Vending Machines International Secures SGD 135 Million Capital Commitment From Global Emerging Markets (GEM) as Company Seeks to Go Public
26.1.2022 07:02:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Vending Machines International (VMI), today announced a SGD 135 Million capital commitment from GEM Global Yield LLC SCS ("GGY"), the Luxembourg-based private alternative investment vehicle.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220125006251/en/
(Photo: Business Wire)
Under the agreement, GGY will provide VMI with a Share Subscription Facility of up to SGD 135 million for a 36-month period following a public listing of VMI’s common stock. VMI will control the timing and maximum amount of drawdowns under this facility and has no minimum drawdown obligation.
“VMI is very pleased to be selected by the GEM Group to receive this investment. It is a credit to the GEM management that they very quickly grasped that the world is moving to remove single use plastics from the supply chain. VMI is extremely well placed to take advantage of this transition. With GEM’s funds to strengthen the VMI balance sheet VMI will be able to assist the beverage industry by offering a viable alternative to single use plastic bottles on a global scale. This funding will broaden our global reach and further enhance our research and development facilities as we continue to interact with the world’s largest beverage companies.”
Leicester Chatfield – Founder and CEO
About VMI
Vending Machines International Pte Ltd (VMI) is a Singapore-registered entity providing unique solutions in water distribution with zero plastic waste. Established in 2015, VMI has successfully developed its own water dispensing kiosk network in Australia designed to fully understand how to interact with their customers and to test the VMI technology. In the next stage of its development, VMI is pivoting to a highly scalable white-label and licensing strategy which is underpinned by strong interest from international FMCG brand owners.
Global FMCG companies have switched to other forms of packaging like tin cans, glass bottles, paper boxes, etc; however, these materials come with trade-offs. Mining aluminium, for example creates toxic waste. Glass bottles also have a carbon footprint from their energy-intensive production process, and their heavier weight means that they also create more emissions during transportation than plastic. Thus, refilling reusable bottles is the only low-impact option. It is time for the world to switch from “disposable” and “recyclable” to “reusable” solutions and VMI is very well placed to be a world leader in this endeavour.
VMI’s Head office is in Singapore. Thailand is the company’s base for manufacturing, our inhouse software development and a large, experienced research and development team.
VMI also has an operation in Australia focusing on the Australasian market. VMI also has a research and development team who have developed the world’s first water vending machine which never needs refilling as it extracts its water from the atmosphere.
About GEM
Global Emerging Markets (“GEM”) is a $3.4 billion, Luxembourg-based private alternative investment group with offices in Paris, New York and The Bahamas. GEM manages a diverse set of investment vehicles focused on emerging markets and has completed over 480 transactions in over 70 countries. Each investment vehicle has a different degree of operational control, risk- adjusted return, and liquidity profile. The family of funds and investment vehicles provide GEM and its partners with exposure to: Small-Mid Cap Management Buyouts, Private Investments in Public Equities and select venture investments. For more information: http://www.gemny.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220125006251/en/
Contact information
VMI
Mr. Leicester Chatfield
lc@vmi.asia
Global Emerging Markets
Mr. Jean-Luc Bonnefoy
jbonnefoy@gemny.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Hitachi Joins Anthropic’s Critical Infrastructure Defense Program9.10.2026 03:32:00 EEST | Press release
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi"), today announced that it has joined Anthropic, PBC’s (“Anthropic”) “Critical Infrastructure Defense Program,” launched on October 8, 2026, as a founding partner. The program is aimed at strengthening cyber defense for critical infrastructure, including control systems supporting power, water, manufacturing, and transportation services. Infrastructure systems that underpin society and the economy cannot tolerate prolonged downtime, making it difficult to implement certain security measures, such as system shutdowns for patch deployment. At the same time, advances in AI are significantly shortening the time between vulnerability disclosure and exploitation, creating an urgent need to redesign systems based on the assumption that cyberattacks will occur. The program seeks to strengthen cybersecurity through rapid vulnerability detection and remediation by integrating Anthropic’s advanced AI models, Claude, into the products and services of trusted syste
Lapmaster Wolters and Precision Surfacing Solutions Secures Strategic Minority Investment from The Cynosure Group and Fernweh Group to Accelerate Growth8.10.2026 23:49:00 EEST | Press release
Lapmaster Wolters and Precision Surfacing Solutions (“Lapmaster Wolters”), a leading global supplier of high-precision machine systems and consumables to the semiconductor, advanced materials, precision optics, and advanced packaging industries, today announced the completion of a minority equity investment by affiliates of The Cynosure Group (“Cynosure”) and Fernweh Group (“Fernweh”). The investment strengthens the balance sheet and adds long-term, engaged partners to support the company’s next phase of growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008141876/en/ Positioned for growth Demand for ultra-high-precision surface finishing continues to grow as customers in semiconductors, advanced materials, and precision optics push toward tighter tolerances and higher throughput. These tailwinds are further reinforced by sustained investment in semiconductor and advanced-packaging capacity, the expansion of AI and hi
Dubai Launches Global Create AI Agents Championship with Prize Pool Exceeding AED 2.5 Million8.10.2026 20:05:00 EEST | Press release
Dubai has launched the Create AI Agents Championship, a global competition inviting innovators to develop practical and scalable AI-agent solutions that address real-world challenges, with a total prize pool exceeding AED 2.5 million. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008883373/en/ Dubai has launched the Create AI Agents Championship as part of its efforts to accelerate the adoption and development of Agentic AI (Photo: AETOSWire) The launch of the championship was announced by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, who encouraged innovators from around the world to participate. Led by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the championship aims to accelerate the adoption of Agentic AI and support the development of innovative AI-agent solutions with strong potential for
Seiden Law LLP issues statement: Prosecuted by Press Conference: Declared Guilty Without a Charge, Yim Leak Family Asks UN Human Rights Experts to Hold Thailand to Its Own Treaty Commitments8.10.2026 19:26:00 EEST | Press release
Seiden Law LLP, chief global counsel to Cambodian businessman Yim Leak, announced today that Jared Genser, international counsel to Mr. Yim and his wife, has asked two UN Special Rapporteurs to send an urgent appeal to the Thai government. The request is made on behalf of the couple and their seven-year-old son. It says Thailand violated its international human rights commitments by announcing the family’s guilt before any court had tried them, and by freezing their assets, including their minor son’s savings, without a hearing. Six Official Statements in Nine Months. No Charge Filed in Any Court. Between December 2025 and September 2026, Thai officials described Mr. Yim as the center of a criminal network on six occasions: at two press conferences chaired by the head of the Thai government, in the House of Representatives, and in three government press releases. The head of the Thai government said the network had been “found to have committed” offenses. Asked about the suspects’ lawy
Sam Altman-Backed Meanwhile Raises $37.5M as Families Across Asia, Europe and the Middle East Turn to Bitcoin Life Insurance8.10.2026 19:12:00 EEST | Press release
Meanwhile, the first life insurer licensed to operate entirely in Bitcoin, today announced $37.5 million in new funding from its existing investors. Bain Capital Crypto led the round, alongside Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital. Meanwhile, whose backers also include Sam Altman, has now raised more than $180 million. The round follows a surge in international demand for Meanwhile’s Bitcoin life insurance policies, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East amid broader macro instability. In early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy built for high-net-worth clients outside the United States. It is the company's second product line after BTC 10-Pay, which is purposely designed for US taxpayers. As the company eyes further international growth, Meanwhile has signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families since launch, including in the insurance hubs of Singapore
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom