in the region. As our ecosystem evolves, we must be willing to pivot. Having opportunity to directly tap into the experience and expertise of senior leaders... present immense possibilities as I foray into the venture capital world."

Schooling retired from competitive swimming in April 2024 after his decorated sporting career, during which he became the first Singaporean to win an Olympic gold medal.

When speaking at his retirement announcement, Schooling said he was focusing on his business ventures and his work in venture capital.

Top photos via Vertex Ventures/LinkedIn & Joseph Schooling/Facebook