KUALA LUMPUR: Private equity (PE) firm Creador has acquired up to 13% in FPT Long Chau Investment JSC (Long Chau), one of Vietnam’s leading pharmacy chains.
In a statement, Creador said this marked Long Chau’s first-ever fundraising round and the firm’s second investment in Vietnam.
Long Chau expanded from just four stores in 2017 to more than 2,000 pharmacies and over 140 vaccination centres across Vietnam. It remains the only profitable national pharmacy chain with a presence in all 63 provinces.
This rapid growth was driven by a highly visionary management team with deep retail experience, building trust with the Vietnamese consumers through quality offerings, a broad range of products, and price leadership in a general-trade dominant market.
Creador said this investment marked a significant milestone as its 59th since inception, reaffirming its commitment to Vietnam’s rapidly growing healthcare market. It also represented the firm’s second entry into Southeast Asia’s pharmacy retail sector, backed by a decade of industry experience.
“Very few businesses achieve what Long Chau has — national scale, brand trust, and deep community presence,” Creador CEO and founder Brahmal Vasudevan said.
“Long Chau stands at the forefront of making healthcare accessible and affordable for all. We are proud to support this mission and be part of Long Chau’s continued impact and growth,” he added.
Meanwhile, FPT Retail and general director of Long Chau Investment chairperson Nguyen Bach Diep said: “This partnership not only provides Long Chau with additional resources but also offers an opportunity to gain international experience, enhancing the quality of our products and services in a transparent and sustainable way, and contributing to the improvement of public health in Vietnam.”
